Time for a summer break
“Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” — Henry James
It’s that time of year again, my friends. Time to put the keyboard away for a bit and spend some time with my family — which is exactly what we’re doing this week, as we (try to) stay dry from the rain that’s been pouring down where I live.
That’s why this week’s issue is a light one, though it includes some of the best pieces we’ve published so far this year. If you’ve just signed up for The Half Marathoner, please know we’ll be back on track next week.
Now also is a great time to mention — I hope you’ll consider becoming a paying subscriber. Your support keeps this newsletter going, and pays for the amazing work that our writers Carissa Liebowitz, Hollie Sick, and Laura Dattaro do on a regular basis.
Until next week, I hope all is great with you guys and you’re enjoying your summer, while staying as consistent with your running as you can — and that you’re enjoying yourself whenever you can, especially amidst the year we’re all experiencing.
As the famed naturalist and author John Muir once wrote, “wander a whole summer if you can. Time will not be taken from the sum of life. Instead of shortening, it will definitely lengthen it and make you truly immortal.”
I couldn’t agree more. As always, let me know how things are going with you, and keep in touch. 😃
Your friend,
— Terrell
Finding meaning in running when life gets weird
“I don’t know about y’all, but taking in the news and all the goings on in the market and the economy over the past week has gotten me a little stressed out. (Okay, a LOT stressed out!) It’s not necessarily that what we’ve been going through here is all that bad; rather, it’s the implications of where this thing might be headed.”
By Terrell Johnson | Full story here
The lifespan of a running shoe: how to know when it’s time to say goodbye
“Most runners know they need a good pair of running shoes. That’s it. But when you start running regularly, you will begin to realize your running shoes don’t feel as good as they once did. Like a mattress, over time, running shoes break down.”
By Hollie Sick | Full story here
The running group trying to make the world a better place
“In 2017, Jessica Robson started RunTalkRun to create a space for people to support each other’s struggles with mental health. Through the work of volunteers, the community hosts weekly 5K runs at a gentle pace, allowing runners to do something Robson first discovered for herself: open up to the person running next to them.”
By Laura Dattaro | Full story here
The mental approach that’s helping me run through the pandemic
“It’s hard to know what lies on the other side of all ‘this.’ We don’t know yet if life will return to normal, or if the virus will continue to upend lives... the only thing we can control is our own actions and reactions. And realize that we have no control over the course of what will happen in the next month, 6 months, or beyond. But running itself is kind of like that.”
By Carissa Liebowitz | Full story here
How to use running to improve your mood
“Just as I was feeling pretty down the other day — after a few days in a row without running — I happened to spy a copy of Scott Douglas’s Running Is My Therapy on my bookshelf, where it has sat unread for the past couple of years. I picked it off the shelf and started running through it. It was all fascinating. But, I kept wondering, how can I put this into practice in a way that will work for me? Like, today?”
By Terrell Johnson | Full story here
How are you handling the ‘new normal’?
“What does my training look like with a now-free calendar for a few months? At this point, I am able to get outside still and enjoy a bit of fresh air and endorphins. I’m still a runner without racing. And in a time that we are in a health crisis, it’s great to get back to the basics of why I started running in the first place.”
By Carissa Liebowitz | Full story here
Our best live discussions of the year (so far)
Where are you in the world?
“Something I’ve wondered for a while is, where do all of us live and run? I think this will help us all get to know one another better, and even allow us the chance to meet up (someday!) if there are a number of us clustered in different places.”
From April, hosted by Terrell
What do you want to know about running shoes?
“What have you always wanted to know about running shoes? How to choose a shoe, what brands to consider (and which ones to avoid), how to take care of them, and what’s best for the kind of running you do?”
From January, hosted by Hollie
How fast is ‘fast’? How slow is ‘slow’?
“In her own newsletter earlier this week, Hollie Sick wrote about the differences between how running and runners are depicted on social media and those of us who run in the ‘real world.’ As she wrote, ‘if social media was all you knew, you might assume that everyone is training to break 3 hours in a marathon OR that a 12-minute mile is ‘slow.’ It's not.’”
From June, hosted by Terrell
The best virtual races?
“A huge swell in virtual running events has been happening, which makes me wonder — how many of you guys have run virtual races, what have you liked about them (and what haven’t you liked), and which events would you recommend?”
From April, hosted by Terrell
Coffee with Coach Q
An ask-me-anything style question-and-answer session with Georgia-based running coach Rogelio Quintanar, during which he answered a range of running- and training-related questions from readers (just like you).
From June, hosted by Rogelio Quintanar
👉 Also, don’t miss our ”What would you ask a running coach?” Q&A with coach Mary-Katherine Fleming.
Thanks again for reading this week (and every week!). Like I mentioned above, I hope you’ll consider becoming a paid subscriber, which helps to support all the great work by Carissa, Hollie, and Laura. Thank you so much!