I keep thinking that one week this newsletter is going to stop feeling like it's written directly to me. You'll post something about loving Nike shoes and I'll just be like "whelp, was fun while it lasted." But you just keeping hitting the nail on the head!
Competition in running is nuts, and it's even crazier in trail running. In my first 50K, I came upon a guy who was hobbling with eight miles to go, and slowed down to chat for a second or two, assuming I was about to blow past him. He was physically defeated. Well, at the end of our chat he said "what am I doing? I've dealt with far worse than this," sped off and absolutely torched me. He was sitting in an ice bath when I eventually rolled through the finish line. Add to that the fact that in some trail races (loops in particular) it's pretty hard to tell where anyone is in the race, and competition becomes an absolute headgame.
One thing I'm curious about is comradery on the trail. I've found I'm a bit less competitive during a trail race, because I find someone new to run with and we end up keeping each other company. Maybe I'm just soft but it's one of my favorite parts of trail running. I'm also not at the point where I honestly feel I could win a race, so maybe the pros/serious contenders would laugh at this.
Ditto on journaling and the importance of healthy staples. Mine right now are roasted potatoes. I always have roasted potatoes in my fridge, that I stick in salads or eat with scrambled eggs.
That's really interesting about camaraderie on the trail. I get that and have felt that totally. At that point, it's really all about internal competition, right? I would eat roasted potatoes pretty much every day if I could.
Soup is a topic I could write about! :-) We eat vegetable soup all the time...my specialty (learned from my mom) is called "fridge soup". Anything (within reason) in the fridge at soup time goes into the soup. Little leftover bits of spaghetti and tomato sauce and all! The soup process starts with making bone broth in my pressure cooker, and then each soup always has a base of sauteed onions, then whatever vegetables I have (in one color way -- I don't mix green and orange vegetables in the same soup as it doesn't look appealing once pureed), the fresh bone broth, other fridge bits (think yesterday's leftover oatmeal), some lentils maybe, salt and spices, and then once everything is soft, I puree the whole thing silky smooth and adjust the flavors to taste. My picky household eaters eat (and enjoy!) not realizing exactly what is in there. Maybe this peek behind the curtain sells fridge soup short...it really is so delicious!
Thanks for another great post, Paul, and thank you for another book recommendation. I've already placed a hold on Endure at my local library! Good to Go was an awesome read - the sections about sleep and stretching were particularly resonant for me. The concept of "the placebo effect as a good thing" was also super interesting. If stretching feels good, do it. If icing feels good, do it. Doing things that feel good or useful in the moment or as part of a routine seems like common sense, but the distinction between what is scientifically proven to work and what constitutes little more than urban legend can make it all seem useless or counterproductive. Aschwanden will forever be a hero in my book for doing her best to balance the scales.
Regarding journals: I use an app to track my workouts and so do not record to the qualitative data you mentioned in your post, but I see the use and will consider it. Something I have started doing, and for reasons similar to yours in 2017, is keeping a gratitude journal. Every day I write down three things from the previous 24 hours for which I am grateful. Sometimes it's a good run, sometimes it's time spent with my family (or alone for a blessed spell), and sometimes its a good meal. There aren't any rules on it and I try to be succinct. One of the reasons I've always failed to keep a journal until recently was the frankly ridiculous idea that whatever I wrote should be in five-paragraph format and worthy of a Pulitzer. By deliberately keeping my journal entries brief I have finally become a regular journal-er. It's a great way to start the day - with appreciation and optimism - and I recommend it for anyone looking for a way in to the practice.
Looking forward to making that soup! Have a great weekend, everyone.
Such a great response, thank you. I'll pass that along to Christie. She's awesome. Cool idea with the gratitude journal. Serves the same purpose, really. And yeah, some days I just write "good" or bad and keep it moving. it's always there when I'm ready to go deeper.
I was hooked on this newsletter when I saw so much in your running life in common with my own experiences. The greater arc of moving from running to trail running in particular is what really hooked me, as I've had the same experience and it has been so meaningful to my life overall. (Of course, the original hook was that I first started following you in your NBA life. Indeed, the first time -- and one of the few times -- I ever directly tweeted at someone was to you, to suggest a run up Terwilliger Blvd in Portland the next time you covered a Blazers game, a favorite run of mine whenever I used to visit that city. To be clear, I grew up in San Antonio, though, so all Spurs for me!) But the one thing I self-consciously noted when following Running Probably that was different from my own experiences was that my move to trail running coincided with a departure from competition. As I took to trails, I found myself seeking out mountain adventure instead of organized races. I loved planning out routes and then showing up to the trailhead as the sun rose, ready to get away from civilization, see something new, and test myself physically. I craved days out in the woods, and the more audacious the better. Often with friends, and more recently, solo too. To be sure, the competitive spirit still burns. I admit with embarrassment that I do check Strava to see how my efforts compare to others, even out in the woods. But I haven't run an organized race in years. I think when this pandemic clears, I'd like to do that again, in the trail setting. Your competitive racing spirit is awesome. Anyway, I really enjoy this newsletter and your writing. And I love all the comments by the community, as well as so many inspiring stories from so many in the comments here. Thanks for bringing everyone together.
I remember! That's amazing. I love running in Portland and the PNW. Thank you so much for reading my stuff over the years. You've got to take me on some trails if I'm back out that way again. I'm with you on everything you said. It's the internal challenge that fuels me 93 percent of the time. It's that little extra dial of competition in very specific environments that gives me a boost.
GO SPURS GO! I also feel the pull of nature, competition, and community... but I mainly came to say that in terms of post-race nutrition, it has been my experience that, after running a marathon, NOBODY says anything about how much you're drinking... it's more like, would you like another? ;-)
The commentary about trail races is so true. You can never tell. My has experienced this a lot. He is just 12, so he was competing as a 10-11 year old in 5K trail races and, after a few, he would always start at the front. The adults would always think he was some fast start kid, but by the end of the race, when he placed, they would come over to my wife and him to offer their kudos (I was usually still running). It is a good feeling to get that recognition and we have found that the trail running community is a much kinder and less competitive group, which is nice. I would also offer, in terms of youth sports (and since I think your son is younger), to look for the more community based activities. One of the best (besides trail running), is rock climbing. My son is pretty good, but the team structure around climbing is not geared toward winner take all, but more about helping and teaching each other, even in competitive settings. There is a lot more camaraderie and less one-upping. If you try and climb and can't do it, your peer would come over and give you tips, model it, and help. It really is a nice switch and my son really doesn't have interest in being on other types of teams.
That's cool. My kid really like running and climbing and being active, which is great. It's so fun to watch them in the outdoors do things instictively
Thanks for this Paul! I'm definitely a mouthbreather!! For quite a while after I started running, learning what worked and didn't work, I adhered to the breathing in cadence approach but with an offset 3 in-2 out or 2 in-1 out or some other pattern. At the end of the day, it really helped me control my breathing but also focus on the movement. I think people should use whatever works for them and it'll be great!
I'm not a real meal person and prefer snacking so I love a good homemade hummus (my favorite is jalapeno cilantro) with veggies, homemade pico de gallo or salsa as a topping for things and anything baked or mashed potato related.
We just got an instapot this fall, still figuring it out. Thanks for the rec. I'll def check that out. We've hit the part of the winter where we're starting to get in a rut. Good timing!
i have a small list of people whose content i devour as soon as they post anything. i guffawed when truehoops henry, on today's podcast, blurted out "learn to take the L, people." i thought you'd appreciate that.
Ah, I remember my first trail half marathon fondly. I was challenged enough by the hills I was training on that I didn't fully realize that the actual course being double that elevation would equal extreme displeasure. Feeling good at mile 3 I dreamed, "This is great, I'm going to keep training for that 18 miler". Then at mile at 7 cursing "Why am I even out here, I'm not training again. I don't even want to finish this race". I accepted all responsibility and took it in stride. Slow strides.
Speaking of youth sports, I got see the see the coach of a 7 year old basketball league throw his mask at the wall in disgust. Apparently the flip flop wearing high school refs weren't calling blocks consistently enough for him. Bob Knight's spirit is alive and well in the Hoosier state.
What part of Indiana? We have family in Bloomington and can verify Bk's spirit. Accepting responsibility is what it's all about. When I started seeing trained trail runners bounding over hills, I was like oh I can do that too if I train for it.
Bloomington and surrounding is a great place to run. I'm currently in New Albany, right across the river from Louisville. Grew up an hour north though, attending BK and Steve Alford bball camps as a kid and was attending IU when he was let go.
Two great cookbooks for vegetarians, with especially delicious soup recipes are "Love Real Food" by Kathryne Taylor and "Six Seasons" by Josh McFadden. There is a West African Peanut soup in "Love Real Food" that is delicious, and especially soul warming in the winter, and I could eat Josh McFadden's Celery Root soup recipe every day of the week. Thanks for another great post, Paul!
I keep thinking that one week this newsletter is going to stop feeling like it's written directly to me. You'll post something about loving Nike shoes and I'll just be like "whelp, was fun while it lasted." But you just keeping hitting the nail on the head!
Competition in running is nuts, and it's even crazier in trail running. In my first 50K, I came upon a guy who was hobbling with eight miles to go, and slowed down to chat for a second or two, assuming I was about to blow past him. He was physically defeated. Well, at the end of our chat he said "what am I doing? I've dealt with far worse than this," sped off and absolutely torched me. He was sitting in an ice bath when I eventually rolled through the finish line. Add to that the fact that in some trail races (loops in particular) it's pretty hard to tell where anyone is in the race, and competition becomes an absolute headgame.
One thing I'm curious about is comradery on the trail. I've found I'm a bit less competitive during a trail race, because I find someone new to run with and we end up keeping each other company. Maybe I'm just soft but it's one of my favorite parts of trail running. I'm also not at the point where I honestly feel I could win a race, so maybe the pros/serious contenders would laugh at this.
Ditto on journaling and the importance of healthy staples. Mine right now are roasted potatoes. I always have roasted potatoes in my fridge, that I stick in salads or eat with scrambled eggs.
That's really interesting about camaraderie on the trail. I get that and have felt that totally. At that point, it's really all about internal competition, right? I would eat roasted potatoes pretty much every day if I could.
Soup is a topic I could write about! :-) We eat vegetable soup all the time...my specialty (learned from my mom) is called "fridge soup". Anything (within reason) in the fridge at soup time goes into the soup. Little leftover bits of spaghetti and tomato sauce and all! The soup process starts with making bone broth in my pressure cooker, and then each soup always has a base of sauteed onions, then whatever vegetables I have (in one color way -- I don't mix green and orange vegetables in the same soup as it doesn't look appealing once pureed), the fresh bone broth, other fridge bits (think yesterday's leftover oatmeal), some lentils maybe, salt and spices, and then once everything is soft, I puree the whole thing silky smooth and adjust the flavors to taste. My picky household eaters eat (and enjoy!) not realizing exactly what is in there. Maybe this peek behind the curtain sells fridge soup short...it really is so delicious!
That's the most amazing soup concoction I've ever heard
I do the same! I love it!
Thanks for another great post, Paul, and thank you for another book recommendation. I've already placed a hold on Endure at my local library! Good to Go was an awesome read - the sections about sleep and stretching were particularly resonant for me. The concept of "the placebo effect as a good thing" was also super interesting. If stretching feels good, do it. If icing feels good, do it. Doing things that feel good or useful in the moment or as part of a routine seems like common sense, but the distinction between what is scientifically proven to work and what constitutes little more than urban legend can make it all seem useless or counterproductive. Aschwanden will forever be a hero in my book for doing her best to balance the scales.
Regarding journals: I use an app to track my workouts and so do not record to the qualitative data you mentioned in your post, but I see the use and will consider it. Something I have started doing, and for reasons similar to yours in 2017, is keeping a gratitude journal. Every day I write down three things from the previous 24 hours for which I am grateful. Sometimes it's a good run, sometimes it's time spent with my family (or alone for a blessed spell), and sometimes its a good meal. There aren't any rules on it and I try to be succinct. One of the reasons I've always failed to keep a journal until recently was the frankly ridiculous idea that whatever I wrote should be in five-paragraph format and worthy of a Pulitzer. By deliberately keeping my journal entries brief I have finally become a regular journal-er. It's a great way to start the day - with appreciation and optimism - and I recommend it for anyone looking for a way in to the practice.
Looking forward to making that soup! Have a great weekend, everyone.
Such a great response, thank you. I'll pass that along to Christie. She's awesome. Cool idea with the gratitude journal. Serves the same purpose, really. And yeah, some days I just write "good" or bad and keep it moving. it's always there when I'm ready to go deeper.
I was hooked on this newsletter when I saw so much in your running life in common with my own experiences. The greater arc of moving from running to trail running in particular is what really hooked me, as I've had the same experience and it has been so meaningful to my life overall. (Of course, the original hook was that I first started following you in your NBA life. Indeed, the first time -- and one of the few times -- I ever directly tweeted at someone was to you, to suggest a run up Terwilliger Blvd in Portland the next time you covered a Blazers game, a favorite run of mine whenever I used to visit that city. To be clear, I grew up in San Antonio, though, so all Spurs for me!) But the one thing I self-consciously noted when following Running Probably that was different from my own experiences was that my move to trail running coincided with a departure from competition. As I took to trails, I found myself seeking out mountain adventure instead of organized races. I loved planning out routes and then showing up to the trailhead as the sun rose, ready to get away from civilization, see something new, and test myself physically. I craved days out in the woods, and the more audacious the better. Often with friends, and more recently, solo too. To be sure, the competitive spirit still burns. I admit with embarrassment that I do check Strava to see how my efforts compare to others, even out in the woods. But I haven't run an organized race in years. I think when this pandemic clears, I'd like to do that again, in the trail setting. Your competitive racing spirit is awesome. Anyway, I really enjoy this newsletter and your writing. And I love all the comments by the community, as well as so many inspiring stories from so many in the comments here. Thanks for bringing everyone together.
I remember! That's amazing. I love running in Portland and the PNW. Thank you so much for reading my stuff over the years. You've got to take me on some trails if I'm back out that way again. I'm with you on everything you said. It's the internal challenge that fuels me 93 percent of the time. It's that little extra dial of competition in very specific environments that gives me a boost.
GO SPURS GO! I also feel the pull of nature, competition, and community... but I mainly came to say that in terms of post-race nutrition, it has been my experience that, after running a marathon, NOBODY says anything about how much you're drinking... it's more like, would you like another? ;-)
The commentary about trail races is so true. You can never tell. My has experienced this a lot. He is just 12, so he was competing as a 10-11 year old in 5K trail races and, after a few, he would always start at the front. The adults would always think he was some fast start kid, but by the end of the race, when he placed, they would come over to my wife and him to offer their kudos (I was usually still running). It is a good feeling to get that recognition and we have found that the trail running community is a much kinder and less competitive group, which is nice. I would also offer, in terms of youth sports (and since I think your son is younger), to look for the more community based activities. One of the best (besides trail running), is rock climbing. My son is pretty good, but the team structure around climbing is not geared toward winner take all, but more about helping and teaching each other, even in competitive settings. There is a lot more camaraderie and less one-upping. If you try and climb and can't do it, your peer would come over and give you tips, model it, and help. It really is a nice switch and my son really doesn't have interest in being on other types of teams.
That's cool. My kid really like running and climbing and being active, which is great. It's so fun to watch them in the outdoors do things instictively
Thanks for this Paul! I'm definitely a mouthbreather!! For quite a while after I started running, learning what worked and didn't work, I adhered to the breathing in cadence approach but with an offset 3 in-2 out or 2 in-1 out or some other pattern. At the end of the day, it really helped me control my breathing but also focus on the movement. I think people should use whatever works for them and it'll be great!
I am one of those Instant Pot devotees (because it makes life easier) and this is one of my absolute winter standards. Obviously, substitutions can be made: https://www.brandnewvegan.com/recipes/instant-pot-veggie-stew
I'm not a real meal person and prefer snacking so I love a good homemade hummus (my favorite is jalapeno cilantro) with veggies, homemade pico de gallo or salsa as a topping for things and anything baked or mashed potato related.
I can't wait to try your soup!
We just got an instapot this fall, still figuring it out. Thanks for the rec. I'll def check that out. We've hit the part of the winter where we're starting to get in a rut. Good timing!
Oh I LOVE my instant pot. I mean. You than throw a whole spaghetti squash in the thing. If you want refs, I got em! I use it at least once a day.
Recs not refs, we’ve got enough of those.
i have a small list of people whose content i devour as soon as they post anything. i guffawed when truehoops henry, on today's podcast, blurted out "learn to take the L, people." i thought you'd appreciate that.
Indeed, thanks Hoon.
Ah, I remember my first trail half marathon fondly. I was challenged enough by the hills I was training on that I didn't fully realize that the actual course being double that elevation would equal extreme displeasure. Feeling good at mile 3 I dreamed, "This is great, I'm going to keep training for that 18 miler". Then at mile at 7 cursing "Why am I even out here, I'm not training again. I don't even want to finish this race". I accepted all responsibility and took it in stride. Slow strides.
Speaking of youth sports, I got see the see the coach of a 7 year old basketball league throw his mask at the wall in disgust. Apparently the flip flop wearing high school refs weren't calling blocks consistently enough for him. Bob Knight's spirit is alive and well in the Hoosier state.
What part of Indiana? We have family in Bloomington and can verify Bk's spirit. Accepting responsibility is what it's all about. When I started seeing trained trail runners bounding over hills, I was like oh I can do that too if I train for it.
Bloomington and surrounding is a great place to run. I'm currently in New Albany, right across the river from Louisville. Grew up an hour north though, attending BK and Steve Alford bball camps as a kid and was attending IU when he was let go.
Two great cookbooks for vegetarians, with especially delicious soup recipes are "Love Real Food" by Kathryne Taylor and "Six Seasons" by Josh McFadden. There is a West African Peanut soup in "Love Real Food" that is delicious, and especially soul warming in the winter, and I could eat Josh McFadden's Celery Root soup recipe every day of the week. Thanks for another great post, Paul!
Appreciate those recs, thank you.