The 59th Edition

Is there reason to train without a race?

It’s a question every runner has heard: “What are you training for?”
As if the only valid reason to run is to have a medal waiting at the end.

Something to Think About

You don’t always need a race to justify your effort, sometimes training is the reward.

Something to Ask Yourself

If no one ever asked what you were training for, would your reason for showing up change?

Article of the Week

Being a runner doesn’t have to mean chasing race medals or clocking PBs – this piece is a thoughtful reminder that movement for joy, healing, and connection is just as valid.

Track of the Week

Throwback for me, this one!

This week’s track of the week is…

By the way, if you didn’t know, I put all these tracks in a Spotify playlist…

Personal Lesson

When I first started running, I wasn’t training for anything. I had no interest in racing, signing up for events, or collecting medals. I ran because it made me feel something. For years, I stayed away from the racing scene altogether. I’d done a couple of marathons here and there, but for whatever reason, I didn’t feel part of “the scene”. Big city road races felt like hype without heart. The energy was impressive, but wrongly or rightly, I never felt like I belonged there.

Back then, people would still ask what I was training for, and I’d mumble something vague or avoid the question altogether. It was like I needed to justify why I was out there, clocking up miles with no race in sight. But the truth was, I didn’t need a race. I was training for the way it made me feel. For my mental health, self-respect, and a life that felt more connected to my body.

It wasn’t until I discovered ultra running that something clicked. Those races weren’t just about speed or medals, they were about mountains, grit, solitude, and pure endurance. They were about the stuff I was already training for without knowing it. For the first time, racing didn’t feel like performance. It felt like an extension of the life I was already building. That’s when racing finally made sense. But I never needed it to start.

Running – Life’s Metaphor

We don’t need a big external event to justify personal growth. Running is about showing up consistently, not just for the peaks, but for the ordinary days too. The ones where no one’s watching and the finish line is simply a clearer mind.

Final Thoughts

The pressure to always be “working toward something” can turn a joyful routine into a performance. If you’re always training for something, you might miss the beauty of training with something. Integrity, care, consistency, peace. Not everything has to culminate in a big moment.

Some seasons are quiet. You’re building a base. A rhythm. You’re learning how to be someone who does hard things without needing applause. You’re learning to love the process without attaching it to a prize. I believe that’s powerful and rare.

So the next time someone asks what you’re training for, you don’t owe them an impressive answer. You owe yourself honesty. If you’re training for your future self, your mental health, your pride, or just because it makes you feel good, you’re already winning.

There’s freedom in dropping the narrative. There’s strength in simply showing up. Keep running. That’s reason enough.

Thanks again for reading and subscribing.

Run the runnable, and keep showing up for yourself!

Tommy 🙂