that’s runnable
The 44th Edition
You won’t always want to run. That’s not a because this isn’t for you, it’s just part of the game (the most valuable game I’ve played). The sooner you accept that, the further you can go.
Do you have Shin Splints?
Do you have Shin Splints?
You don’t have to be dealing with Shin Splints! It’s time to make a change!
This 3 video course is designed to help you overcome your shin splints and get back to running pain-free.
You can purchase the videos, or you can become a member to gain access to loads more content like this, workouts, guides, and much more.
Something to Think About 💭
You can love running and still not feel like doing it. Those two things don’t cancel each other out.
Something to Ask Yourself ❓
Are you building a relationship with running that lasts beyond the days you feel like it?
Article of the Week 📄
People seriously need more grit. This isn’t even an article, it’s James Clear’s Guide on building more grit. Dive in!
Track of the Week 🎶
There was no way I wouldn’t include a track from Bon Iver’s new album this week.
this week’s Track of the Week is:
Everything Is Peaceful Love by Bon Iver (2025)
By the way, if you didn’t know, I put all these tracks in a Spotify playlist…
Personal Lesson
Enjoying running matters, of course it does. If you hate it all the time, something’s wrong. But sometimes I think we’ve swung too far in the other direction. I see people chasing enjoyment in exercise when what they’re really chasing is comfort. They don’t want to run, they want to want to run. They want to feel motivated. They want it to be easy, convenient, energising. Every time.
But, to me, that’s not what this is. At least not if you want to go far with it.
Some of the most valuable lessons I’ve got from running have come from sessions I absolutely hated. The long slogs in sideways rain. The solo efforts when I’d rather be in bed. The low-energy days where every step felt pointless. It’s in those moments, when you decide to show up anyway, that something deeper gets built. You stop being driven by impulse and start being guided by something steadier: discipline, intention, self-respect.
We don’t want to be soft. That doesn’t mean we push through everything blindly or ignore pain. You do need to be kind to yourself. You do need to listen to your body. But there’s a difference between compassion and indulgence. Between resting because it’s smart and bailing because it’s uncomfortable. If you only do what you feel like, you’ll never find out what you’re capable of, I don’t believe you’ll even get to where you want to be, and you’ll never build the grit to keep going when things really get tough.
The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle: kind, but not soft. Tough, but not reckless. That’s where the magic happens.
Running – Life’s Metaphor
In both running and life, you’ll go further if you stop expecting to be excited all the time. Discipline doesn’t mean you don’t love it, it just means you love it enough to keep showing up when the feeling fades. We should always aim to find enjoyment in things even and especially when they suck.
Final Thoughts
A lot of people don’t like the daily mental test that running offers. They don’t like the silence, the discomfort, the unglamorous repetition. But that’s exactly where the value is. I believe it’s a chance to train your mindset. Every run is a new opportunity to rewrite the story in your head. To practice reframing, recalibrating, and showing up anyway. Most people give up on things not because they don’t care, but because they didn’t expect it to be hard and they tend to stop when things get hard.
We live in a world where it’s normal to be out of shape, to lack discipline, to quit on commitments as soon as the buzz wears off. And it’s not because people are lazy, it’s because we’ve been sold the idea that if something’s right, it should feel effortless. we’re brainwashed into thinking tat comfort is the goal. But comfort rarely leads to progress. What actually works is showing up regardless of how you feel and embracing the very challenge of overcoming a lack of desire to do something.
Those who strike the balance, who learn to love the sport but don’t rely on loving it every time, who treat the Sunday Long Run not as a chore but a chance to grow, who don’t cave at the first sign of resistance, those people go far. They don’t just become better runners. They become more capable people.
Resilient. Able. Reliable. The kind of person who doesn’t break when things get hard.
This isn’t just about staying fit or looking good or being healthy. Those are bonuses. We do this because we want to get stronger, not just to have a strong body, but to have a stong will, a strong mind, to be a resilient person. Someone who can handle what comes their way because they train themselves to be better at this.
We do it because we don’t want to be soft. Because we want to prove to ourselves that we can follow through. That we can carry the weight. That we are becoming someone we’re proud of.
