that’s runnable
The 38th Edition of your favourite Running Newsletter
We all start and continue running because we enjoy it. Maybe it’s the feeling of moving freely, the time spent outside, the challenge, or just the rush of a good effort. But over time, as goals stack up and expectations creep in, that initial spark can fade.
Over time, I’ve learned that joy isn’t automatic. It needs to be nurtured, protected, and sometimes rediscovered.
Something to Think About 💭
If you don’t intentionally nurture your love for running, it can quietly slip away and be buried beneath numbers, expectations, and comparisons.
Something to Ask Yourself ❓
Are you running in a way that actually makes you happy or are you lost in doing it because you feel you should?
Article of the Week 📄
This week’s article explores the concept of joyful movement, it talks about exercise as a form of self-care rather than punishment. It encourages shifting away from rigid workout routines and instead engaging in movement that feels good and sustainable, whether it’s dancing, walking, or playing sports. Reconnect with your body, break free from toxic fitness culture, and cultivate a more positive, intuitive approach to movement.
Track of the Week 🎶
At this point, anything Justin Vernon does gets my approval.
This week’s track of the week, from the album Big Red Machine, is:
Gratitude by Big Red Machine (2018)
Personal Lesson
I’ve done it both ways. I’ve trained with a singular focus on performance, chasing faster times, building my weekly mileage, structuring every session around progress. And there’s real satisfaction in that. But I’ve also seen what happens when performance becomes the only focus: the joy starts to fade.
There have been times when I’ve felt disconnected from running. Times when I felt like I had to run, rather than wanted to. This can happen occasionally, and that’s fine; not every run will be something you’re excited for, and there’s value in that. But when my entire outlook on running is negative or feels like a grind, I’ve learned that I need to reset.
For me, that reset usually looks like running less and moving more. I drop my mileage, go to the gym more, hike, or just run without a plan. Instead of seeing movement as something that has to be measured or optimised, I remind myself that movement is something I get to do. Every single time, my love for running returns – not because I forced it, but because I gave it space to breathe.
If you can mindfully reconnect with your body’s movement patterns, and take time to reframe how you view your running, you can reset your state of mind and find joy in it again.
The Dangers of Comparison and Expectation
One of the quickest ways to lose your love for running is to let someone else define what your running should look like. It’s easy to feel like you should be running more, should be getting faster, should be following a strict plan. But none of those things matter if they don’t align with what actually makes you happy.
Comparison can trick you into believing that your progress isn’t enough, that your version of running isn’t “real” if it doesn’t look like someone else’s. But the truth is, your relationship with running is yours alone. No one else gets to define what it looks like or how much it matters.
Running – Life’s Metaphor
We get caught up in progress, outcomes, and what others are doing. But joy isn’t something that just happens, it’s something you cultivate. If you neglect it, it fades. If you nurture it, it thrives. If you’re constantly chasing what others are doing, you’ll never feel like you’re enough. But if you turn inward and focus on what truly brings you fulfilment, I believe you’ll be on closer to the right path.
Final Thoughts
If running feels heavy right now, if you’re feeling burnt out or uninspired, take a step back. Forget what others are doing. Forget what your past self was doing. Forget the training plans and the mileage goals. Just focus on what you actually want from running.
That might mean running less, taking a break, hiking more, cross-training, or shifting your focus entirely for a while. None of that means you’re “falling behind.” It means you’re listening to yourself, which is the most important skill any runner can develop.
Your love for running is not a given, it’s something to be protected and prioritised. If you focus on keeping that love alive, everything else – progress, consistency, even performance – will take care of itself.
Thanks again for reading and subscribing.
Run the runnable, and keep showing up for yourself!
Tommy 🙂
