The 77th Edition
Winter strips running down to its bones. No atmosphere, no spectacle, very few leisurely runs with a stop at the coffee shop (it’s just too cold!) – just you and the truth about why you train.
Something to Think About
Winter exposes your real motivations.
Something to Ask Yourself
When nothing is appealing, what keeps you going?
Personal Lesson
After twelve British winters as a runner, I’ve learned that this is the season where you can’t hide. In summer, everything feels convincing. It’s light, warm, and everyone’s doing it! But when the air bites and it’s dark before you’ve left the office, you’re left with the most honest version of your training. The question becomes simple: Why am I doing this?
Each winter, I inevitably hit that point where I stare at my shoes and feel nothing — no inspiration, no dramatic surge of discipline. Just a decision. And weirdly, that’s the point where training becomes the most meaningful. Winter makes you confront the parts of yourself that can’t be bribed by good weather.
The best shift I ever made came from that small, counterintuitive trick: be bold, start cold. It sounds trivial, but it changed everything. I stopped trying to create comfort where comfort doesn’t belong. Instead of dressing for the first five minutes, I dressed for the middle of the run.
Running – Life’s Metaphor
The moments with the least external reward are the ones that show you what you actually value. If you can keep going when nothing is pushing you forward, it’s because something internal is finally leading.
Final Thoughts
Winter has a way of asking questions you can’t dodge. Do you want the outcome, or do you want the process? Are you training for identity, or because it genuinely matters to you? Does running only mean something when it looks good or feels good in the moment?
This is the season that cuts through the noise. It forces you to simplify, There are fewer illusions about what “motivation” even is. Training becomes functional, honest and plain. And that’s where it gets powerful.
If you lean into that honesty, winter becomes less about toughness and more about clarity. And if you want one adjustment that makes everything more bearable, stick with it: start colder than is comfortable.
Be Bold, Start COLD.
It removes half the misery and leaves you with the part that actually builds you.
Let winter challenge you. Let it show you why you run when no one’s watching and nothing feels easy.
If you can hold the line now, you’re not just training for spring — you’re training for yourself.
Thanks for reading and subscribing!
Run the runnable, and keep showing up for yourself.
Tommy 🙂