Every Friday I want to start bringing to you links I think are worth reading, listening to, or watching. Often these are going to involve running or can be applied to it. Sitting here in the middle of a pandemic though it seems a lost opportunity to limit the scope to running. When I coached soccer one of my goals was to build the whole person. Well-rounded high school boys were bound to be better teammates and better soccer players. So too with running and runners. If you have any interesting links, please send them my way.
1. When We Are Ready, The Practice Will Be Waiting
With an abundance of free time on my hands I have often fallen into the trap of believing that I need to be moving forward forward forward. Wasted time, I have reasoned, is lost, and when will I have have this much time on my hands again? In this post Ed Batista reminds us that progress in any form can be made when we are ready. In the meantime, if you find yourself overwhelmed by the various ways life has changed and do not feel the need to push, accept it. Do not judge yourself. I have had good days and bad. When we are ready, we can recommit to the practice.
2. Tech Gurus And ALL CAPS TWITTER Vs. Actual Science
I nerd out on Steve Magness and Brad Stulberg quite a bit. You will see my linking to their work often. This article is a must-read for the moment we are in. COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges and created uncertainty in our lives. In such a time it is easy to look to any information for reassurance and to explain just what the hell is going on. Yet not all information is created equal. Here Brad and Steve take a hard look at what exactly science is and what it is not. This article will help readers understand what they should look for in sources they see online (even those damned conspiracy theory videos) and what scientific thinking can and can’t provide in an era of widespread uncertainty.
I nerd out on Brad and Steve so much I link to them twice this week. This was one of the more powerful podcast episodes I have listened to lately. It helped me identify some of my hidden assumptions. Those conspiracy theory videos I referenced in the last post? Prior to listening to this podcast I would’ve fact-dumped anyone sharing one and then criticized them mercilessly. It’s a poor approach, and one not likely to change anyone’s mind. Listen to this episode and it will provide a framework for engaging in discussions that just might help someone uncover some underlying assumptions, maybe even your own.
4. Is your health and fitness routine broken? What to do when staying in shape feels harder than ever.
Full disclosure: I recently started earning my Precision Nutrition Essentials of Nutrition and Coaching Level 1 certification. I am a big believer in PN’s system and method of coaching clients.
This article is another relevant read to these weird times. For many of us, routines have been disrupted. Runners likely had spring races cancelled and who knows if summer and fall races will occur. Altered routines mean new systems have to be built in order to fit old practices and new routines into our new realities. While the focus of this read is on fitness, you could apply the approach to any area of your life. If you are feeling it is time to get back on the horse and re-start running (or any other interrupted part of your life) this article can help you rebuild the system to make that routine stick.
That’s it for this week. I’ll have several new links up next week. If you’re looking for more runner-related content, check out my podcast, co-hosted by Andrew Hettinger. Last week we discussed new challenges and goals you can tackle with racing this summer and fall looking tenuous at best. This week we sat down with Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon race director, Darris Blackford to discuss this fall’s upcoming race (hopefully) and the changes the racing world may be looking at in the next few years.
Adam Wheeler Runs 