It's L.A. Marathon week, and it's BIG
And here's the first event for This is Running. Please come!
I wrote last week about how Rabbit is aiming to be the calm in the marathon storm with their Clubhouse series. Living in Los Angeles, the ‘running culture has peaked’ conversation hasn’t really made its way here. Even if the organizers would love for LA Marathon to be the 10th Major Marathon, it’s got a way to go, but 2026 is the strongest year yet for cultural events surrounding the race.
Every brand and their dog is here organizing pre-race shakeouts, sponsored by one under-regulated supplement or another. There are so many events that Marathon Weekend has seen fit to compile them into one schedule to peruse. The first non-Major that they’ve made a schedule for.
Brands aside, you’ve also got events like the one I’m putting on, where I’m bringing together community leaders in the fight against ICE. It’s part of the Koreatown Run Club 10th anniversary celebrations, where they’re hosting a big Bridge The Gap weekend-long event. I’ll be hosting a panel with the OG run crew leaders.
The event, which I titled Running in the Shadows: LA Run Crews vs ICE will have speakers from Santa Ana and Sacramento, Pasadena and Silver Lake, and more. They’re leaders that I’ve seen working hard to keep their communities safe, and I want them all to come together to share their learnings and get to know one other. That’s it.
It’s a heavy topic, with only positive outcomes.
ONE MONTH UNTIL MY BOOK IS RELEASED!!
That’s right. This is Running is unleashed onto British bookshelves and coffee tables on 2nd April. My North American compatriots have to wait another 5 days until April 7th.
If you haven’t pre-ordered my book yet, now is a fantastic time to do that. Here are some helpful links for you to click.
USA - Amazon US | Bookshop US | Barnes & Noble
UK - Amazon UK | Bookshop UK | Waterstones
Canada - Amazon CA | Indigo
If you’re in another country, click here for links to local booksellers around the planet.
On 8th April I’ll be quizzed about This is Running by my friends Jinghuan Liu Tervalon and Ezra Weisz at SoCal’s oldest independent bookstore, Vroman’s in Pasadena. Come along and give Jinghuan and Ezra some fuel. I’ll get the drinks in after.
More events to come. Hopefully I’ll be in your city, and we can meet IRL.
My first running byline is in Like the Wind magazine
I started this newsletter in March 2023 partly because I could not be bothered pitching my work to over-worked editors any more. I wanted to write, but pitching to running mags with zero work about running in my portfolio… I knew it would be like pulling teeth, so I just didn’t.
I was writing for me, and for whoever subscribed to Running Sucks, and I liked that. I still like that. There are almost 5,000 of you now reading my work every week, and I’ve made some marvelous friends over the last three years through this endeavor.
One of those friends is Simon Freeman, the co-founder of Like the Wind magazine. He and I have very, very similar outlooks on life. That’s why he created such a beautiful magazine. If I wasn’t in the process of moving from London to LA at the time the magazine was launched, I can’t help but wonder if our bond wouldn’t be even stronger, and maybe more formal.
I’m really happy to say that my first formally-published piece of writing is in Like the Wind no.48. Go grab a copy of LtW, and read about my perspective on researching and writing This is Running.
P is for Post-Race Blues
You just ran a race – let’s talk about it in terms of a marathon because of this weekend – and you’re feeling pretty bummed out. What gives?
Biologically speaking, your immune system is suppressed for up to three days after running a marathon. This means you are more likely to get sick after a big race! Talk about a downer. You might start to curse yourself for putting yourself among so many of the great unwashed, but it’s a natural thing to get ill after a serious endurance effort. Cut yourself some slack.
You’ve also burned up a lot of fats during the race, and not all of them are from the obvious places that we think about. A study from 2025 talks about burning myelin fats from your brain. These fats are crucial conductors, so when these fats that make up 40% of the brain are used up (albeit temporarily), your brain starts to function less efficiently. You’ll lose motor coordination and be less capable of regulating emotions and your senses. This can leave you feeling somewhat discombobulated.
In terms of how you’re feeling, it’s somewhat more complicated than simply replacing fats, and allowing your immune system to restore itself. The inescapable feelings of ‘what’s next?’ take a little longer to ratify in your mind.
You’ve just spent months working towards a singular goal of completing a marathon. You likely would’ve had a goal time/pace in mind. Whether you achieve that goal or not, you will be left somewhat rudderless after a race.
One of the reasons I stopped racing is that I really disliked that feeling. I really love running, but adding a goal or a race into my training left me feeling deflated. After a race, I would stop running. In my 20s, I sometimes went months without going for a run. Unthinkable now!
Over time, I came to understand the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The idea of running for the joy of the activity rather than the achievement of a goal. It’s framed as external or internal factors, telic or atelic. For me, it’s about the pursuit of happiness.
Now? I just run. Can I run fast? Sure. Can I run long? Sure. Does it matter? Not if I’m running 15 miles with my friends. We’re just chatting for 2hrs. That’s the goal. Not if I’m running a mile with my son on a Saturday morning. Oh boy, does he like to chat.
So, if you find yourself struggling with the post-race blues after one of these massive achievements – and please don’t be fooled into thinking that any race isn’t an achievement – think deeply about the work that you put in. Think about those months of planning, the early mornings, the moments where you thought about getting a taxi home on a long run. Recognize all the new skills you learned and the new outlook you have on life. It’s worth so much more than a medal.
Maybe a new goal will help fill the void, but take a beat before you sign up for another marathon, ok? It’s a huge undertaking of training. Slow down and allow both your body and mind to rest and recuperate. You’ve got time to think about whether there’s another way of running that you might love even more.
Thanks for reading
Raz x
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