PRing in your 40s
Plus: has the influencer bubble burst? Or is it just changing, like it always has? And I'm at The Running Event!
I put together a team for the ON Squad Race on a rooftop in DTLA on Saturday evening, and… we didn’t come last in our heat.
Under the banner of Glendale Runners, I was joined by my friends Sean, Shannon, and
(who I co-wrote a little race recap with), and we had fun. As a team! Yeah, running as a part of a team is definitely a way of making running more fun.A second positive was Strava informing me that I had achieved a 71 sec PR in the 400m. I am 41 years old, and part of my schtick is that I don’t race (any more), so I was a little surprised.
This was in a high-cushioned, nitrogen-infused road shoe on concrete, I had spent the day shoveling half a ton (actually) of soil, and I haven’t done a track workout for almost seven years. Time for me to dust off the spikes and do some track workouts? Hmmm.
Due to proximity to my old office, I used to run Tuesday night track nights with the South Bay Runners. I left that job in June 2018, but I haven’t run track since January 2018 when I pulled a hamstring on a ridiculously cold evening. It was one of those where the cold air settles at the bottom of the stadium, meaning the track was a few degrees colder than the already cold street level.
That injury stopped me from running at all for 6 weeks, and I had residual discomfort in that leg for months afterwards. Do I really want to risk getting that kind of injury again for the sake of a Strava notification?
Running for achievement vs running for fun is exactly what I discussed the day before with sports psychologist, Nickademus de la Rosa. I might need to consult with him about emerging from speed retirement, but my wife has already warned me about doing anything that gets me injured again.
Maybe those spikes are staying in their bag.
This week: I’m at The Running Event
I’m in Austin, Texas this week for the SEO-titled running expo, The Running Event. I am so ready for three triple-run days. So if you’re also in Austin this week and want to meet up, please drop me a line! raz@razruns.com
I’ve already met the mighty Kofuzi while picking up trash on a trail run. I can’t wait for the rest of this week.
Elsewhere on Substack
As you know, I love diving into the brand side of running culture. We runners love, love, love our running brands, so it makes sense that these conglomerates direct and shape the way we live in our sport.
That’s my I have really enjoyed reading
’s insights over the last few months. This week, he’s got a guest post from a Coros marketing exec (who is unsurprisingly a shit hot runner herself) who muses over the future of influencer marketing in the running world.It’s well worth a read if — like me — you find yourself holding both influencers and pro athletes at arm’s length.
Relatedly, top running influencer and hilarious woman,
(who I interviewed earlier this year), launched on Substack very, very recently. I say relatedly because 1) I don’t think the influencer bubble has burst at all — it’s just changed — 2) the above article suggests (correctly) that pro athletes deserve more money and that brands should support them in creating more high quality social content.The 3) in that series is that the best influencers can and will provide incredible value. I believe Laura to e in that category.
Running Sucks Haiku of the Week
Maybe a long read
This Thursday? It’s unlikely.
Next week, though. For sure.
It’s been a pretty frantic last couple of weeks. It’s been jam-packed with family (both positive and negative), travel and the related jetlag, and my house is a literal building site, and now I’m in Austin, so I just haven’t been afforded the time to sit down and write.
I’m pretty fed up with it, quite honestly, so thanks for bearing with me. I have three great pieces lined up. Next week!
Housekeeping
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Thanks for reading
- Raz
I have a Dazed and Confused location 10k route in Austin if you want ;)