It’s either happenstance or its a reflection of the current mood in the camp, but two of the newsletters I read posted about the slow but definite ebb away from social media.
Running in LA is a different world and one that I am enjoying.
Cold enough to not be dripping the moment you take that first step but don’t need a beanie, gloves and a balakalava…….the post run coffee/tea can still be iced!!!
On your comment around judging your year in sport, I'm curious if you subscribe to SWAP on Patreon (the Rosches)? His article this week was on stacking stresses and the impact on athletic performance. When you made a comment on the long-term trajectory of an athlete in an ideal world essentially meaning more miles/time as time goes on, I wonder if that isn't necessary, as in general most people's lives add new/different stressors as they get older. Things like promotions, adding children to the mix, etc... So in theory, we don't need to add more miles because we're adding more stress in different ways. Food for thought!
I personally don't think running more miles is necessary (or perhaps healthy) during times of high personal load, but not everybody thinks rationally (or healthily) when making decisions.
My particular comment on aging is more about your body naturally degrading over time. As a machine, it's simply less capable of doing everything as time goes on. That's why BQ times are different for different age groups! It's not more, it's less as you age. My comment is about preparing yourself mentally for that moment when you have to start doing less, for whatever reason.
I appreciate reading your particular thoughts about social media. I'm a late bloomer in the game, trying to hack my way into it. I show up here on Substack and it seems like everyone's celebrating leaving it behind. I know everyone is not necessarily coming from a background of earning income through social media, but those who were... it kind of has me scratching my head. Interesting times we're living (struggling) through.
I love this! Also read the "quitting the zynstogram" and felt inspired by that... if not validated with my general social media feelings. Thanks for sharing your insights too around running and growing your following.
hi Raz, I too have been thinking about social media after reading AHP's thoughtful essay, and I relate to a lot of what you wrote also. Instagram is all I really use too, but I'm turned off by how the majority of runners I follow now are excessively braggy and promote themselves as a brand. Increasingly, I use Strava (which I keep private and limit who follows me) to follow real-life friends and interact with them about their runs. (I was a late adopter to Strava, and now it's my favorite platform for interacting with true friends.) I'd much rather be here, reading your post and the comment thread that follows, and reading other Substack posts, than scrolling Notes. I'm disappointed with Notes, too—it's overly self-promotional—although I like it for reading about writing. Anyhow, keep writing long form, I'll be here to read it!
Yes, this is definitely the place. It feels as calm as a virtual library ought to.
Notes is mostly a MLM scam. It's either people selling you something they have no experience in achieving themselves or they're using social media to tell you not to use social media. Ridiculous either way.
I agree on Strava as well! It's nice to make friends while running. It feels wholly supportive as a community. For now!
Good prompt for me to set up a virtual chat for us all in the new year. I hope you have a great end of the year.
Running in LA is a different world and one that I am enjoying.
Cold enough to not be dripping the moment you take that first step but don’t need a beanie, gloves and a balakalava…….the post run coffee/tea can still be iced!!!
You've made me think about having a coffee with a baklava. I'll take my gloves off for that
On your comment around judging your year in sport, I'm curious if you subscribe to SWAP on Patreon (the Rosches)? His article this week was on stacking stresses and the impact on athletic performance. When you made a comment on the long-term trajectory of an athlete in an ideal world essentially meaning more miles/time as time goes on, I wonder if that isn't necessary, as in general most people's lives add new/different stressors as they get older. Things like promotions, adding children to the mix, etc... So in theory, we don't need to add more miles because we're adding more stress in different ways. Food for thought!
I don't! But I absolutely agree about more stressors leading to decreased performance. I wrote about exactly that from a female perspective in October (https://www.runningsucks101.com/p/sarah-ackland-taking-space).
I personally don't think running more miles is necessary (or perhaps healthy) during times of high personal load, but not everybody thinks rationally (or healthily) when making decisions.
My particular comment on aging is more about your body naturally degrading over time. As a machine, it's simply less capable of doing everything as time goes on. That's why BQ times are different for different age groups! It's not more, it's less as you age. My comment is about preparing yourself mentally for that moment when you have to start doing less, for whatever reason.
I appreciate reading your particular thoughts about social media. I'm a late bloomer in the game, trying to hack my way into it. I show up here on Substack and it seems like everyone's celebrating leaving it behind. I know everyone is not necessarily coming from a background of earning income through social media, but those who were... it kind of has me scratching my head. Interesting times we're living (struggling) through.
Everyone's shouting loudly about doing something, anything other than just writing and reading
I love this! Also read the "quitting the zynstogram" and felt inspired by that... if not validated with my general social media feelings. Thanks for sharing your insights too around running and growing your following.
Yeah, of course! I've always had a very intense but also relatively healthy relationship with social media (and being online in general).
Mainly/selfishly, I worry that when people leave a social network in a fit of pique, I'm the one that loses a relationship.
hi Raz, I too have been thinking about social media after reading AHP's thoughtful essay, and I relate to a lot of what you wrote also. Instagram is all I really use too, but I'm turned off by how the majority of runners I follow now are excessively braggy and promote themselves as a brand. Increasingly, I use Strava (which I keep private and limit who follows me) to follow real-life friends and interact with them about their runs. (I was a late adopter to Strava, and now it's my favorite platform for interacting with true friends.) I'd much rather be here, reading your post and the comment thread that follows, and reading other Substack posts, than scrolling Notes. I'm disappointed with Notes, too—it's overly self-promotional—although I like it for reading about writing. Anyhow, keep writing long form, I'll be here to read it!
Yes, this is definitely the place. It feels as calm as a virtual library ought to.
Notes is mostly a MLM scam. It's either people selling you something they have no experience in achieving themselves or they're using social media to tell you not to use social media. Ridiculous either way.
I agree on Strava as well! It's nice to make friends while running. It feels wholly supportive as a community. For now!
Good prompt for me to set up a virtual chat for us all in the new year. I hope you have a great end of the year.
thanks for hosting a Substack runner get-together again!