What is your process?
A little muse on the similarities between running and writing. I do both of those things!
Last week on Running Sucks
My first interview of 2025 was with Jaryd Adair, the founder of one of Indonesia’s many, many run clubs, and I found his approach to both running and to community delightfully refreshing.
In a world where community seems to be created more often to extract money from rather than to add joy and support to the people, Flowerboy is a shining beacon of goodness. More of this.
About your creative process
While reading one of the magazines in my stack of unread physical subscriptions last week, I came across Pharrell Williams’ wicked breakdown of his process as Louis Vuitton’s creative director:
“System, strategy, and structure.”
I’ve written before about how I find running and writing have so much in common. Both are indebted to the process, rather than the result. Having a whim of inspiration might be the spark to signing up for a race, or writing a couple thousands words, but any more than that and you need consistency. For consistency, you need a system, strategy, and structure. The hope, then, is that the result will come naturally.
Pharrell is beautifully alliterative, of course, but I think of more in terms of goal, strategy, and structure or routine. Ok, he pretty much nailed it.
You need to decide on a goal. A race, and maybe a time you want to finish in.
You need a training strategy that fits those goals.
You need to be able to fit those long runs, track workouts, and rest days into your daily routine.
Rather than running itself, my goal is to write about running, so I need to carve out time to think about my work, and I set office hours for myself where I’m at my desk either writing or doing the eternal admin that surrounds the writing. I need to fit this all in around my family, making my lunch, and my running, of course, which is just something I do, rather than something I add targets and goals around.
I’ve found that understanding and leaning into the process is a neat and tidy way to organize my life. It allows me to think about and schedule the drudgery one time, so I can just follow the plan, and appreciate the results when they come. Maybe it’s 1,500 words that I’m happy with (rare). Maybe it’s a 10k time that I’m happy with (also rare).
Either way, by trusting the process, I can be comfortable in the results.
Do you think about your running like this? How about other parts of your life? Did you also love the very first N.E.R.D. album? It’s still a cracker! Tell me below.
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Last year on Running Sucks
In the run-up to last year’s Los Angeles Marathon, I focused on the LA run club contributing the most members to the 2024 race, Venice Run Club. And circling back to serving the community, having raised over $100,000 for charity through the run club, Justin Shields is a behemoth in the scene.
More of this.
Running Sucks Haiku of the Week
Stuck inside this week.
Now I call it the SHREDmill.
Whatever works, eh?
Because my wife’s been traveling, my morning runs won’t be happening while I have the school run to do. Luckily, I joined a gym in January, so I do have somewhere to go for a jog away from the brutal Los Angeles sun (yes, even in February).
It’s not the same, but I’ve got a hike and a trail run with friends this weekend. I CAN NOT WAIT TO BE OUTSIDE AGAIN.
Incidentally, I’ve been watching Paradise and The Pitt during my 6+ miles.
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Thanks for reading
- Raz
The Pitt has become a show that I look forward to every week. I love that is is only 1x per week and that I cannot just stream the whole thing in one sitting.
I tend to agree that structure and discipline are key. If I sit and wait for inspiration/motivation I may wind up waiting years. Instead, when I show up daily to a practice (whether running or writing), I go out and find that that inspiration (call it "the muse" or my runner's high). At the same time, I try to not be too rigid or maniacal because that can sap the fun out any activity and turns me away from it. I actually just wrote about this! https://amandanyren.substack.com/p/dont-track-your-productivity