Your Running/Writing Cheat Guide to Success
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I’ve never been one for convention, can you believe, but I know that many, many people are looking ahead to their New Year’s resolutions, and I think both running and/or writing will feature. The problem with resolutions is always sticking to them for longer than a couple of months.
Over the past three years I’ve found myself in the most deeply consistent and prolific period in both my writing and running. I believe that a large part of that is because I doubled down on identifying the best process for me.
Something I found was that I could draw so many parallels between the processes for running and writing. It was evident in both the approach and the results.
If you’re stuck as to how to start or if you want help thinking about making good habits, I’ve got a handy list of six thoughts you can follow to put you in the best place possible for 2026.
Just the same as the Germans often have portmanteaus that apply to very specific situations1, the Japanese have beautiful, specifically-named concepts that describe how human nature connects to the world, and they form the basis for this list. I hope you can take something away from it.
Your Running/Writing Cheat Guide to Success
1. Start small
Focus on doing one small task. Maybe it’s pulling those shoes on and running down to the end of your street, or maybe that’s writing down the concept that’s been stewing in your head. Maybe it’s a mile, and maybe it’s a page. Either way, just start. Knowing that you did it means that you can do it again (and maybe a little bit more) tomorrow.
Concept: Kaizen - the Japanese philosophy of continuous, incremental improvement. The idea is like the marginal gains of Dave Brailsford where many, many small positive changes lead to significant long-term results.
Running: Do the work to improve your 10k pace by just 1% a month and you’ll be 13% faster in a year. Sounds more impressive, doesn’t it.
Writing: If you write 500 words a day, five days a week, you’ll have written 125,000 words in a year, and that is enough for a book.
2. Find purpose
Through these little rituals, you will see your work building, and you will naturally think about your ‘Why.’ You will find your purpose. When you have purpose, pulling on those shoes or sitting down at your desk tomorrow becomes ten times easier.
Concept: Ikigai - it means “a reason for being,” and it’s how you find fulfillment in life by finding that sector where you can combine your passion, your skill, and your duty. And maybe what you can be paid for, as well.
Running: Maybe it’s raising money for charity, maybe it’s seeing if you can run sub-3hr, or maybe it’s running with your friends, but giving your runs purpose can be essential to avoid listlessness and ennui.
Writing: Going from writing about heavy metal to writing for soulless clients as a nameless, disposable copywriter was a harsh reality to accept, but it’s the path that led me to writing about running, and I’m grateful for it.
3. Get organized
Think about what you need to do the work and keep only those items in a tidy, organized space. That will allow you to focus on doing that small amount of work much more efficiently.
Concepts: Toyota’s 5S is a way to organize the workplace for efficiency, and it’s a fascinating set of concepts we can use in everyday life, where we don’t put cars together.
Seiri: Only keep necessary items.
Seiton: Organize those items.
Seiso: Tidy your workspace.
Seiketsu: Create easy-to-follow routines.
Shitsuke: Be disciplined and do the work.
Running: If you have a morning run, get your kit out the night before, prepare your hydration and fuel, and get out there and run.
Writing: Get your desk tidy and free of clutter. Without distractions, you’ll have nothing left to do but write that page.
4. Little and often
The fastest path to burnout is overdoing it. To create a sustainable practice, set yourself achievable goals, so you’ll do a reasonable amount of work.
Concepts: Pomodoro is a structure of work where you work for 25 minutes and rest for 5 minutes. A lot of Japanese concepts are about maximising productivity, which is good when you’re doing something for yourself.
Running: On the micro, this could be interval training. On the macro, this is taking two weeks off after a marathon. In the meso, it’s about taking a couple of days off per week. Respect your body and give it the rest it requires to get stronger.
Writing: Everyone works in different ways. My friend Hattie wrote her entire first novel in a frenzied few weeks, and I wrote my book over months of research. Taking the time for your brain to parse all that information, however, is essential. Settle for an hour’s deep work every weekday is a good idea.
5. Stay curious
Approach your tasks with the eyes of a child. Be prepared to soak up information. Set yourself up to be grateful for receiving new knowledge. Revel in the wonder of learning. If you find that you know it already, simply look for more.
Concept: Shoshin - the beginner’s mind is a Zen Buddhist attitude of openness and a lack of preconceptions, even if you’re an expert. It suggests a lack of ego and the desire to learn.
Running: Get a coach (and listen to them). Look around and think about what your fellow runners are doing, and why. At run club, people come together from all walks of life. It’s one of life’s true socio-economic levelers.
Writing: Never stop reading. Take criticism at face value. If someone has an opinion about your work, there’s likely a reason. You might not agree, but think about it. You might actually agree in the end.
6. Embrace imperfection
The challenges are twofold: don’t wait for perfect conditions to start - they don’t exist; perfection is impossible, so don’t be afraid to fail. Accepting and embracing these two truths are essential for progress. There is beauty in basking in the process of learning from your mistakes and the resilience you gain from perseverance in sub-optimal conditions.
Concepts: Wabi-Sabi and Kintsugi - recognizing that nothing is static, accepting change is essential to living, and even celebrating past inadequacies will help you build something unique to you. And that’s all we can ask for.
Running: Your injuries will heal, and you’ll go for another PR. 99 times out of a 100, you’ll run in the blazing sun, the rain, the wind, the snow. That one run will be perfect, and I know you’ll appreciate the rarity of it, but make sure you appreciate the other runs as well.
Writing: Write the manuscript, write it again, and again, and again. It’ll be better every time, but you’ll always see a line that you hate. That’s just how it is to be a writer. Once you realize that it means you’re a writer, though, it should help damp the burns.
Pre-order my book, please
If you’re a Barnes & Noble Rewards member, there’s a 25% off pre-order promo running from Tue, Dec 30 through Thu, Jan 1, so that’s a great idea.
You might notice a couple more links to purchase in Australia and New Zealand, where This is Running is being distributed by Harper Collins. So go do that!
USA - Bookshop US | Barnes & Noble | Amazon US
UK - Bookshop UK | Waterstones | Amazon UK
Canada - Amazon CA | Indigo
Australia & New Zealand - Booktopia | The Nile | Readings
Germany - Genialokal | Amazon DE
France - Amazon FR
Italy - Amazon IT
Spain - Amazon ES
The Bad Boy Running podcast
I made an appearance on the Bad Boy Running podcast, where I spoke to David Hellard about bad behavior in run clubs, and how to make friends with or without beers. Give it a listen.
Running Sucks Haiku of the Week
One last Monday
To close 2025.
Let’s go hard next year.
I’m having a relaxed end to the year (as relaxed as can be with my kids at home for two weeks, anyway). Next year, I’m planning on coming to a lot of your cities on a book tour. Go pre-order This is Running and I will follow the sales data!
Thanks for reading,
Raz x
Elefantenrennen is my favorite word for when one large truck is driving 1mph faster on a freeway than another large truck in order to overtake, but is simply slowing every other driver down immeasurably.
Loved this, Raz.