Five Easy Steps to Great Running

Begin with not exercising — proceed to everything else in life

My running watch at the end of Day 2 of a 5-day, 255km (158 mile) run in 2021. A few simple things made those great days of running possible, super fun, and just part of life really. (All photos by me.)

Many of us are gripped by a burst of enthusiasm at this time of year. We take on new practices, habits, and goals. There’s often something related to fitness in that mix, maybe even running.

I’ve logged a few miles over the years. And I hear a lot of things about running that don’t serve the cause. To counter this, I thought I’d provide five easy steps that have helped me experience great running, in case they’re useful for your journey. As you’ll notice by #5, this is about running, but it’s also not so secretly about life.

From getting lost on a walk in 1992 and jogging 10km (6 miles) back to campus so I didn’t miss my exam, to staggering across my first marathon finish line in 1997 in 4 hours 15 minutes, to running the same distance in 2016 nearly an hour quicker although I was nearly 20 years older, to covering the equivalent of more than five back-to-back marathons in five days (255km/158 miles) in 2021 and then hosting a dinner party when I got home, well… I’ve learned a few things about running!

Not that I think you should do what I do — heck, I’m still trying to figure out what to do. But these five steps keep me striding onwards:

1. Notice that running is not exercise.