My gym was closed for a random event, and I had 90 minutes of uphill treadmill scheduled. So I went to a big hill and ran up and down it with a fully loaded 14 lb pack. I ran much more than I expected, and my new pack and belt were surprisingly runnable while carrying that much weight. #running

With the St Jude Marathon happening downtown this morning, I was the loneliest runner in Memphis this afternoon. 12 miles still feel harder than they did before the race, but I'm getting there. I didn't get into Western States, but it was fun following the lottery this morning! #running

40°F is still shorts and t-shirt weather - just add gloves. Nothing stokes my gratitude for running quite like 90 minutes of cross training the day before. Loved getting out there tonight! #running

Future Friends In Real Life plans? Stoked!

I couldn't stand 2 hours on the elliptical alone, so I explored my cross training options today. I found the stationary bike boring and uncomfortable, but maybe there are gains in that discomfort? Meanwhile I loved the stair stepper. I need to work on my climbing legs anyway.

15% grade, 6.3 liters (13.8 lb) of water carried. I walked into the gym with all this water in my pack. At first I felt like a doofus, but once I got moving I felt good. 3.1 mph was all I could do to stay within Zone 2, but I successfully confronted a small taste of what's waiting for me in May.

RIP Steve Cropper. A true Memphis legend. I'll be spinning Green Onions tonight and admiring those guitar licks all over again.

SWAP's Power Builder plan feels like the best thing for me right now. I can literally run for days, but hills and speed work have been my weakness for a few years now and will continue to be as 40 creeps closer. The time to work on them is now. It'll be hard work sometimes, but I'm excited for it.

3 mi up, 1% incline. 10x 1:00 @ 5K pace, 6% incline. Recover 2:00. 3 mi down, 1% incline. Speed Work Wednesdays are back! I'm feeling rusty, and the incline was mentally tough. The new gym is great: the treadmill connected to my watch, charged my phone, and even has a built-in fan. Fancy. #running

The first day of this new training plan is rather inconspicuous. That'll change starting tomorrow morning. But for tonight? Boy did it feel good to send some hill strides without worrying about random leg pain. Cold, too! #running

December goals: * One year of sobriety. * embrace cross training. Hit the gym. Get out of this post-hundo funk. * More detailed daily journals. * Finish two books.

What a terrible truth: That I'm most productive in the morning, but I love staying up late.

My partner and I braved the cold, rain, and darkness to get my scheduled 45 minute walk done today. Then realized when we got back that we had locked ourselves out of the house. The local sushi spot hooked us up while we waited for a neighbor with a key. A little Monday adventure!

The first week of the Power Builder plan is upon me! Less running and more cross-training as I focus on hills and strength for the first time in my life. It's going to be an adjustment. Looking forward to learning and growing along the way. Have a good week! #running

Two week mini-build complete. I'm ready to try the SWAP Power Builder plan and see where it gets me. #running

Also, this was yesterday morning's run. Ice cold, gorgeous, and a little hard on my IT band. I was left with pretty pictures and mixed feelings. #running

I ran 11 miles and Lane Kiffin still hasn't made an announcement about whether he's staying at Ole Miss or not? This is like LeBron in 2010 all over again. #running

Literally the greatest season of Ole Miss football in 125 years. And it's not over yet. Hotty Toddy!

Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you've seen. Bowling For Soup Neutral Milk Hotel @friendsinreallife.bsky.social Pinetop Perkins The Shins

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all. #running

With a belly full of my grandma's pasta, I ventured out into the chilly Illinois evening and got some miles in. On some level, this tiny grid of streets among the corn fields will always feel like home. #running

May I never again take for granted the sensation of #running without worry or pain. I feel properly recovered. What a great evening.

It's so pretty. The Ultimate Direction Fastpack 20L. Good for the opening 50K of Cocodona I hope, and any future long adventures after that! I'm very excited to fill it up and dial in the fit. Review to come in the near future.

Despite the darkness and cold rain, my scheduled 45 minute walk passed in a blink. It's easy when I'm discussing hotels and sleep strategies with my Cocodona crew chief. Who is not pictured because she ran straight to the warmth of the shower as soon as we got back home 😂

The 2nd & final week of rebuilding mileage, before jumping into the six week SWAP Power Builder plan! I'm doubling up on daily Core Snacks to prepare for the extra strength work that's coming. I may add an extra 2-5 miles on the weekend if my legs continue to recover well. Have a good #running week!

45 mile week complete! The first "normal" week of mostly worry-free running since the race. I could get used to that again. (please?) #running

I installed a GTA IV mod that gave all cars max acceleration and zero friction, and tried to play Story Mode. We completed two missions in three and a half hours, and I haven't laughed so hard in a long time

I fulfilled an ultra running stereotype and fueled this workout with leftover Halloween candy. 10/10, would be a nerd eating Nerds again. #Running 10 miles again felt amazing. This was the route that exposed my IT band pain last month. It was a little cathartic to come back and smash the same run.

I roughly budgeted most of my Cocodona expenses before I signed up, but it's still expensive enough to make my eyes water. At least all the gear is a one-time purchase that I can use for future adventures! The calories and travel expenses, not so much. Worth it. I'll share it all here eventually.

Black Friday sales convinced me to buy some Cocodona gear I've been eying for the past few months. Going with the Ultimate Direction 20L pack, with a 3 liter bladder and two 500 mL bladders in the front. Plus an Ultraspire Mountainer Racer waist pack that can hold 1.3 liters total and my waist lamp

And I took that personally. #running

Still feeling fresh! My heart wants more miles, but my mind insists that we stick to the plan. The gentle recovery build continues and the vibes are good. #running

Happy and pain-free. I gotta do some proper speed work soon, because Garmin keeps lowering my max heart rate and messing with my zones. But not before I'm fully confident in my knee. #running

Runners, what's your favorite kind of low impact cross training? My first thought was the elliptical, but I'll probably want to switch things up sometimes. I'm a gym noob and there are so many options. #running #runchat

"Way to go. I could never do what you're doing." "Bet you could." "Naaaaaah." "Couch 2 5K, check it out!" Probably just fun banter with the guy vaping outside the tobacco shop. But I like to imagine he went home and tried jogging around the block. You never know. I was him a few years ago. #running

I've gained one pound for every week since last month's race. I better start running with gusto again because my post-Halloween candy problem is out of control 😅

Just realized that I've been on Bluesky for a year. I didn't understand it at first and maybe I still don't. But I've enjoyed keeping up with runners, dreamers, and creative types from around the world. And getting my daily dose of Nancy comics.

From @freetrail.bsky.social's TrailCon: 41.5% of ultra runners across all distances are women. 9% of 2025 races have been won by women outright, compared to 4% 10 years ago. 55% of course records set in 2024 were by women. I said 2024 was the year of the woman in trail, and the numbers don't lie.

For the first time, I have a gym membership. The SWAP plans include a lot of uphill treadmill, as well as hill repeats on grades that I simply don't have access to in the American Mid-South. And more strength work than I can do with a yoga mat, stairs, and a kettle bell. Should be fun!

What's my #running plan this week? After a few easy weeks, it's time to run with a plan again. Two weeks of cautiously easing up mileage and continuing to stretch my IT band. Then 6 weeks of SWAP's power builder plan and 16 weeks of their Champion 100 Mile plan with some weekend modifications.

I tried strides. Two whole strides at the end. And I didn't spontaneously combust! I would've ran farther but I have places to be today. "Howard Moon, Man About Town," ya know? #running

I was amped on finishing my race report, and ran a strong zone 2 10K (OK, 9.9K). I'm coming back! #running

Last month I fulfilled my longtime dream of running 100 miles in a single day. This is the story of how it all unfolded, one mile at a time. #running

I've been writing for 4 hours and I'm only at mile 36 of my Wolverine 100 race report. This is going to be a small novel 😅

Zero knee pain still. Running feels good again! #running

I mowed the lawn, dutifully did my IT band stretches, and rocketed through a pain-free zone 2 run. The happiness and relief are real. I'm going to stay the course and hope this keeps up. #running

I'm not a static stretches guy. But I followed @bedrocm.bsky.social's suggested video targeting my IT band, and I finished 5 miles feeling like I could run more. The new shoes continue to feel great, and I mostly left the sidewalk and returned to softer asphalt. Always tweaking things. #running

I'm surprised by how much I like the idea of the Steam Frame, as something of a VR skeptic. But holy moly that is the exact controller I've been wanting for my PC and Steam Deck for over four years. And a powerful Linux gaming PC to round out the lineup. Looking forward to reviews

Naked eye aurora in the middle of light-polluted Memphis! I was literally running down the street in pajama pants and a winter jacket, texting all the neighbors to come outside. Excited is an understatement - I've waited my entire life to see that faint pink glow with my own two eyes. More to come?!

Americans in the upper latitudes, go outside! The northern lights are popping off right now! Picture from family in suburban Indiana. I'm so jealous right now in my light-polluted southern city.