The Most Important Part of the Run ...

... has nothing to do with the actual run.

Welcome back to the Weekly Hurdle! If you’re new to the newsletter this week, happy to have you. You’re now officially a Hurdler. Every Friday, I’ll share a blog post, follow it up with a thought-provoking prompt to take us into the weekend, and finish things off with some content highlights. Please, tag/DM me on social @hurdlepodcast and @emilyabbate with your thoughts.

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I’ve been doing a fair share of reflecting lately. Not about any one specific event or memory, but about a string of similar moments that I’ve experiences for years now. The moments that occur right before a run.

If you ask me, they’re actually the most important part.

They’re slightly anxious, a little excited, and often hesitant. Repeated over, and over, and over again, time after time. During those give-or-take 30 seconds where you’re debating initiating the actual effort, oftentimes you encounter some sort of minuscule annoyance, like the fact that your watch isn’t picking up a GPS signal or perhaps a wonky, unsettled feeling in your right knee combined with an unforgiving bug bite on your left shin that makes you want to remove your left leg in its entirety.

You’ve already done a fair share of work to get to these special moments, of course. You’ve made the conscious effort to change into some sort of activity-specific outfit, which may or may not have involved a shimmy into snug compression shorts or a too-old tank top that you’ve made the mental note of replacing the last three times you’ve put it on. You’ve deliberately laced your sneakers with a double knot, in hopes to prevent the inevitable uttering of “are you KIDDING me?” accompanied by an overdramatic frustrated exhale the moment they come untied on every single run. And let’s not forget the big, big fact that you’ve askowneldged that you want to go for this run in the first place. 

!!!!

That’s a big deal, too. Making the decision to go for a run can be really intimidating. For a lot of reasons. Perhaps you have unfortunate history with running. Maybe the weather conditions are rough. Emotional baggage, an achy back, too much on your plate — you name it. Excuses, those are easy.

For me, after years of being “bad” at running, there was a long time I didn’t do it at all. A long time I didn’t grab hold of the opportunity to experience these very important pre-moments. After not making the junior varsity volleyball team back in high school because I couldn’t muster out a sub-10:00 mile at the time, I completely gave up on the activity. I was good at making excuses. About five years later, I decided to do something about it. Mileage totals the summer that running finally stuck again — back in 2008 — were a drop in the bucket compared to what I’m hammering through these days. But the moments before the run? They felt the same. 

The moments before the run were the most important part of it all then.
They are now, too. 

Here’s why:

During that pre-run half-minute, you still have the opportunity to bail. You still have an out. While I recognize that this “out” is available to any runner of any level at any given moment, once the run starts, I’d argue you’re more likely to stick with it than if you never started it at all. 

In these moments, you make the valuable, conscious decision to do something for you. To believe in your own potential. You accept whatever comes with the miles and minutes that follow. It’s a bold act, to open yourself up to the beauty that can come hand-in-hand with wanting to take this time for yourself. You may very well be a different person when the run is done, due in part potentially to whatever you might physically encounter during that time, but perhaps more importantly because of what you could gain emotionally and mentally.

The run is brave. The run, it opens you up to a new version of yourself. A version that may be:

More calm. 
More grateful. 
More resilient.
More ready to handle the day as it comes. 

Like Coach Bennett said in episode 120 of Hurdle, running is about what you gain. And if you pay close attention, the gains can start before the run does, albeit technically. In these moments before the run, you confront the desire for your own cup to be filled. You accept the chance to gain some control, believe in yourself, and embrace a fresh perspective.

So, do me this favor: The next time you’re in them — the moments before the run — I want you to be proud that you made it there. Even if it’s hot and humid and you’re standing reluctantly questioning the next step — the first step — I want you to take a second to appreciate the opportunity to make that decision at all. To say to yourself, “today, I’m just going to go for it.” 

The moments before the run, they’re pretty important. 
Mostly because the moments before the run are about a whole lot more than the run.
Period.

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PROMPT: What was the last time you had to psych yourself up to do something? How did it feel once that big to-do was done?

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

WATCH: FRIENDS with Nick Dio
A close friend of mine, Nick, has started a new series on his Instagram (@nickdio) called FRIENDS. In it, he’s sharing his platform with people he believes in that are building amazing things like companies, communities, apps — even buildings. Sure, seeing someone else’s life on your friends account is a bit odd at first, but I’d say that it definitely helps us expand upon what we choose to see in our newsfeeds.

So far, he’s had Ali Lebow — a meditation coach, and Kyle Sommersall — the founder of the app Gratitude Plus, on his feed. Upcoming episodes include Colleen Brooks, the founder of Highcourt (a new membership leisure club in TriBeCa), Benjamin Goldman (head chef at the vegan restaurant PLANTA in Miami), and Thai Richards (founder of Rage and Release).

BUY: The Perfect Bike Shorts
Lululemon Align 6-inch ($58), Athleta Elation Short ($59), Under Armour Meridian ($60), Nike One Bike Short ($40)
If you follow me on social, then you know that I have been on a QUEST for good, basic bike shorts (and no, not the type with padding in them, although I’m hunting recommendations for those, too). Here are some of the sleekest options I’ve found, all with at least a 7-inch inseam. These are mostly for lounging (although yoga would be totally fine).

LISTEN: “Catching Up With Chris Heuisler” on the “Ali on the Run Show”
Wow. I met Chris Heuisler years ago. We both worked with the running community, him as the then-Global RunWestin Concierge and me as a fitness journalist. On this week’s episode of “Ali on the Run” hosted by past Hurdle guest Ali Feller, he gets brave, revealing a long battle with alcoholism and talking about his journey to sobriety. If you put one new episode on your podcast playlist for next week (aside from Hurdle), let this be it.

DONATE: Rest Up Tommy, We’ll See You Soon on GoFundMe
This just breaks my heart. Tommy Rivers Puzey, known as Tommy Rivs on social media, is a well-known trail runner. He was also admitted to the ICU several weeks ago with COVID-like respiratory issues (although they’re still undiagnosed). Rivers has sustained significant damage to his lungs and spent the last few days sedated and on a ventilator. If you have the means, consider donating to ease the burden of ongoing hospital bills on his family.

GIVEAWAY: WHOOP With a 6-Month Membership
Last week’s Season 3 premiere giveaway winner Haylee graciously offered to split up her winnings and donate the WHOOP to another lucky Hurdler. FYI: I wear my WHOOP, a wrist-worn heart rate monitor, religiously, to track everything from my sleep quality and patterns to activity and recovery.

So! We’re back for more! Want your very own WHOOP? Comment on this post with the answer to this week’s prompt above. I’ll announce the winner in next Friday’s Weekly Hurdle (7/31).

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SUBSCRIBE, RATE, AND REVIEW HURDLE: We’re at almost 800 reviews in the iTunes store. BIG GOAL: Get to 1,000 by August 31. Go on, get after it.
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REGISTER: Hurdle Sessions
This month I launched Hurdle Sessions: New online seminar programming, aiming to provide Hurdlers with education surrounding topics I’m well-versed in as a veteran journalist, entrepreneur, and run coach. This week, we covered “Intro to Freelance Writing,” which is now available for purchase on the Hurdle website and raised $750 (!) for The Loveland Foundation. Coming up on August 4 is “How to Start (and Stay!) Running.” Each Hurdle Session includes downloadable materials and a charitable donation.

Another (weekly) Hurdle conquered. Catch you guys next week.