Fancy gear only gets you marginal gains
So unless you're a pro athlete, ditch it.
Stoicism and Balance
Stoic running means attaining balance in our bodies and minds, and attending to the core parts of running, eliminating the superfluous. Don’t get it twisted, though: stoicism doesn’t mean minimalism and definitely not asceticism. Instead of making the elimination of the unnecessary our core focus (minimalism) or using elimination as a punishment in order to focus our minds (asceticism), in stoicism we want to achieve balance.
Simplicity and Balance
I’ll talk about achieving this balance through a very quotidian lens: running gear. Over the years, in pursuing balance, I’ve crafted a super simple running gear set up (simplicity) that is also subject to change (balance). Here’s how:
No performance gear, except for weather-related reasons.
I run in white, Hanes-brand ribbed singlets. The basic cotton ones, in mens small. They might not be the lightest fabric in the world, and I’m not saying all the fancy moisture-wicking stuff isn’t useful, but I am saying you don’t have to have it, especially if you're not an elite athlete or running in extreme conditions. Nothing bad will happen if you’re not decked out in performance gear, and the bonus is that you'll save a lot of money.
No watch.
Shocking truth time: I don't wear a watch when I run, and I haven't regularly done so...ever. I don't bring a phone; I don't even have a timer. I just run. I gauge my run by how I feel. Is it good? Is it bad? Is it fast? Is it slow? I can tell by myself, and it's accurate!
How did I achieve that accuracy? By paying attention to my body. I have learned what an 8 minute or 7 minute or 10 minute mile feels like. I know if my run is hard but fast or slow but feels okay. I am my own watch; no technology required.
You can do this, too: start with a watch, but don't depend on it. Pay attention to your body day in, day out, while you track your pace. You'll learn what paces feel like and how to nudge yourself forward or back to hit the pace you want. It's practice; it's all practice. And that's a great way to add lightness.
Don’t invest in cute; invest in effective.
I, for one, love a rainy run. I used to PR most frequently when it was 40 degrees Fahrenheit and raining. I think the utter misery of it sort of spurred me on.
So how to run successfully in the rain? I have one high quality rain-resistant (not proof!) jacket, a billed hat, and no socks (ever). I don't like rain proof because it doesn't breathe at all and you're drenched with sweat, and wet socks weigh you down, so I skip them (always). When I was younger I didn’t even wear a hat, but I’ve added one to keep rain from hitting me directly in my eyes, which brings me back to the balance part of stoic running:
Figure out how to make change effectively.
As we know, instead of minimalism or asceticism, stoic runners want to have the right amount of the right gear. Hence, the billed hat referenced above.
Another change I’ve made is in regards to music.
In earlier posts, I said I started running with music when I wanted to increase my mileage. But in point 2, I said I don't run with a phone. So 🤔🤔🤔 um how do I do that?
The answer is that I tried a bunch of things. For years I knew that running with music was something I should try in order to increase my mileage. The thing is, I just can't stand the weight and connectivity of a phone on me. I don't like it in a pouch; I don't like it in a pocket; I don't like it on an armband. I don’t want to hear calls and texts and emails; I want to be disconnected when I run.
Then, I found out how swimmers swim with music, and it's not with a phone; they download it all. So now that’s what I do. I use bone conducting swimmers’ headphones from Jawbone and buy and download all the tracks I listen to. That would be annoying, except it supports my core focus, which is to run.
Final wrap up: seek simplicity but not to its own ends. Change things when you need to. That’s balance, and the core of stoic running. See you all next week and for today, remember: go run.