Running is different from writing. Or maybe not.

Roughly a year ago, I found out how to keep running ¹. Now I regularly run 60 to 70km a week and it rarely feels like a chore.

One of the things that helped is simply the idea of prioritizing consistency: no matter the pace or the distance, just clock a run.

The truth is, running at an amateur level really does not require “deliberate practice” or training smarter. I simply show up and run everyday, and enjoy the run without thinking too deeply. And I got better unconsciously.

Whenever anyone asks how I keep running, one of the first things I suggest is to run more slowly. But most people don’t take well to that. Running slowly feels pointless. And it feels shitty when people brisk walk past your running pace.

So I call it “Zone 2 training” instead. Which is really the same thing but with a lab coat on. ² Plus I can then say, “And with Zone 2 training, researchers found it takes 3 months of consistent effort before you see results. So give it time!” A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.

Now I’m trying to start writing more frequently again, because I want to think clearer thoughts.

But unlike running, the key to better writing feels like it requires significant deliberate practice. Simply showing up everyday and writing a few sentences doesn’t seem helpful. It doesn’t feel like time well spent. Case in point, these 20ish sentences took me hours of writing and rewriting.

And it feels shitty when others are firing off tweets by the second.

Ah.

Or maybe I need to give it time. ³