The long write

For as long as I can remember, I have held being an athlete as a foundational component of my identity. There were times in my life where I actively tried to outwardly avoid that because I didn't want to be seen as a dumb jock, but it's undeniable that being an athlete has shaped almost every pursuit I've endeavored. So, as I set out on the new endeavor of writing, it only makes sense to me that I approach this like I would any other goal: train for it.

A couple years back I got a bug in me to run a marathon. While I've been an athlete most of my life, it has been on the shorter side of the equation. Having swum collegiately, there was plenty of training, but my events were sprints. While running a marathon was a shift in intensity, the intent remained the same: train enough and the event will be just another day. What that means for marathon training is that you have to hit a long run once a week. The race came and went. I haven't ran a single workout since. But the idea of a weekly long run has stuck with me. With any goal I have or any skill I am trying to sharpen, I devote a weekly "long run" towards that goal or skill.

In 2024 I was pursuing the actual marathon. In 2025, the pursuit was a dramatic change in body composition, and the weekly long run was my weekly meal prep. This year, it started as a reading challenge. I hadn't read a single fiction book over the 5+ years prior, so I set out in 2026 to change that. In pursuit of this goal, like with the marathon, it meant once a week I would sit down and hit a "long read". Typically, I would read for 20-30 minutes at a time so my "long read" would be somewhere north of an hour in the beginning. A few books along the way (Lonesome Dove, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Project Hail Mary) have been closed out with 2–3-hour sessions. Just like when I would escape every Saturday for the trail, these long sessions let me hit a rhythm and stride that made time fly. Not quite a flow state, but definitely a state of singular focus.

I had set what I thought would be a lofty goal of 25 books for 2026, but with the weekly "long reads" I knocked that out about halfway through the year. This year is still about reading fiction, but recently with my newfound enjoyment for reading I have felt the need to expand my comprehensive literacy and sharpen my writing. Before 2026, my reading was dominated by non-fiction and scientific literature. My writing was much the same: lecture plans, manuscripts, and SciComm blog pieces made up my portfolio. I can't say there were no expressive writing in those, but they were still pretty muted and happened few and far between. Two weeks ago, I went to Austin, TX for some professional development and was inspired to change that. 

As 2026 comes to an end, I've started the wheel turning on what 2027 will be about. I've found myself leaning back towards the physical arenas for next year, but I don't see the literacy train stopping. Where is the train going? I have no idea. But reading fiction has sparked the need to push my inner voice. At this point it's just personal essays because, as I mentioned earlier this week, it's actually pretty difficult for me to get that inner voice out of my head and onto the digital paper. I never wanted to be seen as a dumb jock, but it's undeniable that being an athlete has shaped almost every pursuit. Difficult was never an issue, persistence tends to make it easier. 

When I was running, I would hit three to five training runs during the week and clock a long run on the weekend. I'm not a dumb jock, but I do love some structured training. Writing is my new running (until running once again becomes my new running) and this was Training Week 1. My "training writes" are the pieces I post throughout the week. The target is ~500 words but it's the style that is where the training comes in. Editing as I go, trying to refine and sharpen my voice. Quality runs were shorter runs, but what made them quality was the pacing, the tempo. Quality writing sessions are being treated the same. Trying to tie together the pacing and deliver a tighter composition. Long runs were about settling in. There was a distance target, but it was more about embracing the run. Embracing the identity of being a runner. The identity of a reader. Of a writer. Not someone who does a job that requires them to, at times, write. But someone who, for no other reason than feeling compelled to compose, writes.

Is this writing or is this just typing? Maybe both. But some days are quality days, and some days are volume days. And, maybe someday, we can have some quality volume days. Long runs were Saturday morning. Long writes are Saturday night. Sunday’s email sends you the Strava stats.

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