Welcome to Running On Nothing, a newsletter in which I try to make sense of my life as an amateur runner and my search for the perfect running song.
At first glance, it might seem boring to want to write about running. How exciting can it be, right? But there’s a lot more to running than the physical act of propelling yourself forward. For me, it’s a highly internal act of meditation and self-reflection. Like the roads and trails we run upon, there are cracks and hurdles that we can’t always see, and not every good run can be measured on a stop watch.
Running is about finding a space for yourself in within every step., and embracing every opportunity we have to push ourselves. It’s about conquering new trails both internal and external, and learning to appreciate your surroundings. As Jesse Owens once put it, running is about “seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.”
I realize a lot of this sounds like a bunch of hippy dippy gobbledy goop (and maybe it is), so before I verge into TED Talk territory, let me simply say this: running is fun! Yes, fun! And it rules. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself, and I love to talk about it. And the best part is, anybody can do it!
I love the story of Joe Strummer who, at the height of The Clash fame, decided to run three marathons from 1981 - 1983. He ran the Paris Marathon in 1982, and the London Marathon in 1981 and 1983. He claimed to have ran the latter in 4 hours and 13 minutes. Now, whether or not he actually ran the Paris Marathon is up for debate, and his “training regimen” of 10 pints of beer the night before may also be yet another addition to Strummer lore, but I for one choose to believe all of it. I believe he woke up one morning and simply decided he’d like to go for a long ass run to sweat off a bender. I also believe there was something he needed in running through the streets Paris and London, and to run with the people. And why wouldn’t you believe this? He was Joe fucking Strummer. He was a superhero, for whom hangovers or 26.2 miles were not a factor. If you believe there’s nothing up his sleeve, then nothing is cool.
So what are we doing here? My goal with this newsletter is to share my experience as a runner and attempt to dictate my thoughts on running. Maybe you’re not a runner at all, but are mildly curious about getting into it. That’s cool too! All faces and all paces are welcome. I also want to talk about the relationship between music and running, which are as natural together as peanut butter and jelly. Each issue will feature new music from up-and-coming artists that should be added to your running playlists, and as the newsletter grows, we may even chat with some of them about running and music (if you’re a musician or you work in music in some capacity and you would like to be featured, hit me up!). Together, we’ll find the perfect song for your miles. What makes a “perfect running song”? Well, that’s what we’ll try to find out.
So, I hope you join me as I attempt to figure out why we make that journey again and again. Be sure to follow the Running On Nothing Spotify Playlist here, and subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and website, and never miss an update.
Thanks for reading and happy running!
Jeff
