Nostalgia: A Hobby, A Habit, A Survival Tactic
At some point during the second or third episode of Once Upon a Time In Queens, I started thinking maybe I was using nostalgia…
Friday Inspiration 317
What a world it would be if we could all spread as much joy and love as Rahim and his sandwiches obviously do. (video)…
Friday Inspiration 316
Nick Willis had run a sub-4-minute mile every year for 19 straight years, and on New Year’s Day 2022, he went for his 20th…
Shoveling Season Is Upon Us
Yooooooo we got a foot of fresh powder around here the other day, and you know what that means! Yeah, shoveling. OK, yeah, I…
Friday Inspiration 315
If you’ve ever worried that you’ll one day be in a nightmare scenario where you’re at a dinner party and you suddenly realize that…
Friday Inspiration 314
FIRST OFF: If you want to help support these Friday Inspiration posts going forward, here’s your last chance to do it in 2021 for…
Make 2022 The Year Of Maximum Enthusiasm
Note: I first wrote and published this post on December 29, 2011, calling it “Make 2012 The Year Of Maximum Enthusiasm.” Every year around…
Friday Inspiration 313
I am not much of a mountain biker, but, maaaaaaaan this 2-minute edit just feels good (and is also an incredible piece of filming…
Friday Inspiration 312
Hey, before you scroll down to the content in this third-to-last Friday Inspiration post of the year, two questions for you: Did you enjoy…
The Birth Of An Idea
Things like this are able to exist because of my Patreon supporters, who are universally wonderful human beings. If you’re a wonderful human being…
Friday Inspiration 311
I am a fan of pretty much everything Beau Miles does on YouTube, and he continues to dream up crazy concepts for videos. I…
Friday Inspiration 310
“A candle doesn’t lose its flame by lighting other candles. I just want my babies to light other candles.” —Akbar Cook, Principal of West…
What We Think About When We Think About Running
Mark Twain was not a runner, at least to my knowledge. But I think of this Mark Twain quote nearly every time I go…
There Are Two Ways We Can Do This Thing
presented without judgment
Friday Inspiration 309
What’s funny about the timing of the release of this video of Kilian Jornet attempting to beat the world record in the vertical kilometer…
20 Book Recommendations From 2021
I’m probably not supposed to be doing a book recommendation list at this time of the year. I should probably be trying to figure…
Breakfast Cereal Shapes Inspired By Letters Of The English Alphabet
RIP Alpha Bits, 1957-2021
Friday Inspiration 308
This is either a really short surf film, a music video, or a commercial, but whatever it is, I’m not mad that I have…
The Mountain-Climbing Lobster And Other Stories
As you’re probably well aware, another holiday season is almost here. Every year around this time, I start getting this nagging voice in the…
The Creative Process, Vol. 487
“What do you do for work?” “I’m a writer.” “Would I have read anything you’ve written?” “No.”
Did You Save Room For Dessert?
(I am not a registered dietitian)
Friday Inspiration 307
“My name is Eeland Stribling. I’m a wildlife biologist and a stand-up comedian.” (video) I feel very seen by this tweet about hotel…
My Friend Says It’s The Greatest Race In The World
Just after the crest of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the longest and highest climb of the New York City Marathon, around Mile 1.0, one of…
Friday Inspiration 306
It’s ski film season again—this one will give you a little bit more to think about that just skiing, though (video) It’s such…
Friday Inspiration 305
This hit home for me: A not-new (but new to me) TED Talk in which Joseph Gordon-Levitt explores how our need for attention affects…
How I Look Running By Myself Vs. When I Appear In Race Photos
Thanks for reading. Before you go: If you enjoyed this piece, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, which enables me to keep…
Friday Inspiration 304
It’s been a few years since I’ve watched a La Blogothèque video, but I somehow landed on this one of my favorite Hamilton Leithauser…
I Recommend Wikipedia
Have you ever pulled your phone out of your pocket to do something useful, like check the weather forecast or Google the business hours…
Friday Inspiration 303
Billy Yang’s film about Anton Krupicka returning to racing in the 2021 Leadville 100 is great, but I think the music switch at 3:58…
Friday Inspiration 302
“Caffeine seemed to be in violation of the laws of thermodynamics. Essentially, caffeine borrows energy from your future and gives it to you in…
How To Make Chip Drink
Last Sunday, while running on a trail through the forest, I ate what I estimate was my 1,500th Clif Blok. Or 2,000th, who knows….
Perceived Size Of Rock In Shoe Vs. Actual Size Of Rock In Shoe
This is not a metaphor for anything; just something that happened to me last week. Or maybe it is a metaphor, I guess (More…
Friday Inspiration 301
I wish Mac Miller was around to see this video of his new song, which just kind of feels like this year, in some…
Friday Inspiration 300
This film is called “Every Sport a Bowling Ball,” and if you’re like me, you’ll start laughing as some of the sports are introduced,…
The Rut 50K: A Race Report
High on the east ridge of Lone Peak, at about 10,500 feet or so, The Rut 50K started to feel like a cartoon, in…
Taking A Break
—Brendan
