"Every action you take is a vote for the person you want to be." - James Clear, Atomic Habits
As I write this in November 2022, I am reflecting on a year that was largely stagnant from a running standpoint. I registered near all-time lows in total workouts, long runs, mileage, and time on feet. I ran way too much in isolation when I should have been social. At times, I was on good training streaks - like in the lead-up to the Canyons 100K - but even then, I dealt with injuries and other setbacks and ultimately underperformed on race day. I struggled to set goals, raced 1.5 times (I can barely count Speedgoat) for the year. In retrospect, I attribute this stasis to my investment in Singletrack. I realized at the beginning of the year that I wanted to fast-track the podcast to full-time status and to do that, I needed to invest full-time energy which meant long nights and long weekends around my then 9-5 job. I believe it was worth it in the end because it got me to where I wanted to be. But I’m also very sensitive to the biological clock. I’m not getting any younger. In fact, I’m probably on the back-end of my prime right now. So this is the moment to re-invest in running. I am confident 2023 will resume the trend of improvement/progress.
Here's what I'm excited about when it comes to running:
I'm currently based in Salt Lake City, UT. It's the greatest city in America. I can't think of a better one. It's easy to get around, the access to trails is unparalleled, the people are adventurous and forward-thinking. I could go on. I am not trying to keep it a secret. If you are reading this, I encourage you to move here.
Here's what I'm excited about when it comes to living:
As of October 1st, I am working full-time on the Singletrack Podcast. What does a typical day look like? I try to dedicate the mornings to “deep work”. By this I mean, doing research and writing questions on guests and topics for upcoming episodes, doing research and building sales decks for prospective partners/sponsors, and at least 30-60 minutes dedicated to continuous learning around a particular marketing channel that I can leverage for the business. At the present moment, this is Youtube. In the afternoons, I am typically conducting interviews, catching up on emails, checking analytics around podcast and social media performance, and spending at least 30-60 minutes networking with someone relevant to Singletrack - this last part might be my favorite part of the day. At this point in the day, I’ll usually be pretty tired but in this case I get to head out the door, go for a walk around my neighborhood and phone some who’s equally passionate about trail running and working in the space to some extent. It keeps the “stoke” alive for my course in life, gives me new ideas for what to explore and focus on with Singletrack, and in many cases, creates new friends and partners in the community.
Here's what I'm excited about when it comes to working: