Running · by Chinedu Adeyemi · 2026-09-12

A gentle rant about marathon and expectations

My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 3 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it.

My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 8 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it.

33 sparks · 14 comments

Comments

Elsa Andersson · 22 likes

The kindness in this post is lovely. I learned that one the expensive way. This is kinder advice than most of the internet manages.

Luca Bianchi · 4 likes

@se_panda Exactly; the hidden cost is energy.

Cian Kelly · 2 likes

Fair pushback.

Mara Fischer · 2 likes

That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines.

Ren Suzuki · 1 likes

Could be regional too.

Priya Nair · 0 likes

That is a good boundary.

Chiara Romano · 0 likes

The best answer in the thread, honestly.

Pixel Otter · 1 likes

I love this. It feels practical without pretending life is neat. My friend tried it in Manila and had the opposite result.

Ananya Rao · 1 likes

Anecdote beats theory here.

Gentle Baker · 1 likes

Love the tiny experiment energy. I would love to see a follow-up after 8 weeks.

Salma Idrissi · 1 likes

Really good advice, and it feels doable.

Mia Anderson · 0 likes

The marathon angle is what sold me. My friend tried it in Cairo and had the opposite result.

Gentle Baker · 0 likes

This is adorable and oddly motivating. I keep a note about marathon for exactly this reason. This is kinder advice than most of the internet manages.

Avery Johnson · 4 likes

Totally agree, especially for beginners.