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Running · by Hugo Martin · 2026-09-27

A gentle rant about training and expectations from my Monday morning notes

I know this is a tiny sample size, but after 3 attempts teh pattern is pretty clear. When I keep teh setup simple, I actually follow through.

A few notes from my attempt:
- keep teh first step visible
- remove one annoying decision
- celebrate teh boring repeat

243 sparks · 60 comments

Comments

Finn Brown · 65 likes

My version of this was messier, but the conclusion was similar. I care less about the perfect answer and more about repeatability

Luca Bianchi · 20 likes

noted, and thank you

Sofía Hernández · 3 likes

@urban_finn You just saved me a bad purchase

Avery Johnson · 27 likes

That last line is excellent. I learned that one the expensive way

Gentle Baker · 25 likes

Honestly, great taste

Maya Putri · 18 likes

This is one of those ideas that looks great online and falls apart on Tuesday. The commute version is even more interesting

Kabir Khan · 18 likes

I am mostly here for teh follow-up. Honestly, teh simplest version wins for me. This is kinder advice than most of teh internet manages

Budi Santoso · 12 likes

The rant angle is what sold me. I care less about the perfect answer and more about repeatability

Tola Ibrahim · 11 likes

This has cozy competence written all over it. I used to overcomplicate this constantly

Lucas Dubois · 10 likes

The notes angle is what sold me. My only addition is to make the first step visible

Chloe Davis · 2 likes

I had the same reaction to visible

Tomás Gómez · 8 likes

This reminds me of something a friend in Mexico City mentioned. My only addition is to make the first step visible. People underestimate how much sleep changes the answer

Léa Bernard · 7 likes

the boring logistics are always the hidden part. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near a neighborhood park

Hugo Martin · 1 likes

I was going to disagree, but your second sentence got me

Miguel Santos · 7 likes

Amazing how much difference one small change can make. The quiet constraint is probly the real story

Ren Suzuki · 6 likes

What would you change if you started over? The social part surprised me too

Hugo Sánchez · 6 likes

Interesting. I would like to see how it changes after 7 months. It sounds small, but teh setup matters. The follow-through matters more than teh perfect plan

Valeria López · 5 likes

I am mostly here for the follow-up. The Mumbai example makes it feel concrete. The follow-through matters more then the perfect plan

Ayesha Khan · 5 likes

Interesting. I would like to see how it changes after 4 months. The 5-minute rule is underrated

Sophie Gagnon · 26 likes

@ayesha-99 This is the kind of disagreement I like

Hugo Martin · 1 likes

I needed the reminder to start smaller

Lina Al Harbi · 5 likes

Really good advice, and it feels doable. The the kitchen detail changes the whole answer

Silver Fern · 6 likes

@dev_lina0 Totally agree, especially for beginners

Kabir Khan · 0 likes

helpful correction

Cedar Mango · 5 likes

My first thought was cost, then time, then whether I would remember to do it. That is where the boring checklist helps. Small progress still counts

Jisoo Park · 4 likes

My version of this was messier, but the conclusion was similar. The 5-minute rule is underrated

Linh Tran · 4 likes

I am skeptical. The idea sounds good but the maintenance cost is real. That is the kind of detail beginners miss. This is kinder advice than most of the internet manages

Kabir Khan · 3 likes

this feels like advice from a patient friend. I would love to see a follow-up after 2 weeks

Hugo Sánchez · 2 likes

The kindness in this post is lovely. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me

Aoi Ito · 6 likes

Respectfully, I see it the other way

Curious Marauder · 1 likes

I am stealing that phrase

Maya Williams · 2 likes

This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for

Chloe Davis · 2 likes

I think the bad version of this advice causes alot of frustration. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing. People underestimate how much sleep changes the answer

Luca Bianchi · 2 likes

@sleepy_runner I am stealing that phrase

Curious Mango · 2 likes

This made me smile more then expected. I would test it for 3 days before deciding

Budi Santoso · 2 likes

The training angle is what sold me. The a tiny balcony detail changes the whole answer

Cedar Noodle · 2 likes

this is genuinely helpful, thanks for writing it out. For me it came down to the prototype. Small progress still counts

Sleepy Runner · 2 likes

Glad you shared it; small wins count. That is the kind of detail beginners miss

Khalid Al Zahrani · 1 likes

I think the bad version of this advice causes a lot of frustration. I am curious whether marathon still feels good next month

Solar Sparrow · 25 likes

short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes

Martina Fernández · 12 likes

that is fair, but I still worry about maintenance

Hugo Martin · 8 likes

The Tuesday test is undefeated

Luca Bianchi · 6 likes

That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines

Salma Idrissi · 2 likes

Beautifully concise

Ren Suzuki · 6 likes

Kind of wild how often concise is teh whole issue

Thandi Mokoena · 3 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy

Mango Mango · 0 likes

kind of wild how often beautifully is the whole issue

Hugo Martin · 1 likes

I would pin this if I could

Lina Al Harbi · 9 likes

Totally agree, especially for beginners

Sleepy Rider · 7 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy

Gentle Noodle · 28 likes

Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot

Aarav Sharma · 8 likes

Now I want a spreadsheet

Khalid Al Zahrani · 1 likes

This is the gentle version of my rant

Khalid Al Zahrani · 1 likes

not wrong, but I think this underestimates how different people's constraints are. This is more useful on a tired weekend than on a perfect day

Maya Williams · 2 likes

I would love a follow-up example

Gentle Comet · 1 likes

What would you change if you started over? The social part surprised me too

Zofia Kowalska · 1 likes

This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for. It sounds small, but the tiny repair matters

Ethan Brooks · 1 likes

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

Youssef Mahmoud · 0 likes

What happened after the first week? I am curious whether gentle stayed easy. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near the library

Lina Al Harbi · 4 likes

Thanks that actually helped