Running · by Sara Ahmed · 2026-10-01

The surprising joy of doing the routine badly at first after a tiny failure

Would love to hear how other people handle this. I am especially curious about the version that works on a tired weekday, not just on an ideal Sunday.

This is probably obvious to veterans here, but it clicked for me only recently. training got easier when I stopped treating every attempt like a final exam.

Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the routine for a while.

106 sparks · 15 comments

Comments

Curious Noodle · 47 likes

I wish more posts had this much context.

Minji Kim · 25 likes

Really good advice, and it feels doable. I would love to see a follow-up after 5 weeks.

Tomás Gómez · 16 likes

I wish more posts had this much context. That is the kind of detail beginners miss.

Isha Menon · 15 likes

I would push back gently on the surprising part. I keep a note about training for exactly this reason. Glad you shared the messy version too.

Lina Keller · 8 likes

You just saved me a bad purchase.

Kabir Khan · 1 likes

@urban_orbit30 I am stealing that phrase.

Valentina Ruiz · 8 likes

@in_comet71 I would love a follow-up example.

Cedar Lantern · 2 likes

Same here. It took me too long to learn.

Maya Williams · 4 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy.

Urban Orbit · 13 likes

Helpful correction.

Cedar Lantern · 4 likes

Could be regional too.

Sara Ahmed · 1 likes

This is the gentle version of my rant.

Maja Wiśniewska · 10 likes

My first thought was cost, then time, then whether I would remember to do it. I care less about the perfect answer and more about repeatability. People underestimate how much sleep changes the answer.

Sleepy Comet · 2 likes

Can you share what you tried before this? It sounds small, but the routine matters.

Noah Miller · 1 likes

Amazing how much difference one small change can make. I keep a note about 5k for exactly this reason. This is kinder advice than most of the internet manages.