Hank

POV: You’re 25 miles into the Chicago Marathon and on your way to a 2:34 PR. Here’s what the final mile looks like from inside the race.

The most concerning part is that my first reaction to $1,100 was “that’s actually not bad.”

One thing I genuinely miss about when I first started running: How often I’d surprise myself. A new distance. A faster pace. A workout that felt impossible a month earlier. Every week felt like discovering something new. Such a fun stage of running that I didn’t fully appreciate at the time.

80 days until the Houston Marathon. Easy 4 miles this morning. Easy 45 min Zwift ride with Cate after work ➡️ 5 miles easy OTB. Deleted the dating apps. Joined a run club. Now we spend our Thursday nights riding bikes that don’t move.

I’ve spent years chasing marathon PRs and building my life around running. Never imagined the best thing it would give me would have nothing to do with a race. Pretty hard to top meeting the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.

Zwift spent years making indoor cycling feel like a video game. Now they’re bringing real-world routes into the mix, along with adaptive coaching that adjusts to your training. As someone who’s spent an absurd amount of time on Zwift, this is one of the more interesting updates they’ve made in a while. Really curious to see where they take this!

Somehow the internet has rediscovered this story. Still think showing up to that run club was the best decision I’ve ever made. Although there’s another one I’ve been thinking about lately that might give it a run for its money👀

Adding a half marathon to the Houston build! Officially signed up for Jacksonville on December 12, five weeks before Houston. I think a well-timed half can be one of the best fitness checks during a marathon build. A chance to race hard, see where you stand, and still have time to recover before the main event. Jacksonville looks like a fast course with some good competition, which is exactly what I was hoping to find. Haven’t raced a half in almost a year. My current PR is 1:15:27, and a lot has changed since then. Really looking forward to finding out what I can do over 13.1 miles now.

81 days until the Houston Marathon. First speed session since Chicago this morning. 5 × 1K progression (90 sec rest): 3:31 ➡️ 3:25 ➡️ 3:23 ➡️ 3:21 ➡️ 3:19 Finished with a smooth, fast 200m, 100m walk recovery, then a faster 100m. Got in a gym session after work to finish out the day. Nothing too crazy for the first workout back, but nice to have some faster running back in the mix🫡

I actually started indoor cycling on a Peloton back in 2021, so I have a lot of appreciation for it. I still think Peloton is great. The classes are fun, the instructors are excellent, and having someone guide you through a workout makes it really easy to get into a routine. And if you already own one, you can absolutely build a ton of fitness on it. But if I were starting from scratch today, I’d go with the Zwift Ride. For me, the biggest difference is how much more there is to do beyond following a fitness class. You can ride virtual routes, join group rides and races, or build your own workouts around specific power targets. And with ERG mode, the trainer automatically adjusts resistance to match the watts you’re supposed to be holding. I love being able to program a workout, get on the bike, and focus entirely on executing it. The virtual shifting is great too, and I really enjoy how the resistance changes with the terrain when you’re riding around Zwift. But I think what I appreciate most is how much variety it adds to indoor training. Some days I want a structured workout. Other days I just want to ride without having to think too much about it. Both platforms can get you incredibly fit, and I completely understand why people love Peloton. But knowing what I know now, Zwift is where I’d put my money.

I’d go with the Zwift Ride here. The Garmin Edge 1050 is great if you’re primarily focused on outdoor riding, but I think a dedicated indoor setup offers a lot more value as a first investment. And for any runners who have been thinking about getting into cycling, I really can’t recommend an indoor setup enough. One thing that’s easy to overlook is how much more controlled your training can be indoors. Outside, you’re stopping at lights, coasting, dealing with traffic, and adjusting to the terrain. Indoors, you can pedal continuously and hold specific power targets without those interruptions. Especially heading into winter, the convenience and safety of being able to train at home are huge. One of the things I love most about cycling is being able to get in a ton of aerobic work without constantly adding more miles to my running. Especially for newer runners, I think that’s a huge benefit. There’s only so much pounding your legs can handle as you build up your mileage, and the bike gives you another way to keep building fitness. I’d start with the Zwift Ride, keep enjoying outdoor rides on your regular bike, and add the Garmin later if you want to upgrade that experience.

82 days until the Houston Marathon. 7 easy miles this morning, then a good one on Zwift after work. 4 rounds of: 5 min @ 225W ➡️ 4 min @ 245W ➡️ 3 min @ 265W ➡️ 2 min @ 280W (1 min easy between rounds) Went back through the data afterward and pulled my average HR at each power across the four rounds: 225W: 114 ➡️ 120 ➡️ 124 ➡️ 128 245W: 122 ➡️ 127 ➡️ 131 ➡️ 137 265W: 131 ➡️ 135 ➡️ 140 ➡️ 143 280W: 137 ➡️ 140 ➡️ 146 ➡️ 147 A gradual rise in HR as the work accumulated, with the final 280W interval averaging 147 bpm. One thing I’m changing for Houston is giving the bike a bigger role in my training. More volume and more structured sessions alongside the running. I’ve spent a lot of time building my cycling fitness already, but I’m curious how much further I can take it while still preparing to run a fast marathon.

One of the best parts of being with my girlfriend is that neither of us has to convince the other to make time for the things we love. We have our own interests and goals, but the things that matter most to us are remarkably similar. It’s pretty incredible finding someone who doesn’t just support the life you want to live, but genuinely wants to build that life with you.

Random thing I’ve always done when registering for marathons: I put my hometown instead of Boston, where I actually live. There are already a million runners representing Boston. I just think it’s way cooler seeing the town I grew up in next to my name on race day. Anyone else do this?

Apparently I’m a 34 bpm resting heart rate guy now. New lifetime PR. What’s the lowest resting heart rate you’ve ever recorded?

One of the best parts of my life is that my girlfriend is also my best friend. We live together, spend practically all our free time together, and somehow I still get excited about the days when we have absolutely nothing planned. And even then, I wish we had more time.

83 days until the Houston Marathon. 45 min easy on Zwift followed by 6 easy miles off the bike. I asked you guys if you actually wanted daily training updates or just the interesting workouts. You overwhelmingly voted for daily. So I guess that means you’re also signing up for days like today where I have absolutely nothing interesting to report. A little more volume and some faster running coming this week👀

Friendly reminder that your Strava marathon PR isn’t necessarily your actual marathon PR. My Chicago Marathon: Strava PR: 2:33:28 Official time: 2:34:49 As much as I’d love to claim the faster time, I can’t. Your marathon PR is the time you actually crossed the finish line in, not the fastest 26.2 miles your watch recorded.

Starting to think I may have severely overestimated the number of women who follow me on here