Last night I ran a mile in 5:45. For a 58-year-old man who hadn’t raced on a track in over forty years, that’s a respectable time. In fact, age-graded by World Masters Athletics, it puts me at a 77%, which is a “regional” or “competitive masters” class outcome. Still, I have some disappointment. But before…
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Sex Is the Wrong Question
I was going to write about racing a 1500m run this week, but my track meet was canceled due to smoke from regional wildfires. Instead, I’m sharing a nuanced idea about a controversial topic: trans athletes. It’s really been a hot topic lately, but it’s not new to me. Here’s what’s been going on in…
Get this Warm CurrentTestosterone is an Incomplete Fix for What’s Broken in Men
Testosterone is having a moment. RFK Jr. talks about the president’s testosterone level like it’s some kind of credential. His own assistant secretary of health has been on TRT for a decade and says it’s why he can do his job. Now Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who has built a whole media identity around…
Get this Warm CurrentThe Mile Record + Track’s Club Soccer Problem
You’ve probably read all you ordinarily would about Josh Kerr setting a new world record in the mile. I won’t go into an analysis of the race. But I think you should watch it. Because his ability to break the record while running without the benefit of pacers or anyone pushing him for the last…
Get this Warm CurrentAmnesia Is a (Self)-Love Language
Three people close to me have told me the same thing lately – that I’m too hard on myself. And I’m starting to think that believing them might be the most anti-manosphere thing I can do. One was my boss, one was my oldest daughter, and the third was someone I’ve been talking to about…
Get this Warm CurrentCaulfield is Better Than Clavicular
Hi, Everyone! This week I’m overwhelmed at work as my employer prepares to defend a grant application, but I wanted to share my thoughts on an article I read this week. The piece made me feel gratified, maybe even vindicated, for my unappreciated take on a novel my English class read in high school. Perhaps…
Get this Warm CurrentPresence, Not Performance This Week
I’m writing from southcentral Montana, where I’m taking my daughters to visit the places they heard me talk about spending time in my youth. And it’s just as well, because my running is just not going well. Case in point, I did find a middle school track (clay cinders, just like I ran on in…
Get this Warm CurrentBad News; Worse Feelings
I ran a 1200m time trial this morning, three weeks out from my target mile race. I’ve been building toward this workout for weeks and looking forward to it telling me where I stood. I was confident about the data. I thought I was ready for whatever the data said. I was wrong about the…
Get this Warm CurrentNobody Told Me I Have Friends
This week, I’m sharing an update about the work toward my summer running challenge and how I am seeing my own internal barriers to connection popping up. If you’ve been reading you know my right Achilles is still a problem. Not a catastrophic one, but the kind of thing that quietly colors everything, my mood,…
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Broken body. Broken plans. A trap?
This is the 50th edition of the newsletter. Whether you’ve been reading a week or have been here from the start, I appreciate your readership! Given that this newsletter is about doing the hard work of dealing with – well, life – and doing it in a way that’s healthier than the cultural zeitgeist shows…
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