Field Notes
Notes from the field.
Training notes for solo runners. Written nightly, in silence.
Oct 1, 2026
What incline should I run on a treadmill?
Set the treadmill to 1% incline to match outdoor effort. Go higher only on purpose, and only after you know what the extra percent costs you.
Sep 30, 2026
How to start running without telling anyone
You do not need an announcement, a goal race, or a support crew to become a runner. You need a plan, shoes, and the ability to keep it to yourself.
Sep 29, 2026
How to breathe while running
Breathing while running is not a special technique. It is regular breathing, slightly faster, done through the opening that gives you the most air.
Sep 28, 2026
How to pace a 5K by yourself
A solo 5K is not a social event. Here is how to distribute your effort across three point one miles without a crowd, a rabbit, or anyone to impress.
Sep 27, 2026
How to warm up before a run
A warm-up is not stretching in the driveway while your neighbor watches. It is a short, easy progression that raises your temperature, moves blood into your legs, and makes the actual run safer.
Sep 26, 2026
How to keep a running log without sharing it
A running log does not need an audience to be useful. Keep the record private, keep the streak honest, and let the work speak to the only person it matters to.
Sep 25, 2026
What is a good 5K time?
A deadpan answer to the most common finishing-time question in running: what counts as good depends on age, sex, and experience, not a single number.
Sep 24, 2026
Do you need a running watch?
No. A watch is useful, but it is not required. The real question is what data actually improves your running, and whether you can get it without another subscription.
Sep 23, 2026
How to track your runs without an app
A running log does not need a feed, a leaderboard, or permission to send push notifications. Here is how to keep one that actually belongs to you.
Sep 22, 2026
What is the 80/20 rule in running?
Most of your running should be easy. The 80/20 rule is not a personality type; it is a dose-response pattern that keeps the hard days hard and the rest of the week honest.
Sep 20, 2026
How to run without getting out of breath
If you can't finish a sentence while running, you're running too fast. Here's why breathlessness happens and how to train yourself out of it.
Sep 19, 2026
How to start running again after a break
Time off is not a failure. The mistake is pretending the break didn't happen and picking up exactly where you left off. Here is the honest way back.
Sep 18, 2026
How to stay motivated to run alone
The usual advice is to join a group, download an app, or announce your goals. For the runner who prefers silence, motivation works differently.
Sep 17, 2026
How to build a weekly running schedule
A beginner's week needs three to four runs, one harder session, and enough rest to let the body adapt. Here is how to arrange them without a coach or a team.
Sep 16, 2026
How to run a mile without stopping
A continuous mile is a useful early milestone. The safest way to reach it is not to force it, but to shrink planned walk breaks until they disappear.
Sep 15, 2026
Couch to 5K without an app
You can reach a continuous 5K without a program in your phone, a leaderboard, or a coach messaging you. You just need a simple nine-week plan and a way to time your intervals.
Sep 14, 2026
How often should a beginner run?
Three times a week, with at least one rest day between sessions. More is not better at the start; it is just a faster route to soreness and quitting.
Sep 13, 2026
Do you have to post your runs?
No. Sharing is optional, and for some runners it quietly undermines the habit. Here's the difference between a run you did and a run you performed for an audience.
Sep 12, 2026
How to calculate your running pace
Your pace is your time divided by your distance. Here is how to do the math, read the splits, and avoid the common traps — no app required.
Sep 11, 2026
How to start running without an app
A paper-and-shoes approach to the first month of running. No account, no notifications, no leaderboard. Just a plan, a watch, and the door.
Sep 10, 2026
What is a tempo run?
A tempo run is a sustained block of running at threshold pace — the effort you could hold for about an hour. It is not a race. It just feels like one for twenty minutes.
Sep 9, 2026
How long should my first run be?
Shorter than you think. Most people fail at running because their first session is too long, not because they are unfit. Here is the honest starting point.
Sep 8, 2026
Is it better to run alone or with a group?
A deadpan comparison for runners trying to choose. Groups have advantages. Solitude has others. The right answer depends on what you need from the run.
Sep 7, 2026
How to stop running too fast
The common beginner mistake of running every session at maximum effort. Here is the science of polarized training, explained for people who run alone.
Sep 6, 2026
How slow should easy runs be? (Slower.)
The most common mistake in solo running is running easy runs too fast. Here is the science of the easy pace and how to actually hit it.
Sep 4, 2026
Zone 2 running for beginners
How to train in Zone 2 without a lab or a coach. The straight science of aerobic base building for the solo runner.
Aug 31, 2026
Is running alone safe? (Tips for solo runners)
The reality of running alone: how to manage risk without becoming paranoid. Direct advice for those who prefer their runs without company.
Aug 29, 2026
How slow should easy runs be? (Slower.)
The answer to the most common question in running: how slow is slow enough for an easy run? The answer is usually slower than you think.
Aug 28, 2026
How to plan running routes solo
Effective route planning for the runner who doesn't want company. No heatmaps, no 'popular' trails, just a method for finding quiet roads.
Aug 25, 2026
The Loop Generator: Avoiding the Boredom of Solo Running
How to design training routes that don't feel like a treadmill, without using an app to tell you where to turn. Simple geometry for the solo runner.
Aug 24, 2026
How many calories do I burn running?
The math of running calories explained. No guesswork, just MET values and body mass. Here is how it actually works.
Aug 23, 2026
The talk test: pacing with no watch
The most reliable way to pace your runs without a watch or heart rate monitor. Simple, scientifically sound, and entirely solitary.
Aug 22, 2026
Age grading: the fairest number in running
How to compare your 5K time to every other runner in history, regardless of age or gender. Science, not hope.
Aug 21, 2026
What your VDOT number actually means
A deadpan explanation of VDOT, oxygen uptake, and why your predicted race times are probably wrong. No hype, just physiology.
Aug 20, 2026
Running alone: the complete guide
Everything you need to know about running solo. Safety, psychology, and the mechanical advantage of ignoring other people.
Aug 19, 2026
Couch to 5K on a treadmill
Yes, you can do a beginner 5K plan entirely on a treadmill. Set 1% incline, run by minutes not distance, and ignore everyone else in the gym.
Aug 19, 2026
The run/walk method is not cheating
Run/walk intervals get beginners to a 5K with fewer injuries and often faster finish times than running straight through. The math and the method.
Aug 19, 2026
Nobody kudos'd my run: a manifesto
I ran eight kilometers this morning and zero people know. A manifesto for running without an audience, and a log that keeps the only score that matters.
Aug 19, 2026
Zone 2 for people who run alone
What zone 2 actually is, how to find yours with nothing but a heart rate and some honesty, and why it feels insultingly slow. That's the point.
Aug 16, 2026
The Solo 5K Protocol, explained
A nine-week plan from nothing to a 30-minute run — no group, no app, no coordination with other humans. Here's exactly how it works and why.