Running is a great metaphor for a lot of things, especially writing.

As a writing coach who’s training for my first marathon (Chicago Marathon 2022, baby!), I see parallels all over the place.

Often it can be helpful to get a fresh perspective on our writing lives, and I think running offers some really helpful guidance here.

So, here are my five running tips . . . for writers!

1. Consistency Is Not Necessarily What You Think It Is

My running coaches, Phil Mosley and his team at MyProCoach, make a point of saying not to worry too much if I miss a workout or a run.

“It’s not the end of the world if you don’t complete ALL of the workouts,” Phil Mosley shared in an email. “To be honest, not that many people complete 100% of their plans (myself included). And not because they’re lazy.

“It’s just that life gets in the way sometimes and you won’t always get the opportunity to exercise.”

As a writing coach, I say very similar things to writers. Don’t worry about missing a writing session. Your writing career will not sink or swim based on a few missed sessions.

Phil Mosley again: “It’s completely normal. . . Missing a session or two, now and then, is no big deal.

“We all have jobs, families, responsibilities and commitments. Plus, we all get tired or ill sometimes.”

What’s true for runners is true for writers. Crises and extenuating circumstances are to be expected, as is being tired every once and a while!

But here’s the golden nugget in Phil’s advice: “The important thing to remember is that no single workout will make or break your training (whether you complete it or not). It’s more about what you do consistently, over a longer period.”

That’s it, writers. Hitting every planned writing session is not the point. “It’s more about what you do consistently, over a long period.”

We’re in a volume game. Show up as often as you can. Don’t sweat it if you miss a session. Just get back to your writing chair, if at all possible, the next day. If not, shoot for the next day.

AJ Harper says in her wonderful book, Write a Must-Read, that  your first draft is just math. A typical nonfiction manuscript is 50,000 words, so your first draft should be about 60,000 words because you’ll likely cut quite a bit. Divide 60,000 by how many words you plan to write in a session, and you have how many sessions it’ll take. If you keep at it, you’ll get there eventually. It’s just math.

2. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

This is not my first attempt training for a marathon.

That was last year, when I came down with a calf injury and had to settle for a half-marathon.

When the injury happened, I made an appointment with my physical therapist (shout out to Dr. Jason Ross at Train Out Pain in Grand Rapids, MI). He examined my injury, figured out how much training I’d be able to do before the marathon, and delivered the bad news.

He told me I could run the half, but running the full marathon would be risking permanent injury, which he had seen happen with other runners.

These poor folks are no longer able to run, which is something they really enjoyed doing. Listen, I wanted to run a marathon really bad last year, but it wasn’t worth losing the ability to run altogether!

This year I made an appointment early in my training. Dr. Ross gave me some exercises to help keep injury at bay, and I feel much better prepared for the marathon this year.

Writers, ask for help! Definitely ask for it when you get stuck, but better yet, ask for it before you really need it.

One word of caution here. Be careful who you ask. It’s important to seek out someone who has some experience. Ideally, they’d have some expertise with the kind of book you’re writing. The only thing worse than no advice is the wrong advice, so be sure to do your due diligence here.

Photo by Brian Erickson on Unsplash

3. Find Things to Enjoy

This morning I put in a 40-minute strength-training workout of squats, lunges, push-ups, and more. Tomorrow I’ll do a 48-minute run that involves running up and down a hill multiple times. Next I get a day of recovery before my long run for the week, which will last 2 hours and 15 minutes.

It’s tough work, which may be why less than 1 percent of Americans have completed a marathon.

How many people have written a book? In one study, while half of respondents said they had an idea for a novel, only 8 percent had finished one. According to a self-identified scientist in a forum I visited, the actual figure of people who’ve completed a book is somewhere around one-third of 1 percent. Suffice to say, it’s a small number.

And it’s no wonder. Like training for a marathon, writing a book is really hard!

What to do with all this? Well, one thing running has taught me is to enjoy the process.

The right tools help. For example, I love my new running shoes (Brooks Ghost, ftw), and I just purchased a nice lightweight running hat that protects me from the sun. On my long runs I need this special gel stuff to get enough calories.

These items make my runs a lot more enjoyable, and the right writing tools make a big difference too. Your writing is worth some investments. To wit:

• A good computer, laptop, or Chromebook can make a huge difference.
• An inspiring book to read (here’s one I’d recommend)
• Journal (I bought this one on Etsy a while back and love it! Mine says “Every Step Matters” on the front.)
• A favorite pen (here’s mine)
• Ergonomic keyboard (here’s mine)
• Airpods!
• Coffee!

I asked writers via social media what their favorite tools are, and quite a few showed up with suggestions! Here are the threads on Facebook and Twitter. One of my favorite responses read simply “a door I can close.” Ha!

While running, I try to keep my eyes open for things to photograph. I remember seeing two or three turtles on a single run! And one time I saw this massive caterpillar that intercepted my path. When I stop to take pics, I’m lowering my average pace for the run, but I don’t care! The pics are worth it.

When writing we can be so hell-bent on a goal that we forget to enjoy what we’re doing. Especially when the words are coming, remember to enjoy it.

4. Pay Attention to the Rest of Life

If I go into a run sleep-deprived, it won’t go nearly as well as when I’m well rested.

And nutrition is also key. I struggle with this one, but I know that if I lose a few a pounds, I would definitely feel better on the pavement.

I don’t run in a vacuum, and neither do authors write in a vacuum. I’m convinced that the better we live, the better we’ll write. How can you take care of yourself this week?

5. Success Is More Likely and Definitely More Fun in Community

I’m part of several running communities:

• The Chicago marathoners who are running for the Arthritis Foundation
• The “2022 Chicago Marathon Runners Unite” Facebook group.
• The community that uses the same coaching company I use
• My Strava community
• And probably others I’m forgetting

These communities give me a place to ask questions and encourage others. Basically they keep me from feeling alone on this journey, which is so important for my mindset.

I have a friend who says that when it comes most things worth doing, “You alone can do this, but you can’t do it alone.” There’s a lot of wisdom here.

When it comes to writing, I encourage you to pick a community or two or more. There are so many different writing groups out there, both virtual and in-person, that can help you along the path. Plus, they need your help!

This is one of if not the primary reason I started BookCamp. I wanted to bring together an awesome group of writers whom I could serve and who could help each other out as well. If you don’t already have a community or you’re looking for another one, I hope you’ll consider it!

Whether or not you’re a runner, I’m confident if show up consistently, ask for help when you need it, enjoy the process, bring a whole-life perspective to your writing, and engage with a community of fellow writers, you’ll be both happier and more productive!

Question: Which of these running-to-writing parallels was most helpful to you? You can leave a comment by clicking here.