the morning shakeout | issue 530
Swimming in uncertainty, not making excuses, the responsibility of being yourself, and a lot more.
Good morning! As I do every year on New Year’s Day, last Thursday I read this now 67-year-old letter that a then 22-year-old Hunter S. Thompson wrote to his friend Hume Logan in response to a request for life advice. It’s my annual reminder that “the goal is absolutely secondary: it is the functioning toward the goal which is important,” and “as your experiences differ and multiply, you become a different man, and hence your perspective changes.” Every time I read this missive, however, a different part of it ends up jumping out at me, and this year was no exception. At the very end of the letter Thompson writes, “I’m not trying to send you out ‘on the road’ in search of Valhalla, but merely pointing out that it is not necessary to accept the choices handed down to you by life as you know it. There is more to it than that — no one HAS to do something he doesn’t want to do for the rest of his life. But then again, if that’s what you wind up doing, by all means convince yourself that you HAD to do it. You’ll have lots of company.” I think this closing paragraph smacked me in the face because it reminded me of a Sylvia Plath quote about being yourself that I saw for the first time two days before. (N.B. You can read Plath’s quote for yourself, along with my reflections on it, in “the bottom line” at the end of this issue.) Thompson and Plath are both suggesting that you don’t have to accept the status quo and/or just go with the flow. The path to discovering true meaning is one you chart yourself, even though you have no idea where you’ll ultimately end up. You have to be willing to “swim in uncertainty,” as HST puts it. So as we dive headfirst into 2026 and start going after goals and making life changes and being ambitious about this, that, and other things, by all means convince yourself that you CAN do it your way, whether you have lots of company or not.
Before we get right to it…
To kick off the new year, I thought it might be helpful to do a brief re-introduction for those of you who aren’t that familiar with me or my work here. I’m Mario Fraioli, and I’ve been writing the morning shakeout since late 2015 as a place to think out loud through the lens of my life as an athlete, coach, and former journalist. Every Tuesday I share a few brief reflections on things I’ve experienced, observed, read, watched, or listened to. Often these have to do with running, training, and/or coaching, but I also regularly mix in other worthwhile topics that interest me such as philosophy, photography, leadership, creativity, coffee, physical and mental health, music, and more. Like a true shakeout run, the idea is to keep it relatively short and intentional: conversational, contemplative, and an invitation to explore further if you want. However you choose to engage, whether you reply to this email, comment below a post on the website, or just read quietly at your own speed, my hope is that most weeks you’ll find something here that resonates, informs, entertains, or inspires you in a meaningful way. Thank you so much for joining me.
Quick Splits
— We’re less than a week into 2026 but this story of Logan Knowles running last November’s New York City Marathon, told by the incomparable Casey Neistat, might be the best short film you watch this year, or for years to come. Knowles, who has cerebral palsy, ran New York without an assistive device. As a kid he was told that he’d be in a wheelchair the rest of his life, a sentence he refused to accept. Dude has learned to walk, ski, drive a car, and yes, run 26.2 miles despite the fact he was fighting his body the entire way. (For example, Knowles had to change his shoes three times during the race because he wears through the toe every few miles.) Watching him hug his mom at the 20-mile mark, the fatigue, pain, and emotion just pouring off his face, was one of the most raw scenes I’ve seen in recent memory. At that point of the race the muscles in his back were so compressed that he was having trouble standing up, worrying everyone around him. His mom, concerned as any parent would be in that particular moment, told him he could stop and that no one would think any less of him. Knowles was having none of it. He found a way to the finish line. So what was that excuse for the thing you wanted to do?
+ Whatever you’re aiming to do this year, there’s no better time than now to commit to doing it consistently. It’s as simple as that. I’ve shared this 30-day “practice and suck less” challenge from Austin Kleon before and it’s a good way to start stringing days together—running, writing, music, drawing, kindness, whatever!—and keep yourself accountable. It can be as serious or as silly as you want. Case in point: I suck at pushups, so I decided that every day in January I’ll do at least 50 of them. (I’m at 290 in total as of EOD yesterday.) At the end of the month, I won’t be great at them, but I’ll suck a little less and that will feel good.
— I recorded this podcast with my friend Brendan Leonard nearly three years ago, but he just released it for the first time the other day. (Hey, genius takes time!) We spoke about the books, blogs, music, art, and other creative works that have helped shape my life. (Including the aforementioned letter from HST!) This is truly one of my most favorite conversations I’ve ever had and I’m excited that it’s finally out in the world. One quick heads up before you hit play, though: You might want to slow it down to 0.75 speed for your listening pleasure. My audio settings were off at the time we recorded this and the end result is me sounding like fast-talking, high-pitched chipmunk. (If nothing else, keep it at normal speed and have a fun laugh at my expense.)
— This post from longtime runner and writer Sarah Lavender Smith about choosing to undergo bilateral explant surgery last month rather than re-do the breast implants she got 22 years ago is incredibly personal, vulnerable, and brave. She writes candidly about struggling with body image, societal expectations, and the process of accepting herself for who she is, not who others might expect her to be or look like. Her words echo the themes I share at the beginning and end of this issue of the newsletter: being yourself and doing things your own way. “And you know what?” she writes. “It feels easier to give the finger to appearance expectations as I age. At long last, I’m letting go, bit by bit, of caring about being attractive in the eyes of others. I feel more secure in my peer group, community, and body in my mid-fifties than early forties. The rebel in me shouts fuck this! I am not playing that game of pleasing anyone else, trying to look like anyone else, or needing anyone’s admiration anymore.”
— Jinghuan Liu Tervalon has been crushing the profiles lately and her latest feature on Christian Cushing-murray and his 44-year streak of sub-5 minute miles is my favorite one yet. I first became aware of “Cush” at least 10 years ago when he would come down to San Diego and clean house in the Masters division of the Carlsbad 5000. Over the past few years I’ve seen him somewhat regularly at various races representing the Cal Coast Track Club, most recently at the 2024 U.S. Masters Road Mile Championships, where we all hung out for a while afterward. Hell of a racer and an even nicer guy. Last month Cush ran 4:55 for the mile at the age of 58, meaning he’s gone sub-5 at least once every year since 1982! (Which, coincidentally enough, was the year I was born.) It’s now the longest known streak of sub-5 miles in history, bettering the previous 43-year record held by Steve Spence. A few decades ago Cush went sub-4 six years in a row, and his personal best, set at the 1995 Prefontaine Classic, is 3:55.42. So what’s his secret to running at a high level for a very long time? Good mechanics, he admits, four-plus decades of consistent training, and the curiosity to see what’s still possible despite the fact that he’s getting older and slowing down. In other words: an example we should all try to emulate, regardless of how old we are. “Cush is the living example of an old runners’ maxim: Running isn’t a sport; it’s a lifestyle. Year after year, while the rest of us old fogies take time off to get out-of-shape, or to nurse injuries, or just to do something else for a change, Cush keeps it going: training, eating right, and staying race ready,” says Pete Magill, a living legend in his own right. “He fights through the injuries. He ignores the frustration that comes from slowing down year after year.”
— James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” has long been one of my favorite songs, and this rendition from the Grand Ole Opry last November might be the best I’ve ever heard. He released it in 1970 when he was just 22 years old, but listening to him sing this timeless tune at 77 feels like how it was always meant to be performed. Taylor’s as smooth as ever on the guitar, but you can hear the last 55 years in his voice, especially when he sings, “My body’s aching and my time is at hand,” lingering on that line with a slower, more deliberate cadence. (Reminds me a bit of when Johnny Cash covered “Hurt,” written by Trent Reznor: even though it wasn’t his song, that version of it felt the most true.)
— From the archives (Issue 373, 2 years ago this week): John Wooden, best known for his team’s winning ways as the men’s basketball coach at UCLA, was my first coaching hero. I read a couple of his books in high school and was obsessed with the lessons and wisdom he imparted upon his players (or anyone who would listen, really). Here he is in a 2001 TED Talk—he must have been 90 at the time—discussing the difference between winning and succeeding. Even in this on-stage environment, at this advanced age, Coach Wooden has such a presence about him that you can’t help but hang on every word. “That’s what really matters: if you make an effort to do the best you can regularly, the results will be about what they should be,” he says. “Not necessarily what you’d want them to be but they’ll be about what they should; only you will know whether you can do that. And that’s what I wanted from them more than anything else.”
I’m thrilled to share that the morning shakeout will continue to be supported by New Balance, Tracksmith, and Precision Fuel & Hydration in 2026, all brands that have missions I believe in and products that I trust and use myself on a regular basis. Check out some of the discount codes and special offers available exclusively to readers of the morning shakeout below:
Tracksmith: Tracksmith is an independent running brand inspired by a deep love of the sport. This new film that highlights the beauty of sticking to a year-round routine really resonated with me and was the perfect shot of inspiration to kick off 2026.
New Balance: I’ve been fortunate to have a partnership with New Balance since 2020 (and have been running in their shoes a lot longer than that). In any given week I run in 3-4 different types of shoes, which is a privilege I don’t take for granted. Here’s my rotation of different models of New Balance shoes I use for various types of runs.
Precision Fuel & Hydration: I’ve been a devotee to Precision Fuel & Hydration products since 2017 and my last several marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalized race nutrition plan for your next event. As a reader of the morning shakeout, you can get 15% off your first order of fuel and electrolytes at this link (the discount will be auto-applied at checkout).
Workout of the Week: Crazy 8s
It’s hard to go wrong with 800m repeats. Do them fast enough and you’ll stay pretty sharp; do enough of them and the strength gains will take you a long way. An example of a pretty standard session many coaches will assign their athletes consists of six reps at 5K pace with 2 to 2-1/2 minutes recovery in between, or maybe 10 reps at 10K pace with two minutes recovery between the two-lap intervals—you get the idea. These workouts will help you build the specific strength you need for race day, practice getting your pacing down, and improve your overall efficiency. Every once in a while, however, I like to throw my athletes a curveball and have them switch gears halfway through, running the final 400m a few seconds faster than the first. Learn why (and how) right here.
The bottom line.
“It’s a hell of a responsibility to be yourself. It’s much easier to be somebody else or nobody at all.”
— Sylvia Plath, American poet and author. (Christine and I watched “Jay Kelly” over the break and this quote kicked off the film. I wrote it down in my notebook and spent some time afterward ruminating on it.) Whether it’s running, writing, or some other area of life, being yourself requires being present and accountable, even when it’s uncomfortable and/or inconvenient. You have to consistently act with intention and own your decisions, which, as Plath says, is a hell of a responsibility! It’s a hard path and not everyone wants to travel it. The alternative—i.e., following someone else’s lead, trying to blend in, sitting out, or at best passively participating—asks a lot less of you, but doesn’t give you as much back, either.
That’s it for Issue 530. If you enjoyed it, please forward this email to a likeminded friend (or 5!) and encourage them to subscribe at this link so the next issue goes straight to their inbox.
Thanks for reading,
Mario
One of the best Shakeouts in a while!! Thank you for continuing to put out some great information Mario!
"Let’s assume that you think you have a choice of eight paths to follow (all pre-defined paths, of course). And let’s assume that you can’t see any real purpose in any of the eight. THEN— and here is the essence of all I’ve said— you MUST FIND A NINTH PATH." -- Hunter S. Thompson