Anything But Running (ABR)
One of the most common pitfalls I see in runners—both in others and myself—is what I’ve started calling ABR: Anything But Running.
It’s the rabbit hole of obsessing over everything except putting in consistent mileage. Runners chase the latest supplements, dissect every stretching routine, overanalyze shoe choices, debate heart rate zones, and fall in love with flashy new training methods. I’ve been there. I’ve gotten caught up in the whirlwind of hacks and theories, especially with how loud social media is about them.
We live in a time when there’s a new “secret” to better running every week. Creatine, compression boots, lactate testing, super shoes, ketones, double threshold training, chi running, cadence drills, zone 2, zone 1, magnesium, protein, hydration mixes… the list is endless. If you read enough online, it’s easy to feel like there’s always something out there you’re missing.
That fear—that you’re not doing enough—can drive runners to spend their time, money, and energy on anything but actually logging the miles. But the truth is, none of that replaces what matters most.
There’s a quote from Once a Runner that sums it up perfectly:
“What was the secret, they wanted to know; in a thousand different ways they wanted to know The Secret. And not one of them was prepared, truly prepared to believe that it had not so much to do with chemicals and zippy mental tricks as with that most unprofound and sometimes heart-rending process of removing, molecule by molecule, the very tough rubber that comprised the bottoms of his training shoes. The Trial of Miles, Miles of Trials. How could they be expected to understand that?”
That hits. Because I’ve lived it. People always want to know the magic bullet. They come to me asking about this new supplement or that new shoe, or if I think they’re training in the right heart rate zone. And sometimes I just want to tell them: You’re looking in the wrong place.
The secret is, and always has been, the work.
Heart rate obsession is one of the biggest culprits I see today. People talk endlessly about zones and get paralyzed by numbers. But sometimes I’m not even sure what they’re chasing. Is it control? Is it safety? Is it a feeling of doing something “right”? Maybe. But it often pulls focus from the simplest and most effective thing—just going out and running with intention.
Shoes are another huge one.
I worked in running stores for years, and I noticed something: the less someone runs, the more they obsess over every small change in their shoes. A new heel collar, a different foam density, a slightly firmer ride. It becomes an excuse. But most of the high-mileage, consistent runners I know? They don’t stress about it. They find a model that works and they just go. I know people who buy the Pegasus every year, and they don’t think twice. The shoe’s a tool—not a fix.
And supplements?
Don’t get me started. There’s always a new powder or pill that promises better recovery, better gains, better energy. But most of them are a distraction. A way to feel like you’re doing something without doing the hard thing. And yeah, I’ve been there too. I’ve tried the drink mixes and the expensive protein blends and all the fancy recovery stuff. But the best recovery I ever got was during a period in my life when I slept like a baby. No compression boots. No secret formulas. Just sleep.
So why do we chase ABR?
Because we care. We want to improve. And the idea of finding an edge—of doing less and gaining more—is always tempting. But there’s a darker side too. It’s easier to buy a new supplement than to be honest about why you missed a run. It’s easier to blame your progress on the wrong shoes than your lack of consistency.
And it sells. These distractions exist because there’s profit in our insecurity. They tell you that ketones or a new type of gel will change everything—because they want you to buy it. Not because they’ve found some breakthrough and just want to help you out.
What helps me stay focused?
Honestly, experience. I’ve been around long enough to see a million trends come and go. I’ve made the mistakes. I’ve chased the distractions. But when I’ve been most successful—whether that was in college or later on—it was always when I kept the main thing the main thing. Prioritize running. Nail the workouts. Sleep. Recover. Repeat.
I’ve also been lucky to be around good people. Good training partners, good role models. People who’ve shown me what consistent, focused work looks like. And it’s never flashy.
And here’s the thing: there is value in some of this stuff. Nutrition matters. Strength training helps. Heart rate has a place. But those things need to support the running—not replace it. Ask yourself: does this supplement, this routine, this tool actually make me a better runner? Or is it just something to do?
If you’re reading this and you feel like maybe you’ve fallen into ABR mode, that’s okay. I have too. Most of us have. But when you’re ready to hear it, the message is there:
There is no secret.
There is only the work.
And that work is not always sexy. It’s not always new. But it’s the thing that actually moves the needle. The thing that builds confidence, grit, and progress.
The trial of miles. The miles of trials.
That’s still the way.
