Running
Regular running, from a short daily loop up to ultramarathon distance
Miles on road or trail, anywhere from a daily few to full ultramarathon training. Most people here treat it as their aerobic base, and it needs nothing beyond shoes and a door. How they describe it varies wildly: a meditative hour for some, a daily fight for others who say they hate every step and go anyway. Injury risk climbs with volume, so mileage tends to be built slowly and paired with strength and mobility work.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- David GogginsDoes it
Retired Navy SEAL · Can't Hurt Me
Still runs daily and says it sucks. Several knee surgeries mean the first 20 minutes of every run are a limp, by his own account, and he keeps going because the body has not yet said he cannot.
Source: Huberman Lab: David Goggins: How to Build Immense Inner Strength - Nick BareDoes it
Hybrid athlete · Bare Performance Nutrition founder
Swore off running when he left the military, then signed up for the 2018 Austin Marathon anyway. On his own training page he traces the line from a first attempt he struggled to bring in under four hours to a 2:48 best, 100-mile races including Leadville, and an Ironman finish.
Source: Nick Bare: Hybrid Athlete Training“When I transitioned out of the military, I vividly remember saying, "I will never run a day in my life again." If you know anything about me, you know that this did not last long.”
Nick Bare: Hybrid Athlete Training (opens in a new tab) - Ray MakerDoes it
Sports tech reviewer · DC Rainmaker
Ran a mile in spring 2006 and nearly collapsed, he writes, having not run for about ten years. Four or five months later he finished the Marine Corps Marathon in 4:23, losing roughly 60 pounds along the way, and two years after that ran Philadelphia in 2:54.
Source: dcrainmaker.com: About Me - Ryan HolidayDoes it
Writer · The Daily Stoic
Runs the burned-out trails at Bastrop State Park or the seven and ten mile loops along Lady Bird Lake in Austin, lately in the mornings. His reasoning is that writing goes badly more often than it goes well, and a run almost always goes well.
Source: RyanHoliday.net: You Need This Practice In Your Life - Sahil BloomDoes it
Author · The 5 Types of Wealth
In 2024 he logged 1,531 miles across 218 runs, peaking at 296 miles in August during the marathon build. His second marathon came out at 2:53:38, four minutes faster than his first.
Source: The Curiosity Chronicle: 8 Lessons From a Marathon That Have Nothing to Do With Running“I started running in March 2023 as a new challenge. I set an ambitious goal to run a sub 3-hour marathon within 6 months of starting to train. 1,200 miles of grueling training later, I got it done on September 10 in Erie, Pennsylvania, running a 2:57:31.”
sahilbloom.com: About Sahil Bloom (opens in a new tab) - Pavel TsatsoulineRecommends
Strength coach · StrongFirst
Running in his version gets interrupted. Shadow box, then stop every so many phone poles for a pistol squat or a couple of one-arm push-ups, no rest and only a rep or two. He describes this roadwork as adding the high-force component missing from steady cardio, and says plainly that it does not replace dedicated strength training.
Source: StrongFirst: StrongFirst Roadwork
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under fitness, stress or energy.
- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Swimming
Lap swimming as low-impact cardio and a reset for the head
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it - HabitFREE, no cost
Daily walking
A long walk most days, often without headphones
On record from 19 of 62 tracked people: 14 do it, 5 recommend it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Resistance training
Lifting weights 2-4 times a week to build and hold muscle
On record from 43 of 62 tracked people: 37 do it, 4 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Deliberate cold exposure
Cold showers or ice baths used deliberately, usually a few minutes at a time
On record from 25 of 62 tracked people: 19 do it, 6 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Zone 2 cardio
Easy aerobic work you can hold a conversation through, 3+ hours a week
On record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 5 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Cycling
Steady riding, outdoors or on a stationary bike, as daily low-intensity cardio
On record from 9 of 62 tracked people: 9 do it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.