Writer's Block

And how it applies to training

Hey friends,

Welp. It’s been a minute. Our last newsletter was a little on the heavy side, and then… we sort of disappeared. Not because we didn’t want to write again, we did. We DO. But after that one went out, we kind of hit a wall. Full-on writer’s block.

Each morning we’d be like, “Okay, today’s the day. Let’s get back at it.” And then, like clockwork, life would roll in and sweep us off course. You know the drill: projects, travel, dishes, dogs, existential crises… suddenly it’s 10pm and we’re like, “Oh yeah… the newsletter.”

We knew we just needed to start. That it didn’t have to be perfect or profound or even long. But every time we tried to write, we blanked. So instead of forcing it, we let our brains go wherever they needed to go, which was usually toward a run or time outside on the ranch.

But it got us thinking: writer’s block is a lot like a training block.

And not the kind of “training block” where you’re building toward a race and logging all your workouts. We’re talking about the other kind. The kind where something, maybe big, maybe subtle, knocks you off your routine. One day you’re moving along, and the next…you’re not. The run doesn’t happen. Then it doesn’t happen again. Days pass. Maybe weeks. Maybe longer.

And every morning you wake up thinking, “Today I’ll get back to it.” But life’s busy. Work’s nuts. Someone’s got pink eye. The dog throws up. And before you know it, it’s bedtime and the only thing you’ve run is out of patience.

Sound familiar?

That was us with this Substack. We’d been out of the groove long enough that it started to feel weird trying to get back in. Even though we wanted to, even though we knew it’d feel good once we did, it just felt awkward. Like, baby giraffe on rollerblades awkward. But that’s part of starting again. It’s clunky. It’s uncomfortable. You’re a little rusty. Your brain forgets how to string thoughts together. Your legs forget how to run a hill without cussing (or maybe crying). But you start anyway.

That’s really all you can do. Say “screw it” and start. You don’t have to crush it or feel amazing right away. You just have to begin. And then, keep showing up. It gets easier. Eventually it becomes a thing you do again, like brushing your teeth (which we hope is also something you’re doing again).

So here we are. Writing again. Rusty, rambly, but back. And if you’ve been in your own version of a block—whether it’s running, writing, meditating, creating, calling your grandma, then consider this a gentle nudge.

It’s not too late. It never is.
Just start. Coffee helps.