Tuesday, June 16, 2026 – Farm Fitness

Hi Gang!

Is it just me or are the weeks whizzing by right now? Remember the January that lasted for 3 months? We’re making up with it with a June that is lasting only days! Speaking of which, we’re already at (or almost at) the summer solstice, and as per tradition we will celebrate tonight with the famed and well-loved Ekiden relay race on the Spit. If you’re not part of a team, come out and cheer! The races start at 7pm. We have three Lower East Siders teams and there will be runners from clubs all across the city celebrating by running together. And wear your LES gear! There are always great photo opps.

Lately I’ve been thinking about “background” fitness. Things that make us robust that aren’t running, and maybe can’t necessarily be tracked and recorded. Nor should they be. I remember listening to a coach speaking about weightlifting for high school athletes. He said that back in the day, they didn’t have to do much because the kids were “farm strong”. I’m not sure if they all necessarily lived on farms, but their everyday lives included enough physical activity and strength building that they were robust. Fast forward 30-40 years, and the kids he saw didn’t do much other physical activity than running, and they did in fact need to incorporate strength work because they were generally weaker just because of their lifestyles.

I think about this at times. As I’d mentioned in my last post, there is a running boom happening. I think there is a corresponding lack-of-movement boom which may be why people are seeking out running. I’m not shaming or blaming anyone. We have no time. So we order everything to come to our door. If we can, some of us outsource our cleaning and yard work. It’s always faster to drive than to walk or bike. And also we’re tired, and none of these things moves us directly towards our goals of running a marathon. In the winter time especially I become aware of how little I can move if I don’t run or go to the gym. I don’t walk for fun – in fact I actively avoid it because I hate being cold and don’t love slipping all over the place.

But I do still have to do the grocery shopping, and as I heave each bin out of my car one at a time and carry it through the garage and wobble through the backyard and hoist it onto the counter, arms burning, core engaged, only to return for the next one, I think: “once I stop doing this, I will never start again”. So I don’t ask for help or look for a more convenient way because I know that in 20 or so years I probably won’t have the choice. In the summer, if I have the time or don’t have the car, I walk to the grocery store with a knapsack (it’s always groceries with me). And I inevitably end up with more than I’d planned and I walk home under the strain of a bulging knapsack and a bag in each hand – not unlike the farmer carries that people replicate in the gym. I don’t do this for any other reason than that I can. I certainly don’t count it as “training” or log it in any way. Same with my footsteps. Some days are just very active days and I end up walking a lot. None of this counts towards anything other than “farm fitness”. Just a slightly higher baseline and strength than if I sat all day. So I guess you could say there is summer-Me (farm fit) and winter-Me (the only activities I do are planned and tracked).

My point is, these little background things add up. I’ve actually even started to add walking to peoples’ running logs because going for a 60 minute walk DOES help your overall strength and fitness. Back in the day they used to train for marathons only by walking. We now know how to get more fit more efficiently – in fact we know how to do everything more efficiently. And that means we’ve cut the inefficient stuff out. And much of that was our background fitness. So reintroduce the slow, boring, manual labour, effortful tasks. No, you can’t track them or put them in your log. But they will make you stronger.

On to tomorrow’s workout – Hills + Tempo! If you’re running the Ekiden, that is your workout! You can do a social or light tempo if legs feeling ok. Riverdale crew we’ll do Riverdale hills! Sets of 3 x hill followed by 5 min tempo. Or just jog and cheer. I will plan to be there but make a game day decision how I feel. Beach crew, 3 x short hill followed by 5 min tempo. Up to 3 sets.

See y’all tonight!

Seanna