100 DAYS
OF FREEDOM

Words by Andy Waterman
Photography by Emily Maye

As offspring of the late 20th century, we’re inclined to hold the belief that we crave freedom above everything else. Destiny is a dirty word, we refuse to be pigeon-holed, and we wholesale reject the notion of routine. We’ve come to believe in a definition of freedom that states that doing whatever you want, whenever you want is life’s ultimate goal. We’ve even created our own mythology around this notion - there’s a reason instagram influencers who never wake up in the same bed two days in a row or wear the same outfit twice amass hundreds of thousands of followers, and The Four Hour Work Week remains a bestseller a decade after its release. 

Pity those poor drones for whom life is an endless cycle of wake/work/eat/sleep – because what is life without endless, blinding novelty?

And yet, here we are, just under 100 days from this spring’s big marathons, and the most exciting thing in my life right now is the spreadsheet I’m using to map out the next 14 weeks of training. I may have been exposed to the same propaganda as every other Gen-Xer and Millennial, but deep down, my prehistoric brain is endlessly searching for the space that habit creates. Whether you’re a runner or not, there’s a lot to be said for routine: when your body knows that 10pm is bed time and (kids/disaster permitting) there’s no need to move until 7am you sleep better; when you know that Mondays are a recovery day, Tuesdays are for track and the rest of the week follows a familiar pattern, there’s no need to think about what you could or should do today. When routine takes care of the basics, space opens up to allow you exercise your critical faculties elsewhere.

Approach marathon training with the right attitude and the routine of laying down miles upon miles becomes a place of greater freedom than any endless quest for stimulation. I’m excited to see where all these miles take me, but more than anything, I’m excited to experience the space created by the routine that surrounds those miles.

Savour these 100 days - they’ll be among the best of the year.

100 Days is the perfect time to get serious about the marathon. Document your training in the 100 Days Training Log or join us in Boston or London for 100 Days of training, recuperating, and inspiration.