Matt’s Mix Tape, Vol. 142

May 6, 2022

Hi, I’m Matt Tillotson, and this is Matt’s Mix Tape: ideas on using writing and exercise to remix ourselves in middle life.

This week’s Mix:

In defense of slow running
Fight negative impulses with urge surfing
Check in on the quiet
This week’s Florida photo

In defense of slow running

Time to come clean.

On non-lifting days, I’ve integrated slow running back into my walks.

Last Saturday I did this:

Nine miles. Almost all a slower jog.

I took a year off from running. But getting that slow burn back has been great—with some changes.

Going as slow as I damn well please

Just puttering along at 9:30-ish per mile, firmly in a Zone 2 pace. Zone 2 cardio benefits:

Longevity
Brain health
Aging
Fat burning

A good rule of thumb for Zone 2 exercise: it’s harder work than a normal walk, but you can still carry on a conversation.

Maintaining sprint work

A twice-a-week, short-and-miserable sprint routine on a stationary bike:

30 seconds max effort
20 second recovery
6 rounds

Higher-end cardio is still important. I usually do this right before a run.

Hip flexor work

Running made my hip flexors tighter than Kenny Loggins’ face. But this short yoga routine makes a big difference:

Experiment. Evolve. Advance.

Humans are not static. Our fitness routines should not be, either.

Fight negative impulses with urge surfing

Urge surfing has many applications for modifying our negative behaviors:

Urge surfing is not only used with addictions, but with any coping behavior that results in a short-term decrease in suffering, but exacerbates our pain in the long run.

A useful tool for eating junk food, for example.

Or from uncoupling a negative behavior from a neutral one., e.g. the impulse to pound beers while watching football.)

We learn to notice the urge, and then mentally surf the emotional wave—without acting on it—as it crests and wanes.

Here are the five steps to become an effective urge surfer.

Check in on the quiet

Lockdowns have subsided but many people still struggle mentally and emotionally.

This week I wrote a tribute thread to one of my favorite online writers, Josh Humphrey.

Matt Tillotson @matttillotson

When my daughters were younger, Disney World was our weekend refuge. We laughed, ate, and played. We navigated the occasional meltdown. (Theirs, not mine. Mostly.) I became a Disney ninja, navigating the parks with purpose and precision. Josh was my Disney Sensei.

Josh wrote with razor-sharp wit, vibrant descriptions, and classified-level Disney insights. His writing helped me create family memories. And reading his work made me a better writer.

He passed away in March.

Think of someone you haven’t heard from in awhile. An old friend. Maybe a former co-worker. Drop them a note or give them a call.

You never know what difference you might make.