Paul Graham running even though he’s not a runner…
There’s this trap I fall into where I keep believing progress should feel good. That getting fitter or sharper means riding a constant high, like I’m the poster child for some Clif Bar ad. But that’s not how your body and usually life work. Let me explain.
Progress isn’t linear. It’s not even a wavy line. It’s more like a janky trail run: you think you’ve hit the summit, only to spot another steeper climb just beyond. Paul Graham, Y-Combinator startup genius, thinker, and essayist, calls this “hill climbing,” and it nails the feeling perfectly. He writes, “When you’re climbing a hill, you tend to stop when you reach the top. But if you’re willing to go downhill, you can find another, higher hill to climb.”
That’s what the valley is. Not failure. Just the toll you pay to reach higher ground.
I’ve felt it and I’m sure you have too. You’re legs and arms are heavy, your motivation low, brain is spiraling. But those valleys always preceded a breakthrough. They cleared the runway and gave me the angle to rise again.
Sometimes I tweak one thing—my sleep, my stride, the exact bpms on my playlist to dial in my cadence. Other times, I do nothing and just try not to implode. The first time I pulled back without guilt, it felt like quitting. But it was a reset strategy and not a surrender.
We skip over the valleys in our stories, but that’s where the real work lives.
So now, when I feel flat, I:
- Check if I’m stuck in a cozy plateau
- Realign something small—stride, routine, food
- Do the boring durability stuff I usually avoid
- Try to be okay, not being okay
Last year I dropped the sub-16 5K chase, and this year I might drop the sub-3-hour marathon battle.. Not because I can’t do it, but because I can—and know the cost. I’ve burned out before chasing shiny round numbers. Now, I care more about longevity and joy. Training that doesn’t break me.
You’re not broken. You might just be between peaks.
