Welcome to PhDistance, an email newsletter about running and many things related to running. There are a lot of running newsletters out there. Actually, according to a recent New Yorker article, we seem to be experiencing a renaissance of email newsletters of all sorts, which I think says something about our need to connect with others about things we care about. The newsletter boon also betrays our online social habits. Many of us prefer that information arrive in just one place: our inboxes.

Even if we aren’t sure if email newsletters are the “media future” we want, as the New Yorker piece wonders, I do think you will want to subscribe to this particular running newsletter. Why? PhDistance is written by two of us, me and Jeff Gross. We like to say that PhDistance is where academia hits the road and trails because we’ve known each other since our Ph.D. days. We are both avid runners, and we plan to write about our experiences and aspirations with running in a tone that is personal and informative.

Even if you don’t run or don’t want to read about running all of the time, you may want to subscribe because you know us and want to stay in touch with us.

What will we cover in PhDistance?

The newsletter will definitely evolve over time, and part of the fun will be to see where it goes. I’ve been thinking about short bursts and topics to throw out as I run laps around Prospect Park during these months of sheltering in place. For the sake of example, here’s a few ideas about where things could go:

  • Narratives about training for races: Regular check-ins about our approaches to and experiences with training for races (and then actually running them)
  • Thoughts on different kinds of running: Metacognition: taking a look at how we run and why we run the way we do. One of the big pandemic epiphanies I’ve had is that it’s too easy for me to fall into a routine of directionless running. Variation can help.
  • Roundups: Lists of links, videos, and ideas that we see elsewhere online.
  • Impartial gear reviews: We aren’t sponsored, and I don’t intend to get into the business of “partnering” with whatever brand or product comes along, but I also can’t deny that gear, accessories, and devices are a part of our experience and are worth talking about.
  • Strategies on doing analysis with fitness tracking data: This one might be more specific to me. I am a GIS librarian and work with data and data management a lot. I think visualizing and maintaining fitness data can be fun, and informative, so I might use some space in the newsletter to talk about analysis and management with open source software and libraries.

How do I subscribe?

If you want to receive our newsletters, just enter your e mail address on this form. You will get copies of the newsletter sent to your email. That’s it.

See this newsletter online

Newsletter 1: “Welcome to PhDistance”