Free Instagram Influencer Report on Nicholas Thompson

I took up running to be like my father; I kept going to avoid becoming him, Nicholas Thompson writes in our December issue. When Thompson turned 40, his father posted a warning on his son’s Facebook page: All men’s lives fall apart at this age. Thompson’s father had entered a spiral at 40 from which he never recovered. “I had spent much of my life trying to be like him: going to the same schools, traveling to the same places, taking up the same hobbies, forever seeking his approval,” Thompson writes. “But I also desperately wanted not to be like him. I didn’t want my discipline to drop. I didn’t want my id to overcome my superego. I didn’t want my life to fall apart at 40.” “Running seemed like it might be the key,” Thompson continues. “Running had helped him hold things together until middle age. Then he had stopped. I had run with him for years, and I was still competing in marathons. I was going to keep on running, and I was going to keep doing it well.” “Running has taught me to have total trust in the compound interest gained from steady day-by-day work,” Thompson continues. “I got fast by running hard, consistently, and wasting very little time worrying about how ambitious my goals were. One lesson I learned about running that also applies to writing: The best time to do something important is usually right now. And when you have to get something done in a short amount of time, it’s wise not to spend that time complaining about how little time you have.” Read an excerpt from Thompson’s new book, “The Running Ground,” at the link in our bio. 📷 1. The Atlantic / Ike Edeani 2. Courtesy Nicholas Thompson 3. Dave Hashim

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In 1966, my father was a Rhodes Scholar in Ghana when the government was toppled by a coup. He ran toward the chaos, gathered documents, and then wrote articles about the ordeal in @theatlantic . Getting published, in what he considered America’s most prestigious publication, he wrote in his diary, “seemed to keep my fire, of future success, burning back home.” Much of the rest of my father’s life was a struggle. He suffered from alcoholism. He struggled with the realization that he was gay; and then, once he came out, with a sexual addiction he couldn’t contain. One of the ways I connected with him was through running. He introduced me to the sport when I was about five. As I got older, he and I would run together whenever we could. As I became a successful marathoner, no one cheered for me harder. Today, I published an essay about my time with my father, and how it changed my relationship to the sport. It’s an excerpt from my forthcoming book, The Running Ground. It’s also the first time I’ve ever written for The Atlantic. It seems fitting that the first piece published here from my family in 58 years is about him. I hope you enjoy. Link in bio.

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The best runners aren’t just moving fast — they’re constantly making tiny decisions that make them more efficient. Comment NICHOLAS and we’ll DM you the podcast link. #NicholasThompson #Running #RaceDay #katemackzpodcast #katemackzinterview

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This morning, I was cruising around Prospect Park on a normal long run. I’d done about 10 miles when I noticed runners starting to mass at a start line. Their bibs said “Sri Chinmoy,” the name of the guru and runner who created the 3100-mile race in Queens who I wrote about in the book. “What’s the race and when does it start?” I asked one of the people on the line. “It’s a seven miler and it starts in five minutes.” I zipped down the hill to the registration tent where the woman with the bibs recognized me, told me that she’d read the book, and tossed me a bib. I only had time to put in two safety pins, but off I went. The race was lovely and I ended up coming in fifth. But really it was just lovely to remember both how special this park is — there’s always something awesome happening — and how lovely the Sri Chinmoy running community is, even if the race can be completed in an hour, not a month. #srichimmoyraces @scmtny

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Your 20s are supposed to feel slow. Keep going anyway. @nxthompson - CEO of The Atlantic Comment “THOMPSON” for the full episode.

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