Sedentary to 100km Footrace in 2 years: Josh Grassel

This is the story of how riding a bike changed my mindset, and put me in a position to make lifestyle changes that took me from sedentary, to running a marathon, to running a 50mi race, to a 100km race run in 2 years.

Why I Started Bike Commuting

Many of my sentiments will echo previous blog posts, and likely future blog posts. I started my undergraduate degree in California in 2016, and I brought a bike with me to get around campus. It lasted no more than 2 weeks before being stolen (get a good lock). From that day I basically never rode a bike until moving to Raleigh in 2023.

In 2021 I started graduate school at Arizona State University. As it turned out, both my wife and I ended up commuting over 45 minutes one way by car 5 days a week. On top of that, being in the suburbs was very isolating. Meet up with friends for dinner — 30+min drive each way. Go on a date to a boardgame cafe — 30+min drive each way. Groceries — 20+min drive each way. Simply leaving the house became a chore.

Two things coincided that gave me a new perspective. First, to avoid paying for expensive on campus parking in downtown Tempe, I parked at a free Park-n-Ride and took the light rail into downtown. At the time, I didn't think the choice was anything other than financially logical. Second, we also got our sweet dog, Rosa. Taking her for walks around the neighborhood, driving on a highway, and riding the light rail to campus transformed my view on human movement. I found joy in exploring the world on foot with Rosa and my wife. Spotting roadrunners, sneaking onto a golf course at night to play in the sprinklers, and simply experiencing the world outside. I found melancholy in the car. I was stepping through a portal that shortens my lifespan by an hour and leaves me unenthused. I found empathy on the light rail. Fellow stressed students on their way to class, exhausted construction workers on their way home from a jobsite, and homeless trying to escape the unbearable heat. All of us humans doing our best in the world we live in. While driving, everyone is just an emotionless thing in my way.

Walking, driving, and riding the light rail opened my eyes to the insane inefficiency of cars. I was an industrial engineering undergraduate, and starting my PhD in industrial engineering. How had I not seen it before? The space dedicated to cars compared to sidewalks, parks, and even buildings is insane. Infrastructure for non-cars is sparse and lacking usability. Sidewalks constantly interrupted by hot crosswalks with cars flying through right-on-red without looking. Highways that cut you off from a park that is just a mile away.

I was tempted to get a bike, but I was scared. I wasn't fit. I lived miles and miles away from anything that I would want to bike to. (At least, that how it seemed at the time. In hindsight there was actually plenty within biking distance.) Cars were going to run me over. I don't know how to maintain a bike. The cost of a bike is as much as a parking pass, so does it even make sense?

Then an opportunity move to NC State came up. This was my chance. The city looked bikeable. The weather was better. I convinced my wife (and myself really) that living downtown and close to campus would be worth the extra rent. So I got rid of my car and we moved to Raleigh. Upon my arrival, one of my first stops was at Cycle Logic, where I went to look for a bike.

Learning to Ride

I wasn't going to support sacrificing space for humans to make way for the least efficient form of transportation just because I was a little uncomfortable.

My history with athletics/fitness is pretty light. I ran cross county in middle school and most of high school, but I was always middle/back of the pack. During undergrad I did a descent amount of walking and hiking. I attempted to get back into running a couple times, but it never lasted more than a few weeks. Then, for my first two years of grad school I only walked Rosa a mile or two each day with no other physical activity.

It should come as no surprise that I couldn't make the 2 mile commute to campus without walking my bike uphill. Specifically: the hill on Bilyeu St between Pullen Rd and Centennial Pkwy on my way to campus. It felt embarrassing. Many of my friends likely drove that road, what would they think if they passed by and saw me suffering trying to get to class on time? Why didn't I just drive like everyone else? I recalled my time in Arizona riding the light rail and walking the hostile pedestrian infrastructure with Rosa. I wasn't going to support sacrificing space for humans to make way for the least efficient form of transportation just because I was a little uncomfortable.

Riding 4 miles a day, 5 days a week, my fitness greatly improved. I found myself climbing the hills without walking in just a few weeks. Five months later, in January of 2024 I finished my first long ride from home to Umstead and back, about 15 miles. At the time this was a huge accomplishment to me. Not only had my fitness improved, but I experienced mentality shifts that would set me up for running success more than fitness alone could.

Learning to Run

I think I'm contractually obligated to talk about running by this point, it was in the title after all. Rolling back time a bit to a Sunday in early November 2023, I woke up to the sounds of drums and cheering. We went outside and discovered the City of Oaks Marathon was underway. I was inspired by the community support and the display of human endurance. I knew marathons existed, but this was the first time I attempted to wrap my head around how insane it is to run 26.2 miles — I couldn't even bike that far! With my increasing fitness, I though that maybe one day I could run a marathon. Never would I believe I completed it the very next year.

In January some fellow students and I decided to sign up for the Krispy Kreme run. On January 4th 2024, I completed my first run in at least 3 years. Throughout January I ran a total of 34 miles, mostly 2 to 3 mile increments, in preparation for the race. After that, I was hooked. I found a free training plan and completed my first half marathon 4 months later. In the year that has passed between that half marathon and now, I don't think I've ever worked as hard as I did during that first training plan. There were a few days that I could barely walk down stairs in the morning, but I still completed my run that afternoon.

The Joy of Discomfort

Bike commuting taught me the joy of discomfort. Early on, many people asked what I thought about bike commuting (maybe I'm projecting and really I was just excited to talk about myself). I found myself saying something like, "It sets a good baseline for every day." Even if I made no progress on my classwork, I accomplished a 2 mile ride. Even if I spent 10 hours in the office working, I experienced nature --- cold wind in my eyes or the hot sun baking my shoulders. Later, I reflected on this sentiment, and realized that I was describing discomfort. Why was the highlight of my day a time of discomfort? Is accomplishment and self improvement anything other than going through discomfort and coming out better than before? When have you ever progressed while being comfortable?

Going for a run when its not perfect outside doesn't sound so bad anymore. Going for a run when its lightly raining sounds like a novel experience instead of a hardship. Running farther than I've ran before makes me feel like a brave explorer, and not a hamster on a wheel completing the required revolutions. Running a half marathon is a vulnerable public display of the culmination of months of work, made possible with the support of those around me. It's not simply a number that measures something about my physiology. Riding a bike taught me that.

Learning to Run Even More

Unsurprisingly, It takes a lot more than bike commuting to train for an ultra. A lot of running if you can believe it. But what made that possible for me was the mindset developed from riding a bike. Each 1hr+ run on the training plan isn't some hardship I have to endure, it's an opportunity for an adventure. What route can I take? Who might I see while out on my run? What park should visit? What birds will I spot? Are the flowers blooming or the leaves changing colors? Running more and more miles became less about the "payoff" of the race, and more about the joy of the process. That carried me to completing the Mountains to Sea 50 mile endurance run. Afterwards, I was somehow even more motivated to continue training for the Run the Triangle 100km. Some think that this means I'm "strong" or "dedicated" or "disciplined", but in reality I just enjoy running. If every run was only difficult, I wouldn't make it out the door.

What About You

I'm not a writer that makes you figure out the moral of the story. Here is what I want you to take away from this. Whether its riding a bike, running, or anything else, don't let mild discomfort discourage you. Its a part of the human experience. Its what makes days memorable. Its what sets you up for taking on new challenges. It opens the door to more experiences. It leads to a deeper understanding of joy --- the joy of the experience and not the outcome.

Not a Bike Ride (NABR)

I've started hosting the NABR group run out of The Bike Library, so you should come try it out! It starts at the storefront and heads down to the Container at Lake Raleigh for a break with water/snacks, then returns to the storefront for Jabin/coffee/baked goods. The total distance is a little under 5 miles. If you're a beginner, don't let that discourage you! The pace is easy and walking breaks are welcome. The intention is to provide a comfortable social setting for a weekly easy run where we can share in joy of a little discomfort.