start with the song

press play to listen while you read

SONG :: bad girls

ARTIST :: m.i.a.

MOOD :: bad girls do it well

SHOUTS :: my first ever running anthem

next, mix together weed and endorphins

Blueberry Haze

recreational effects

data compiled from Leafly

Blueberry Haze is a hybrid, but delivers that indica-style dry mouth & for that reason, running on it can be tricky. Before you head out, make sure you're all the way hydrated or that you're running somewhere with a shit ton of water fountains. You can also make a chia fresca to chug 30 minutes before you leave to stay hydrated while you're out. And chew gum.

let everything simmer until epiphanies develop

This is a start-running manifesto I wrote for a friend who hated running.

1. Think about how it feels to take a beautiful drive out in the country - all your windows down and your music up. Running is NYC's non-driving key to unlocking that vibe.

2. Put some really great music on a little clip-on shuffle... and remember to a) make your playlist eclectic. Vary the selections by tempo, genre, era, etc. b) Go for the shuffle rather than your iphone - leave that fucking thing at home for once. Getting off the grid for at least an hour a day is liberation. c) Get yourself a running anthem. Every time Bad Girls comes on my shuffle, running my bad bitch ass off becomes compulsory.

3. Weed. I can't emphasize this enough. You're in your own space with your music and your thoughts and weed takes it to a whole new level. Once your endorphins kick in you feel like you can & will conquer the world.

4. You HAVE to get past the first mile. The first mile still sucks for me EVERY. TIME. But that's the challenge. You just have to accept and fucking suck it up mans. And then the coolest thing happens; after the first mile you begin to forget that you're running at all. Your mind starts to wander, you start smiling and then you're cruising - that's mind and body working together bb.

5. Don't be afraid to start in the winter. It's kind of like learning to drive on a stick rather than automatic. if you learn how to do something in the hardest way, everything else is easy by comparison. And think about how amazing it would be to get through the beginner stages in the winter and then really be moving by the time beautiful-ass spring rolls around. Cherry trees, stripping down to a sports bra mid-run, smiling at strangers... ahhhhh.

6. Don't be so hard on yourself, boo! If at any point you feel like stopping and walking, do it. Think more about how good it feels that you're out there gettin to it, and less about how much you haven't done, how far you have to go, and whether or not you'll ever get around to doing it again. Remember, you only have to get past the first mile. Your walking breaks will become shorter and shorter over time and you'll start to crave getting going again. Half of running is physical and half of it is a mind game. If you start psyching yourself out, just take a minute to realize that you're in the wrong state of mind and then flip the switch. it's a simple as changing the channel.

Ain't nothing to it but to do it.