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Brendan Leonard
Find Me
Published
With a child-free week ahead of him, one dad decides to summit as many local peaks as he can. In the end, he learns something about adventure, accomplishment, and himself.
Awe doesnt have to be reserved for far-flung places. Instead, take a moment to learn about the landscape just outside your door.
After years of waiting for other people to care for my favorite trails, I finally bought a foldable saw and took care of it myself
For the past 18 years, Ive used the same hefty lockeven when Im riding cheap clunkers around town. Heres why.
Imagine the most impractical road trip vehicle. Now, make it a little worse. Youre getting closer.
An excerpt from Brendan Leonards new book Ultra-Something, which explores why were so drawn to the long haul
An adventure is an idea. It doesn't even have to be a good one. Here's a helpful guide to dreaming them up.
Kevin Kelly's new book is full of wisdom that applies equally to life as it does to adventure, whether that's a day hike or a big expedition
After running myself into the ground for the hundredth time, I had a realization that let me give myself a much needed break
Brendan Leonard, the author and illustrator behind the beloved Semi-Rad blog, explains his process
Whether youre writing your first book or telling a story around a campfire, heres the secret to capturing your audience right from the start
Kids change a lot of thingsincluding how happy strangers are to see you (and your tiny passenger) biking by
Mayhem is an inevitable part of life. The real question is: How will you handle it?
Arbitrary goals are nonsensical. They also can be the source of great joy.
Oh, you wanted to take a fun little trip to run a breezy 100K? Think again. This course is relentless, technical, and populated by nudists.
The two pursuits have more in common than meets the eye
Mike Foote is a professional athlete. Brendan Leonard is a non-professional athlete. And he has some questions.
Diehard football fans have something to teach trail runners, skimo racers, and other competitive athletes
At its best, flying isnt miserable. Here are 24 ways travel could be more funincluding, but not limited to, letting me fly the plane.
In the form of a handy little email, or a push notification, anything to remind me that Im not heading too quickly toward the afterlife just yet
We have finally discovered the secret to the elusive, perfect cup of joe
Go ahead, pick one: to check in on, root for, and admire
Lessons in humility, humor, and preparedness from ice-covered sidewalks and trails
A wedding ring at the bottom of a pond, a retainer under a pile of leaves, a hat found at open sea three days after it was lost. Read on for more improbably lucky finds.
Both require self-motivation, incremental and attainable goals, and a whole lot of follow-through
When youre plodding so slowly it feels like you're moving backwards, wouldnt it be better to just... walk?
A rural road relay offers the author a chance to return home and consider important questions, like: Who has the aux in the support van and where did they find this weird club track?
A delightfully low-budget documentary about the Seven Summits (of a Montana neighborhood)
Our Semi-Rad columnist recently entered fatherhood, a transition that has him wondering if his two personalitiesalpine athlete and regular dadcan peacefully coexist
Did I feel better about myself? Sure. Did I feel less likely to injure a disc in my back? Yes. But was it worth a precious minute of each day?
Feeling out of shape? Maybe you should run up and down a mountain three times.
These humble blue straps may have been designed for rafting, but their utility is (almost) as limitless as your imagination
There are two types of mountain athletes in the world
No commands, rules, or directives here. Just a gentle nudge towards something truly lovely.
Maybe you should start writing a little something about your run, too
Sure, maybe you get a leg cramp. But you could also get struck by an asteroid.
An argument in favor of catching sunrises, running errands, and talking with your friends face-to-face
We let dogs out to run. We should do the same for ourselves.
Meditations on radical incrementalism for the adventurer
Is it insomnia, or is it a tireless love for being awake?
Surely youve tried champagne flutes before?
From easy cheese to mountain metaphors
Or: what to do when arguing with strangers
I have shin splints, All of my running socks are dirty, I just ate a full rack of ribs and drank six Budweisers
How much could you get done in a day if you were also trying to cram in a one mile run every hour on the hour?
An essay on hope
A life lesson I learned on a river trip
The loss of a big toenail sent 窪蹋勛圖厙 columnist Brendan Leonard into an existential crisisbut maybe not for the reason you think
For 38 months, Rowlf brought love, slow meandering walks, and dog ice cream cones into writer Brendan Leonard's life. And now Rowlf is gone.
Ice cream? Before a run? Yes, please.
Anyone can show symptoms of Male Answer Syndrome, but lets face itits an affliction commonly found in dudes
A squeeze of honey, a squirt of ketchup, and other non-solids you can toss down your gullet if you so choose
I am pretty sure no runner who has consistently won races approaches their training in this way
Missoula, Montanas M Trail is many things. But mostly its just steep.
Reflections on getting just a little bit older
窪蹋勛圖厙 columnist Brendan Leonard investigates his relationship to nostalgia, happiness, and type-two fun
38 quotes that we interpret for our own needs
A comprehensive guide, in chart form
Getting heckled by construction workers and definitely not crying: a New York City Marathon retrospective
Why do I feel so, I dont know, not that great after I spend a few minutes scrolling through social media?
An overexplained recipe for my favorite endurance fuel
In the words of Brendan Leonard: I did perhaps underestimate it a tiny bit
Doesnt your dog deserve the best?
Narrator: The summit was not just ahead
Is it your interpretation that I am taking you for your walk, or would you say that you are taking me for my walk?
Can I cut switchbacks? What about smoking on the trail? And what do I do with all those rocks?
A far-from-comprehensive list
An exceedingly unuseful guide
There you are, at the bottom of a hill, on foot, or on your bike, or on skis, ready to start up. But are you really ready? Here are a few strategies you might consider. 1. Choosing More Pain for Less Time by Going Faster over Less Pain for More…
Do you jog around the block at the end of a run so your mileage equals a nice round number?
The weather is perfect. You get to do everything on your list. No one gets food poisoning or giardia or blisters.
Seven reasons from Brendan Leonards new book I Hate Running and You Can Too
Totally normal ways to keep the conversation moving