NDO 2026
This summer, I started running again.
I’d taken a ten-year break, but while on the Outer Banks this summer for some reason I just decided I wanted to run again. I’d run in the heat of the day down to the local marina and back; sometimes I’d have to walk a fair amount, particularly on the way back through a long patch of shadeless asphalt. The summer on the North Carolina coast is HOT. On a few of the days the humidity would be so thick it was like running into a headwind—you could feel the heat pressing down on your shoulders and into your eyes. I didn’t run fast, but nevertheless, I was running.
The first morning back from summer vacation I laced up my shoes and went for a run in my neighborhood in Tulsa. From where I live, it’s easy to access the local trail system, and I enjoyed being out and exploring. I’d been so busy in my first three years in Oklahoma that I hadn’t even tried to see what was possible from my front door.
All fall, I kept up running, adding more and more weekly mileage. There is a huge hill a few miles from my house, and running up and over it and then back up and over it has been part of my regular route. (It never gets easier.) I don’t run with headphones—just me and my thoughts. I think that’s what I like about it so much—the ability to just be totally alone with my thoughts. That, and being outside.
A New Jacket and a Dead Otter
Over Thanksgiving weekend, I picked up a fancy running jacket on sale from a company called Tracksmith. They make high-end running apparel in a New England, Ivy League heritage style. The Tracksmith tagline:
“Professional quality for the amateur spirit.”
As I mentioned, one of the things I love about running is being outside in any and all weather conditions. I actually like running in the heat of the summer when everyone thinks you are crazy, and I like running in cold, foul weather for the same reason. But, you do have to have the right gear. Hence, the Tracksmith jacket. Which, by the way, exceeded my expectations—the jacket breathes well and offers just enough warmth for a long run in cold weather. I wore it on a frosty December morning a few weeks ago when I came across a dead otter(!) on the side of the road. I happened to have my phone with me and filmed a quick video.)
NDO - No Days Off
Tracksmith has a winter campaign called NDO, which stands for “No Days Off.” The idea is, don’t let foul New England (or in my case, Oklahoma) weather keep you from getting a run in. Something about that has really resonated with me—NDO, no days off.
If you order a piece of gear from the Tracksmith NDO Collection, they will send you a 365 day poster calendar you can use to track your workouts. (You can order the calendar by itself, too.)
I think the calendar is perfectly suited to what I want to accomplish in 2026. So, I got one and am itching to strike through that first “1” tomorrow morning.
I wonder if the good folks at Tracksmith ever figured someone would use their calendar the way I am going to use it. (Spoiler: I’m not primarily concerned with using it to track my running.)
The Year Through the Bible
2026 is the Year Through the Bible at Asbury. (YTTB for those in the know.) We are using the One Year Bible, which helpfully divides up the entire Bible into 365 daily readings. (All the info you need is on the website we created: www.yearthroughthebible.com.)
I’ve been thinking about it, and though I know it can be foolish to set perfection as a target, I think the NDO message works with what I want to accomplish this next year when it comes to my daily Bible reading. No days off.
Will I miss some workouts in 2026? I’m sure I will. I’m not overly worried about that. (Though I do love a winter run.)
What I don’t want to do is miss a day of reading the Bible in 2026.
No excuses. No days off. No reason to ever miss.
For me, it is going to be NDO 2026.
