Support The Morning Shakeout On Patreon!

Putting your work out into the world is scary business. And doing it on a consistent basis is no easy task. I launched the morning shakeout in November 2015 as a weekly email newsletter about running and other worthwhile topics, and haven’t missed an issue since. It’s evolved and grown tremendously over the past 2+ years, and the interest, engagement, and feedback has been humbling to say the least.

Each week, I give my unapologetically subjective take on things that interest, inform, entertain, or inspire me in some way. My experiences as an athlete, coach and journalist have provided me a unique perspective on the sport of running and the industry as a whole, and I regularly share my insights and opinions on issues I’m knowledgeable and passionate about to create awareness, generate meaningful dialogue, and spur healthy debate.

But that’s not all! I also interview many of the sport’s top athletes, coaches, and personalities on a regular basis, like award-winning writer Ed Caesar, New York City-based runner, writer and coach Knox Robinson, four-time Olympian Shalane Flanagan, former world-class runner, turned overweight non-runner, turned runner again Colin McCourt, professional musician and sub-3 hour marathoner Liz Anjos, Olympic middle-distance runner Kate Grace, Brooks Beasts coach Danny Mackey, the exception to almost every racing rule, Michael Wardian, and many others. The newest extension of the morning shakeout’s interview series is a podcast, which I’m hoping to make a weekly installment. Early guests have included 2:12 marathoner Scott Fauble, U.S. marathon champion Tim Ritchie, and two-time Olympian Des Linden, to name a few.

In short, the morning shakeout is carefully crafted blend of informed commentary, engaging interviews, and smart curation, intentionally conversational in its tone. And I plan to keep it that way.

So why Patreon? And why now? I want to keep working on the morning shakeout, plain and simple. Putting my own spin on things, sharing what I’ve learned through my experiences, and connecting with people on a personal level through my work has always brought me the most enjoyment. This is why the morning shakeout exists and the reason it’s in the form of an email newsletter that gets delivered straight to your inbox. I don’t charge anything to read or listen to any of my content and have absolutely no plans to deviate from that approach. But, just because it’s free doesn’t mean it comes without expense. The newsletter and podcast are a labor of love that cost me a lot of time—and an increasing amount of money—to put out each week. And dammit, I love producing the morning shakeout in its various incarnations and want to spend more of my time working on it.

But in order to continue doing that, I’m asking for a little help from my friends. The newsletter and podcast need to generate enough income to not only cover equipment and production costs, but also help me earn part of my living. No use in trying to sugarcoat it. I’ve had some luck selling monthly sponsorships of the newsletter over the past year (still available, FYI), which has helped keep the operation afloat to this point, but isn’t proving to be a reliable solution.

That’s where you come in. If you find value in the morning shakeout or it regularly brings some joy into your life, please consider supporting my work through Patreon. It’s my hope that recurring pledges from you—my loyal readers—can make this a self-sustaining endeavor for many years to come.

Thank you!