Run for Life: 6 Surprising Tips from Seasoned Runners
You don’t just stumble into a long, healthy life. You have to run the F#$% after it.
At Hone, we believe longevity isn’t just about adding years to your life. It’s about making those years stronger, sharper, and more fulfilling. Which is why we launched our Run Club: to bring together people who are as committed to optimizing their health as they are to logging miles.
When it comes to longevity, every finish line is actually a starting line. It’s a chance to build cardiovascular fitness, preserve lean muscle, sharpen the mind, and improve insulin sensitivity. All of which add up to a longer, healthier life.
We asked six members of Hone’s Run Club—athletes who prove that a consistent running habit today can unlock decades of strength, energy, purpose, and clarity—for their best advice to stay in the game. Because running isn’t just a workout; it’s a lifelong investment in your future self.
Treat Running as Self-Care
Nadya Okamoto, co-founder of the period-care company August, didn’t consider herself a runner until 10 months ago, when she was diagnosed with prediabetes. “I needed to move more,” Okamoto says. “Running felt like the simplest place to start.”
Now training for both the Berlin and New York City Marathons, Okamoto runs four to five times a week, logging miles for physical health, connection, and mental clarity. To stay consistent and injury-free, she swears by daily leg massage, compression boots, and at least eight hours of sleep every night.
Okamoto once saw running as punishment—“like doing the mile in PE class”—but now views it as a practice of discipline and self-care.“Running makes me feel stronger, and reminds me how important rest and recovery is,” she says. “Because I definitely want to be running in my older age.”
Let Data Guide You
Performance chef and hybrid athlete Dan Churchill, 36, started running seriously in 2018 after signing up for the New York City Marathon to support a charity. Now prepping for the Berlin Marathon, Churchill approaches running with intentionality, balancing Zone 2 runs, tempo sessions, and strength training. “I used to just run, not thinking about heart rate, training zones. Now I’m thinking about tempo, efficiency, strike, gait.”
Churchill tracks HRV and tests his testosterone quarterly with Hone, using those biomarkers to inform his training and recovery. “It’s important to understand how what’s going on inside your body affects your performance,” he says. That technical focus is his way of bulletproofing his future—and it’s working. “According to my WHOOP data, my biological age is 15 years younger than my actual age.”
But Don’t Become Obsessed By It
Eight years ago, New York City designer and fitness creator Chris Chung, 39, started running as a personal challenge. His solo pursuit soon expanded into something bigger. “I run for mental clarity,” he says, “and to connect with a health-focused community.”
Chung is currently training for the Chicago Marathon in October, averaging between 25 and 35 miles a week. His approach is deliberate: getting eight hours of sleep is non-negotiable, and he tracks HRV and sweat rate. He’s not chasing ideal metrics, though. “It’s more about staying grounded to what my body is feeling so I can stay in the game.”
Focus as Much on Recovery as Running
Preethi Rajaguru fell in love with running the day she jogged from her college dorm in Union Square to the Statue of Liberty. “I’ve gone through so many different seasons of life since college—seasons of loneliness, seasons of curiosity, seasons of joy, seasons of anger,” she says. Through them all, running has been her form of meditation. “It’s my time to unwind my thoughts and process my feelings.”
Nearly a decade after that first run, the New York-based content creator, 29, is averaging 30 miles a week training for her sixth and seventh marathons: Berlin and New York City. Her focus has shifted from simply finishing to finishing faster and with less pain, aided by speed work, strength training, and magnesium bath soaks.“They help alleviate muscle tension and prevent soreness,” she says.
Embrace the Boredom
A former Division I rower, Lydia Keating was burned out on training by the time she graduated from college. She swore off working out entirely—until she realized movement was essential for her mental health.
Keating, now 30, stays motivated by focusing on the cumulative impacts of her training. “Someone asked me recently, ‘How do you not get bored on long runs?’” she says. “And I thought: boredom is kind of the point. It’s not a miracle moment; it’s a quiet, steady march forward. It’s loops around Prospect Park; workouts blur together. And then one day, you realize you’re running 20 miles with ease. Your mind is stronger. You feel something warm and solid inside you, and you think: Oh, that’s what I was looking for
Find Joy in the Journey
Sixteen years ago, Jerry Francois, 34, laced up as a way to help cope with the loss of his mother. It became a grounding ritual and a lifelong mission to run with purpose and keep moving forward.
Training for back-to-back fall marathons—Chicago and New York City, the Brooklyn-based running coach and entrepreneur has an unconventional approach. “When I was younger, I had a coach so I could receive structure and guidance,” he says. “Now that I’m older, I freestyle based on time and mood, which keeps me happy.”
For Francois, the key to longevity isn’t rigid plans—it’s joy. “When you choose habits that feel good and that you enjoy, you’re not just setting yourself up for short-term success. You’re building a path toward a longer, healthier life,” he says.
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The Edge upholds the highest standards of health journalism. We source research from peer-reviewed medical journals, top government agencies, leading academic institutions, and respected advocacy groups. We also go beyond the research, interviewing top experts in their fields to bring you the most informed insights. Every article is rigorously reviewed by medical experts to ensure accuracy. Contact us at support@honehealth.com if you see an error.
About the author
Jen Ator is an award-winning writer and editor with 15 years experience covering fitness, wellness, health, nutrition, and travel. She is the former editor-in-chief of Women's Running and former fitness director of Women's Health, as well as the author of the book The Fitness Fix: Quick HIIT Workouts, Easy Recipes, and Stress-Free Strategies for Managing a Healthy Life.
