← Jacob H. Thomas

Fitness

Running, climbing, cycling, swimming, yoga, ultimate frisbee and weightlifting. I have tried getting into tennis, played some horrible basketball, and even did some rowing, but these are what I keep coming back to.

The resources here are one more set of data for the world of "getting into ___," but hopefully they prove useful. My writing here, as with most, is primarily for myself anyway.

Running

For ten years of my life I ran. I dreamt of running marathons, eventually ultramarathons. Then, in 2022, I injured my knee and didn't treat it until 2026. Now I'm finally back to running.

Pace

in → –

Hiking

From the city to the woods.

Walking the city

Urban hikes

Into the woods, near Chicago

John Muir

Why walk

Climbing

New to climbing. Not sure what's up with this climbing frenzy, but I think I'm falling into it as well…

Cycling

Growing up in Akron, Ohio, a bike is essential to childhood. Now, in Chicago, I find myself on a vintage Specialized Crossroads, both to get around the city and to glide along the Lakefront Trail. See my map, and maybe even this playlist.

Despite my many gripes withZen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which I stopped reading about 200 pages in, I believe that unfortunately much of its philosophy on motorcycles is how I feel about bicycles.

Riding in the city

A guide to attention.

  1. Safety above all, visibility after; everything else follows.
  2. Treat intersections as negotiations. Green lights and rights of ways guarantee nothing. Stay alert, keep those around you alert (usually by eye contact), and keep an escape route.
  3. Assume everyone might be distracted, not malicious. Act as if every car might turn in front of you and can't see you.
  4. Biking is not a test of speed. The speed you go will greatly influence your riding style, which should be shaped by your environment and situation.
  5. Know when to take space. Politeness doesn't mean making yourself dangerously small. The door zone, which is often the bike lane, is wider than many think.
  6. Never be on the side of a truck or bus that could turn that direction. Stay well behind it, or well ahead where it can see you.
  7. Be gentle with pedestrians. You are vulnerable around cars, but hazardous to people on foot. Announce yourself and pass behind them. Do not ride on sidewalks at faster than a walking pace.

Before a ride

A checklist, inspired by Atul Gawande's The Checklist Manifesto.

  1. You: awake, sober, present.
  2. Helmet on, lights charged, wearing something visible.
  3. Air: tires firm, at the pressure printed on the sidewall.
  4. Brakes: squeeze both; pads touch the rim or rotor, not the tire.
  5. Chain: clean, lubed, quiet through the gears.
  6. Quick releases and bolts tight; lift and spin each wheel.
  7. The route: how far, what weather, what's on the way.
  8. A lock, and if the bike is insured, the kind of lock the policy expects.

On the bike

  1. Don't cross-chain (big ring with the biggest cog, or small with smallest).
  2. Keep the inside pedal up through turns.
  3. Stand when climbing.
  4. Know the hand signals.
  5. Find your local bike shops; know how to fix common issues.

Read

some of the most useful literature on cycling I've found.

Swimming

I never swim competitively, but swimming satisfies a part of me no other activity can.

On the lake: swim at lifeguarded beaches in season, watch the flags, stay away from piers and breakwalls where currents form, and never swim alone.

Yoga

I went to the occasional yoga class growing up. Belonging to a climbing gym gets you into a bunch of things you never thought you would try, but here we are, and it's great.

Forms

Philosophy and history

Ultimate

I was first exposed to ultimate frisbee as a concept whose only rules were no physical contact and no running with the disc. In summer 2026 I joined a league and realized there are truly levels to this.

There are no referees. Players call their own fouls and settle disputes themselves, under the Spirit of the Game.

Weightlifting

I rejected the notion of weightlifting for 21 years, perhaps because I didn't "need it." Now, both out of interest and what is seeming to be necessity, I've started, usually guided only by what piques my interest as I pass it in the gym.