Welcome to Playbook, a Q&A series where I ask successful guys about their wellness philosophy. This week I’ve got Chris Chavez, founder of track-and-field outlet Citius Mag, performance advisor for Climatic, podcaster and author of The Marathon Book, coming in 2027.
Tanner Garrity: Have you been working towards a specific running goal this year?
Chris Chavez: For me, this year has mostly been about regaining some consistency and fitness after I dislocated my kneecap last September in the midst of some really good 800-meter training. But now I’m working my way back up to run my first marathon since summer of 2024 with friends at the New York City Marathon. I am not necessarily gunning for a fast time in New York, but mostly looking to enjoy a nice five borough celebration with friends.
What are some key strength or mobility exercises you rely on to stay healthy as a runner?
I managed to make a full recovery from the knee injury but it certainly has forced me to take my PT a bit more seriously. So that means I’ll do some swings, hip openers, A-skips, a few strides, banded clamshells and leg raises before runs. Where I used to skip all of that beforehand, I now consider them part of the run. The newest piece for me is thinking about breathing the same way that I think about hydration or sleep. I’ve been lucky to have been testing and using Climatic’s L Max for several months now. It’s a quick inhale that’s designed to help clear your airways. It’s been helpful when I’m logging miles in NYC through pollen season or summer air-quality alerts. It hasn’t necessarily translated to instantly faster times, but it shows during runs where breathing settles in early, instead of 10 minutes in.
You’ve interviewed so many great athletes. Is there a specific bit of wisdom from one of them that you keep returning to?
Consistency is key and it stacks. But also, there’s a patience element to really being able to see talent flourish and show up. Early performances are not always indicative of someone’s true potential. I was a high school sprinter who never would have thought that my true passion for the sport would lie in the marathon.
You’ve got a book on the way. How’s that process going?
I’m glad to have submitted the manuscript in June, but now we’re entering a long period of editing, revising and fact-checking. I found it super helpful to go on runs right after deep interviews with legends of the sport, which allowed myself to reflect on what was said before pouring myself onto the page. I wish I managed to take a weekend to go up into a cabin in the Catskills or somewhere very author-y, but I still had to balance my main work with Citius Mag.
If you could go on a week-long running vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I’ve been to Greece and I’d go back in an instant. I’d love to run the original marathon route from the original Olympic Games. I’ve never been to Australia or Ireland, and the running there always looks beautiful.
You had a shitty week. What’s a (non-running-related) activity or practice that always seems to make you feel better?
Reality TV cures all. Survivor and The Traitors are my go-tos. Many times, when I need an escape from work or stress and it’s somehow tied to sports, I need to disconnect briefly by letting my brain rot. But I don’t consider it a total rot — I stay ready for my eventual chance to compete on one of those shows. That would be a dream come true.
A book you’d recommend to our readers?
It’s fresh in my mind because I read it while working on my book — it even briefly gave me imposter syndrome because [The Atlantic CEO] Nick Thompson did such a beautiful job on it: The Running Ground. I just love how raw and honest he was in it about his whole life outside of running. He writes about getting faster in his 40s, but I was more compelled by the portrait he paints of his brilliant yet complicated father, whose life came apart. Nick asks himself deeply whether he might’ve inherited similar issues, and whether the discipline of running can hold them off.
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