I have been running for in excess of 16 years from that first three mile run on 2nd May 2009 until last nights brutal interval session. I should hit 10,000 miles of running in early 2026. In that time I have learnt somethings, and I thought I would share them with you now.
Know yourself
I live with myself and my thoughts 24/7, 365, I know what rev's my engine, I know the buttons to push, the good and the bad ones. This is the real you, not the parts you show to the outside world, not the work persona you exhibit to others. It is the real, unvarnished you when you're in bed alone with your thoughts.
Once you are dialled into that you can tailor your goals, your strategy, your motivation around what works for you. There is no one size fits all, it has to work for you and there has to be buy in from you. Once you have that deep understanding of yourself, the rest follows.
Your Why
This is the foundation on which the rest is built. If your why is small or weak this thing collapses fast. My biggest why is a sub three hour marathon. That is a big scary goal, and one that may eventually prove unobtainable so I've got smaller backup whys. I get out to run to aid in weight loss/ allowing me to eat bad food. I do it to push myself. I do it for some time by myself, to clear my head and think of nothing but propelling myself forward, particularly on those full effort sessions.
Try and make your why a positive one. Negative whys aren't nearly as much fun or as effective. I hate my body I want to workout so it changes, doesn't have you leaping out of bed. Make your why I love my life and I want to live it fully, exercise will allow me to do that.
Your why can change. If I ever achieve my sub 3 hour marathon dream I have the next goal lined up. I can revisit the Ironman distance and do myself justice, I can tackle LEJOG on the bike in a week. If I miss my sub 3 hour goal and age means it is no longer realistic I can pivot to another running goal if I need to.
Enjoy What You Do
You don't like running? Don't run. Your exercise time is taking precious time out of your leisure and life budget. A budget that is already tight given work, family and life commitments. Ideally find a sport/fitness/wellness thing that you have a passion for, but if not a passion at least some enjoyment. When working out is a chore find a different kind of workout.
Goal Setting
I enjoy listening to motivational speeches on my run and have a near 20 hour playlist, they warrant a blog of their own. It isn't all gold, I'm too cynical to swallow everything they try to sell me. Here are a couple that get my goat.
Impossible is nothing - It definitely is something. No man or woman will run 100m in under 5 seconds without a jet pack or other cheat in my lifetime. Oh don't be silly, that's not realistic. Ok, so we agree that there is impossible, we just disagree on where to draw the line.
If just one person has done it, it proves it's possible for you - No it doesn't, you can't tell a 50 year old man that he is going to run the 100m in under 10 seconds. Maybe in his prime he may have achieved it if he'd dedicated his life to it, but that ship has sailed.
Those two examples aren't designed to depress you, but just to focus your goal setting. the SMART guy had it right. Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Emphasis on achievable, sure we want to stretch ourselves but telling everyone they can be winners is setting people up for disappointment and failure, and what follows that is often quitting.
This blog is just a collection of my thoughts, but if I was aiming this at anyone it would be the ever day person just looking to get fit and challenge themselves whilst remaining engaged and motivated. Realistic goal setting is a big part of making that work.
Take Responsibility
We are all a product of our circumstances. I have been fortunate in a lot of ways, living in the country that I do, in a loving middle class family, only experiencing loss when those I loved had enjoyed long well lived lives. Others endure much more testing lives, whilst some have enjoyed privilege and opportunities I can only dream of.
Whatever your circumstances use those as your fire. You've had nothing, use that as your drive to get out of there and never come back. You've had opportunities and support, people will say you've had it handed to you, use that as your fuel to prove to them that you can reach higher than they ever believed.
You also need to put your circumstances in a box and concentrate on those things that you can control. If we bring it back to fitness I'm in my early forties, have I lost my peak, is my maximum potential already in the rearview mirror? Perhaps, but I've made the choices I've made. I still believe I can turn back the clock and beat all of my previous PB's. Maybe I do hit my A goal of a sub 3 hour marathon and run a 2:58, if I had found this drive and motivation a decade earlier could I have gone sub 2:50? No good can come of that thinking, accept where you are right now and take responsibility for taking yourself to where you want to be.
The Race is Long
"The race is long and in the end it's only with yourself."Baz Luhrmann had it right in a lot of ways with Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) but that lyric is the best of the lot. Comparing yourself to others is tiring and in the end is futile. You'll chase down that one person and soon find another to pursue. Focus on you and your progress.
Specific goals are great, be that my sub 3 hour marathon. I achieve it, you won't find a happier person on this planet than me. Fail, but having given my total focus to it for a block of 12 months, two years, five years. You can feel the satisfaction that you gave your all.
Conclusion
Apologies if this comes across as preachy. It was just a collection of my thoughts. I believe we are all individuals, there is no definitive way of doing things that works for everyone but this blog covers the things that work for me.
- Know yourself
- Have a massive why.
- Enjoy what you do.
- Set goals that stretch you but aren't insane.
- Take responsibility.
- You only get one go at this.
- Concentrate on yourself, not how you compare to others.
No comments:
Post a Comment