Over the last several years, I've really enjoyed the work that Brad has put together. Speaking only for myself, it aligns to the values and practices that I strive for in my world. This specific post once again connected to a priority concept that I try to live by.
When reading this, I couldn't help but think of my favorite athlete, Cal Ripken Jr., and specifically a story he shared in the linked interview with Bob Costas, at roughly the 19:43 mark in the interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROdTjuxpzeI&t=711s
The power of showing up and saying "let's see what happens," has motivated me through my personal and professional lives.
I’m printing this out and tacking it up on my wall. It’s so easy to beat myself up for lack of motivation which actually just makes me less likely to take action. I’ve also found rigidity to be counterproductive in the long term. Thanks for all the clear stated reminders.
I have a 100 KM Stadium Run(250 laps) on 24th January in Delhi. I am hoping to run it under 7:30 in order to get a qualifier for Team India for 100 KM World Championships 2026.
But does my body really care about all these numbers? Not at all. It doesn't care even if am the fittest I have ever been since I have started running. Leave these numbers aside, it doesn't know about what the heck all this is.
The training was going pretty well but on 23rd December I felt a pain in the side of my knee during the run and what was the decision I don't know. But I took a couple of days off(2 to be exact), got back to running 12 KM for 2 days, then 15 KM for a day and then 21 KM for a couple of days. The pain felt better but still seemed to persist and I went to visit an Orthopedic, came back home & left knee was alright within 2 days(NO PAIN). I increased the daily mileage as I run on singles. I started running 28 KM and then 31 & 34 on single runs but easy effort and not heavy pounding on legs just to keep my Aerobic Base intact. Now on 4th January I wrote a blog on Substack about my goals and all things related to this race. And on 5th I felt a pain in my right knee, did same took rest & went to run on 7th, came back home after 3.5 KM as the pain didn't allow me to run father than this and it would have been a pretty bad decision to worsen the situation.I went on a run yesterday and the pain is still there which means my knee is not fully healthy which has thrown me to a negative spiral of thoughts why the heck did I run for all the months on end and other n number of things as well.
When an athlete generally thrives on physical movement as motion is lotion for them. When the rug of running gets pulled, we feel some sort of left take naked in desert w/o water visually visible to us.
Right now it is 7:00 AM on 12th January in India while writing this comment, didn't went for a run. Reason- feels what if the pain persists while running? How will I deal with it mentally & emotionally that I the pain is sill there, not getting better while I have thrown a blog into this world announcing this is the biggest race of my life and it is. What about the smack at my face with all the expectations I have made in my mind from 5 weeks that heck this will be the race which will over shadow all the chronically under performing years since I have started running.
But considering it is the biggest race of my life I am quite at peace because in the grand scheme of things, this isn't much I know. It has all been just made up in mind. I need to view everything from a broaden lens that this is basically an expectation that is getting shattered or can re-frame it as it is not what I want. Life doesn't give us what we want. The reality is my knee has pain and expectations are I need to be at my peak fitness to run this race, I need to take the reality as it is because this is the only thing that I have, everything else is just in my mind that is made which is not reality. It is a narration that is going on in my internal monologue.
Taking the things as it is and not what I expect because then there will be a lot of conflict b/w the reality & expectations, it also spills to different facets of life as well leading to mediocre inputs and outputs. Not letting bleeding to spill is the foremost thing for me.
I am repeating to myself- Just having a healthy body w/o any kind of disease in itself the biggest gift & privilege of life. My knee will be okay in a couple of days, if not then in weeks and if not then in a couple of months. I can't let it prevent me from enjoying the present even though this is the singular thing that is going on in my life right now which has been keeping me afloat. I have pretty big decisions to make this year to change my life, so have to maintain the uptempo with full zest. The rug of running has been pulled beneath me for the moment, micro pivot is what needs to be done right now by me. All of life is about micro & macro pivots, STAYING MOTIVATED ALWAYS, ADAPT OR DIE. Time waits for none, either I keep cussing about what happened or do what can I do to my best in the present.
Over the last several years, I've really enjoyed the work that Brad has put together. Speaking only for myself, it aligns to the values and practices that I strive for in my world. This specific post once again connected to a priority concept that I try to live by.
When reading this, I couldn't help but think of my favorite athlete, Cal Ripken Jr., and specifically a story he shared in the linked interview with Bob Costas, at roughly the 19:43 mark in the interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROdTjuxpzeI&t=711s
The power of showing up and saying "let's see what happens," has motivated me through my personal and professional lives.
Thanks for all that you give us, Brad.
I’m printing this out and tacking it up on my wall. It’s so easy to beat myself up for lack of motivation which actually just makes me less likely to take action. I’ve also found rigidity to be counterproductive in the long term. Thanks for all the clear stated reminders.
After having started running (run Walking I am 67) just under a year ago
I managed a half marathon in September and an Ultra in the Tunisian Sahara in October.
This year I’ve got a 50k “ultra “ in the Albanian Mountains
Its consistency it’s turning up every day even when you don’t feel like it that will get me across the line
The consistent application of process will get me over the line not trying bursts of activity
A very happy new year Brad brother.! <3
I have a 100 KM Stadium Run(250 laps) on 24th January in Delhi. I am hoping to run it under 7:30 in order to get a qualifier for Team India for 100 KM World Championships 2026.
But does my body really care about all these numbers? Not at all. It doesn't care even if am the fittest I have ever been since I have started running. Leave these numbers aside, it doesn't know about what the heck all this is.
The training was going pretty well but on 23rd December I felt a pain in the side of my knee during the run and what was the decision I don't know. But I took a couple of days off(2 to be exact), got back to running 12 KM for 2 days, then 15 KM for a day and then 21 KM for a couple of days. The pain felt better but still seemed to persist and I went to visit an Orthopedic, came back home & left knee was alright within 2 days(NO PAIN). I increased the daily mileage as I run on singles. I started running 28 KM and then 31 & 34 on single runs but easy effort and not heavy pounding on legs just to keep my Aerobic Base intact. Now on 4th January I wrote a blog on Substack about my goals and all things related to this race. And on 5th I felt a pain in my right knee, did same took rest & went to run on 7th, came back home after 3.5 KM as the pain didn't allow me to run father than this and it would have been a pretty bad decision to worsen the situation.I went on a run yesterday and the pain is still there which means my knee is not fully healthy which has thrown me to a negative spiral of thoughts why the heck did I run for all the months on end and other n number of things as well.
When an athlete generally thrives on physical movement as motion is lotion for them. When the rug of running gets pulled, we feel some sort of left take naked in desert w/o water visually visible to us.
Right now it is 7:00 AM on 12th January in India while writing this comment, didn't went for a run. Reason- feels what if the pain persists while running? How will I deal with it mentally & emotionally that I the pain is sill there, not getting better while I have thrown a blog into this world announcing this is the biggest race of my life and it is. What about the smack at my face with all the expectations I have made in my mind from 5 weeks that heck this will be the race which will over shadow all the chronically under performing years since I have started running.
But considering it is the biggest race of my life I am quite at peace because in the grand scheme of things, this isn't much I know. It has all been just made up in mind. I need to view everything from a broaden lens that this is basically an expectation that is getting shattered or can re-frame it as it is not what I want. Life doesn't give us what we want. The reality is my knee has pain and expectations are I need to be at my peak fitness to run this race, I need to take the reality as it is because this is the only thing that I have, everything else is just in my mind that is made which is not reality. It is a narration that is going on in my internal monologue.
Taking the things as it is and not what I expect because then there will be a lot of conflict b/w the reality & expectations, it also spills to different facets of life as well leading to mediocre inputs and outputs. Not letting bleeding to spill is the foremost thing for me.
I am repeating to myself- Just having a healthy body w/o any kind of disease in itself the biggest gift & privilege of life. My knee will be okay in a couple of days, if not then in weeks and if not then in a couple of months. I can't let it prevent me from enjoying the present even though this is the singular thing that is going on in my life right now which has been keeping me afloat. I have pretty big decisions to make this year to change my life, so have to maintain the uptempo with full zest. The rug of running has been pulled beneath me for the moment, micro pivot is what needs to be done right now by me. All of life is about micro & macro pivots, STAYING MOTIVATED ALWAYS, ADAPT OR DIE. Time waits for none, either I keep cussing about what happened or do what can I do to my best in the present.