Running & mindset You are not sure whether this blog is for you? I will give you the quintessence of today’s message. If you don’t like it of course you could go and learn some more swear words from Joe Rogan.
The main point for today. In this blog there is just one message: stop being led by your failures and start making your dreams your source of inspiration. Whow here comes the .
Do you really have a dream or a goal for running? Or is it just something you do? Same way you do dishes. You do your laundry. Maybe your running goal is diversified. You enjoy spending time on Amazon going through those comments on that pair of really cool looking running shoes.
Or debating whether the Garmin training plan is better suited than the Runners’ World training plan.
Yessss. My name is Heiko, and today it’s all about BETTER RUNNING.
Hey maybe you.. no hang on not you maybe you know a runner out there who just does his obligatory run. Because it feels good. But the running is a bit on and off. Sort of like a stop and go function where you go if the going is good but stop if the weather is not the way you like it.
Excuses are not hard to come by, the running story that is being written will be a rather boring uninspiring read.
Didn’t run today due to,
Couldn’t run because of,
Well I once thought of doing a marathon, BUT.
Not a very exciting or compelling story to read, is it?
Not one that you will be proud to share neither with friends nor with those people that look up to you.
Ouch. So what needs to happen? Well obviously, something about your story needs to change.
And there are plenty of examples out there, where ordinary people just changed and no I am not going to cite some high profile brought to fame via social media runners ‘ stories. Maybe you feel the same when you hear or read about a 60-year-old completing a marathon in sub 3 times. I was like, are you serious? How the heck or REALLY powerful stories of runners’ I remember one lady, she had during her pregnancy gained 40 kg hey and she shared her joy of being a mum just as loud as she shared her frustration at the extra weight. You know what, she started walking 1.0 Km every day, and progressed to the 2019 Munich marathon. Yes, that’s how the story goes she didn’t start with a park run, or a run streak it was a struggle. OR of the runner who at age 69 started running. Why, how come what happened? Well he had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he did start by doing the Saturday morning park run and progressed from there to running a first half marathon at age 72. A three-year journey. And I am not even going to mention people that have impaired vision, or other hardships and experience great power from their runs. Even my own run story, I will share with you my biggest success but first change.
I want to change Heiko. Ok you convinced me. And you know what? You have come to the right place. Because: Hey and I know what you want. You want change, and you want it NOW. Of course you do. Who doesn’t? Hey, even put me on that list. LOL.
Actually, you expect it to happen like Superman when he rushes into a phone booth. Hold on, it is Clark Kent, who rushes inside the phonebooth, and changes into Superman. But that’s beside the point. You want change to happen fast, right now, this instant. Superman style. Quick quick “follow these easy steps” or your 3 weeks to your fastest marathon “instant speed improvement for runner’s” who finally understood what we want as an audience . Yes instant change instant change gives us now.
And here comes the heartbreak moment. For all those on-off runners that want to run frequently. For all those I wanted to, but.. runners, all those lazy bone runners’.. all those one day I thought I would have run a marathon, but then-runners’.
The sad truth is, and you know this. It is what it is. Not I nor anyone else has a secret. Sorry. Also and hold on this might hurt LOL. Those get quick slogans, they are exactly that. Attention grabbing headlines. To hook your hopes and dreams from the comfort of your sofa, living room or wherever your favorite chill- out and read space is located.
There is no way that you will quickly change and achieve whatever goal it is you want to reach.
Yes, of course you could suddenly start to run every day. But honestly, going from excuses filled irregular times to everyday, highly unlikely. Seen too many runners’ fail at that ambitious goal. Readers, it is a big challenge running everyday if you are not in the habit of daily discipline.
Especially without a serious change in your thinking, mindset, lifestyle. If you frequently run the same 3K or 5K and that dream of completing a marathon gets postponed every year then it is what it is. You haven’t trained accordingly so it is not likely that you will achieve it just by signing up and committing. You see, you have already trained your brain to be in charge of sticking to what you are comfortable with. You have trained your brain to find those “other low priority items” those distractions from just staying home, to coming home late, it is too hot, it is too cold, it is raining it is too dark
Fact is, to anyone who has gone through an endeavor trying to aim for your best and achieving it, two different objectives.
Change takes time. If you are a lazy-bone runner you know the type who classifies as a well, at least I went for one run last week. Ok but not if you are fit, healthy and could have gone for 4 run’s. Then it’s not your best is it?
Or the “I always run my 10K at the same pace”-runner.
The experts agree that there are two vital ingredients that are essential ingredients to achieve whatever run goal you have set for yourself.
And we talk about them often on this show perseverance and what let me hear you say it.. determination.
Leads to the question How to be persistent, and determined . Perseverance determination. well both these very useful quality traits. Both of them are built by setting incremental goals, training towards them and then increasing the level of exertion. Basically, it is about first: there is no other word I can think of, maybe after recording the blog I will come up with a better one.. .for now: the word is pushing. Yes, pushing your mental goal, and then pushing yourself. In going further than you actually thought you could.
Or if you are the runner that always runs at the same pace here is a simple question for you: when will you aim for your best time over the same distance?
Your best time at this age you currently are at.
If you are a runner who struggles to commit. This is a difficult spot to be in. Honestly speaking most of the runners’ that I have trained or worked with, would already have a high level of motivation. But, there are people who just struggle with this issue. For you, and you know this already, heck you feel it every time you think about going for a run. It will take even more time to become a better runner. If this is you, hey I am not trying to discourage you. Quite the contrary. I want to help you snap out of a fairy tale movie that is a hack. A quick fix. A 1, 2, 3, and boom you are a changed runner.
I know those ads can seem quite convincing, but there is no quick way to your fastest 5K ever it takes time.
Look at it this way. How long did it take you to become the runner you currently are? The lazy bone runner. You know the one who never joins a workshop because it might reveal that there is more potential and give insight that more is actually possible. Or the on off runner How long have you been this way?
Selecting a 3 months training plan. And perhaps not even succeeding at completing the first week?
Maybe that dream of a marathon that was uttered on your 40th birthday has never been mentioned again because the current weekly mileage clearly shows, the marathon is a long way off.
If it is what it currently is: why do you expect a solution? Why do you think a magazine article, a blog post, a blog, an online training course with low mileage runs will change your situation? Especially if you are really honest with yourself you have even been telling yourself the odd lie, the odd story so often that even you believe it by now.
Do you really think 10 weeks to your first half-marathon training plan, even if it is endorsed by a pro runner, is the way to go?
The solution lies not only in two steps. Determination and perseverance .There is a bit more to it. It requires you to not be harsh to yourself.
At least not too harsh. So often we are our own worst enemy. Far too strict on ourselves. If we were to talk to a friend like we talk to ourselves sometime, we would be ending that friendship.
Here is a quick solution: try it before you say it’s not going to work.
Be more encouraged by how far you have come, rather than how difficult the journey has been.
As in: You know what, I might not be where I want to be. Not at all. But thank goodness I am not where I used to be.
You got here because of your habits. Your lifestyle, and you repeated it so often, it’s ingrained in your brain.
You got lost. Basically.
Readers, if your goal was to run a trail half marathon in under 1:30, and you have been running 6 miles every alternative day on a flat stretch of tarmac you are not working towards your goal: You are far from on track. So why are you pretending to face the facts, and realign your plans?
Like so often, once you are lost, you only realize it after some time. Remember the days before GPS, and Google maps? Well you don’t recall at which precise location you got lost. Or at what moment in time. But you know: Suddenly that feeling comes up and something is wrong. Happens to me quite a lot even here in the valley where I stay sometime especially when the seasons change, the trees or lets say from winter to spring. That is a total game changer. Suddenly a route that was so familiar seems completely different. And next thing I realize, and maybe you know this feeling: you are lost. Yes, it happens so quickly. Add overcast, you have no idea where north south or anything is. Then throw in a bit of confusion because you were sure this is the way and suddenly you doubt it.
Tell me if you have ever been in a “help, I am lost situation” what do you want? Well you want to know what direction you should take. You ask someone, how do I get to wherever it is you want to go to. Now with my specific example of getting lost in the forest it might be better to just curl up and cry, because it seems hopeless.. lol I am kidding. But what I want to bring across is you ask for direction. But ever so often people who struggle with their running goals want a solution. A quick fix, a dream formula.
If this is you: please readers, this might be the best advice you will ever get. Are you ready?
You, yes you my dear readers. You don’t need a solution, you need a change of direction. Change direction and things will change.
readersing to this blog won’t change a thing. You need to do it.
Now tell me, what will your story be? Like that of the 72 year old who started at age 69? Or the mum who overcame her unsatisfied feeling or the excess weight by starting a step or in her case a kilometer at a time. Now those people, and there are plenty out there, they wrote a great story. One step, one decision at a time. And it all started with a change in direction. Which then led to something else
The second part of the solution is that you need to get a new mindset. And this is something where I want to explain how this whole blog came about. It is not about the blog. This show is just a .. well an emergency measure seeing that since we wear masks, there is no chance to work directly with great runners like yourself. That is when I developed the online training module, where you will feel the benefit of what a couple of harmless looking exercises will lead to.
A detailed online tutorial with a method that ensures you not only hear the content; you start doing from the first lesson. Exactly your brain training starts from the first video session and takes on more and more speed as you get along.
So what are going to do in the NEW YEAR? Make 365 days run, one whole year of running Why who or what would you want to do that? And if your first thought is “I couldn’t do that” then definitely you should get the book. The link to the video you know what.. just go to youtube, enter “heiko stribl” and concentrate or you will get sidetracked and end up somewhere you don’t want to be.
Taking the best methods from cognitive behavior therapy, to nlp, and combining it with a running based background, and you have a direction changer. One that ensures you become the best runner you can be.
But I still owe you something yes my best chapter in my running book no don’t worry I am not going to boast with some exaggerated story keeping it real here, just a everyday runner but I knew my run story became a great one, when my daughter wanted to run with me on her 18th birthday I knew she trained but she never told e how far or what she is training for.. Well then on that nice sunny day she was ready and we did a great 12 km run.. what a chapter now it’s your turn. Go for it, find your inspiration, and go for a run. Right now I come back next week every Thursday. One blog at a time where it is all about you and your attitude, your running
That’s where the slogan comes from: helping you become a better, stronger and smarter runner.
My name is Heiko, God bless you and remember, take it easy.
