Today’s show is not for everyone. But perhaps if you are honest to yourself, and it is a day that allows you to reflect, on yourself, your values, your beliefs, then this message should not only resonate with you, it will make you rethink some decisions taken in the past, so that future scenarios and goals are in line with your end goal. So here goes, have you ever during your run, come across a complete stranger, and suddenly found the urge to pass the other runner growing so strong, it was as though you are remote controlled? Perhaps whilst out on a training run, your local park run? Or have you ever jeopardised a good estimated 10K, half marathon or marathon time,
because you got caught up in a fast pace, and emotions took over? Have you sacrificed too much family time to focus on over ambitious run training plans? If yes, then stay tuned for the next 20 minutes or so where we take some leadership context, from famous authors and thought leaders adapted for our fantastic sport of running. Hi, my name is Heiko, and welcome to the advanced endurance coaching podcast. The running show where we offer solutions to the age issue… ha ha… of training, practising, but if you are over 40 and run, you know it is bound to happen, you will get slower…. Someday. You simply cannot expect the same performance as when your body was younger and repaired itself faster. Here is the truth, the more you focus on just running “your distance”, or going on “your long slow runs”, you will end up a long-distance slow runner. But actually that can, no it should be delayed at all costs, as your best run’s are still out there waiting for you. So why is this show called contentment? I thought it was all about just being satisfied, isn’t that what contentment actually means? Yes, but for some of us runners’ we are never content, and those that suffer from this, you know what I mean. That urge to go back next year and get another medal, or training, even though other priorities be it own health or family should be or would be the wiser decision to take care of. So it is about finding the correct balance. The healthy way to maintain a good running motivation, without setting too low standards, and without going dangerously overboard. To you regular listeners, you might recall I mentioned that we have a local yearly fun run held close to where I live, in a small picturesque village in Germany. Where the main aim is to enjoy the day, go for a run through the town, get kids running. Well. Some years back there was a local runner, really talented, who won in a amazing time. Really respect, I think it was a 6K distance. But now the funny part, just to give you some context, it’s a Saturday afternoon, at the local square, kids eating ice cream, parents going about shopping, having a coffee.. and as the winner is called to the podium to receive a small price (I think it was a cup from the city, a coffee mug) he was celebrating as though he had not only won Berlin marathon, but as though he had won by a new World record. And you could see the peoples reaction, I mean most sitting there where not runners’, they don’t know how long it takes to run a 6K, whether this was fast or not, and here is this really talented runner, and you should have seen the second and third place runners, they where shell shocked. Ha Ha.
