This year is over. Finished. What is done is done. And now tell me if you look back on your running, do you have more excuses “not to run” than “actual runs completed” on your STRAVA, let’s change that for the new year. stay tuned, this is the place where you will get set up to make it your best running year yet, but first the .
Yes Heiko is my name spelt h-e-i-k-o, German name, I grew up in South Africa as once I start talking, you can tell from my accent. Just a kid from 34 Lampet street in the Willows, who realized at some stage that he really enjoys running, and somehow 35 years later I can look back at a encouraging run history, coached some great runners, plus a couple of books that I sold, -not only wrote- LOL there is a difference built a registered brand to help runners shape up and train their mental side of their sport.
Plus of course created a really powerful online course at www.heikostribl.com to ensure you become a better, stronger and smarter runner. Yes, do check it out on www.heikostribl.com, there is no risk you can check it out, but I suggest you only do it if you are serious about improving your mental side of running. If you want nutritional advice, or are expecting some training plans, then please don’t sign up. Otherwise, you will want your money back, then I have to go into the system, open a credit card before signing up. Because this program is really going to have you invest time and energy into changing thought patterns, basically to help you unleash your run potential, that maybe you have already thought you don’t possess anymore. Hey, especially if you are heading towards 40 and are starting to convince yourself your best running days are over.
Nonsense. They are not. They are ahead of you. And you know here at this show (well if you are a regular reader) that here we look forward not back. Ok, perhaps for todays show we did it, right in the beginning. But not as in hours of reflection. Just to sum up the year. Lessons learnt so to speak, or to come to the realization that -could’ve done more- or – should’ve done more-.
Ok, that is www.heikostribl.com , have a look, read through it, yes sorry contrary to sites that explain everything in 1 minute yeah right, here you need to spend some time reading the contents. LOL.
And hey, look you don’t need to honestly. If this doesn’t strike a chord with you, you can still enjoy the blog. and that by the way is the only ad you will ever hear on this show. Yes, we dive straight in no 2 minutes of supposedly best running socks, or supplements which really do wonders.
No here at ‘advanced endurance coaching’ we, and by we I mean all those runners that I have had the pleasure of training in our workshops have experienced that improvement when you have changed your mindset but hey that was all before the world got crazy and COVID stopped life as we knew it.
Oh, by the way, I hope you and your loved ones are safe and sound, really this virus has become a serious issue. I mean who would’ve thought I drove past Frankfurt airport the other day, and you know I am an aviation fan. And I noticed that the new runway wasn’t in use. Let me explain. Usually if you drive on the highway, or Autobahn towards Frankfurt, you can see the approach lined up with planes coming in . But for the past few months, there were no planes coming into the new runway 07.
And I was on the highway heading from east to west, it is parallel to the new runway so I drove right past and then oh. I caught a glimpse of the runway and understood why. It is currently being used by Lufthansa as a parking space. For all their unused aircraft I think there must be around 15 or maybe 20 aircraft parked there.
Guess no one saw that coming, huh, that is a pretty expensive parking spot, plus they have other planes parked in hot and dry conditions USA, Spain
So, what has this got to do with making you a better runner? I am glad you asked. If that is how your running year looks, no one plans to fall short of a running goal. No one plans to park on the couch and binge on Netflix.
No one foresees that they are going to get injured. Same way no one foretells that they are going to skip workouts. Or envisages that they are just going to do long slow runs on weekends Good enough!.
No, it slowly creeps up on a runner. It is that inner struggle. Again, I have to quote from the guide to best living practices. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
See it is rooted in us, it is something that has been around for over 2.000 years. I don’t want to spend an hour of my life on YouTube, with nothing to show for it. Come on, be honest. Do you want that? And hey, I am not pointing my finger here I am talking about myself.
How often has it not happened to me . Something comes up that’s a new recipe for soft buns. You know those soft white buns uum not healthy but so delicious and I have not been able to make them fail every time. You could build a house with them nothing soft about them must be the yeast ok. Back to topic how did I get here yes what do I do. Let me check on YouTube recipe, soft buns and next thing you know 45 minutes have passed and I am watching some Russian dashcam videos of the most horrific accidents. Sorry, it’s the truth I wish I could tell you something else. But definitely that’s not what I wanted to do. The time is wasted, I have nothing to show, and still no soft buns.
By the way, my daughter, who is an excellent cook, also hasn’t had any success so anyone out there who knows a recipe that works- send it to me.
But this is a big B U T. You know what I had already done before wasting my time on YouTube? Well I already had my run done and dusted. Or if I had planned to go for an evening run, I would still go and do it. Now I am not saying this to show: “hey look at me” no it shouldn’t come across like that. I am saying it to explain that the run is a priority for me.
It would be unimaginable to not go for a run. Or to put it in another way, something would feel like it is missing what I have overlooked?
Now yes it is easy for me to talk. Because I have had a upbringing or was raised in an environment where running was a discipline I had to perform, be it at school, in the army, and then this habit stayed with me and now after 35 years, I think I have pretty much explored most of the pitfalls, and highlights that running offers. Yes to this extent I understand, that this might not be the case for you. Your situation, your circumstances, all distinct.
HOWEVER one thing is the same. For you and for me. If we wake up tomorrow, which I hope we do, we have another chance to take our life in a different direction. And yes, by going for a run. And doing this again and again, building a track record so that looking back at the end of the next 365 days, we don’t end up with the same feeling of disillusion or frustration at not having used our run time to its maximum.
Right away I feel opposition ha even as I am recording it I feel your excuses sorry your reasons for not being able to run more often that you should, or train as intense as you would like to. I hear them. Like a sonic attack of sound waves “you don’t understand Heiko” and what do I always say when a runner says that to me?
Simple: “I don’t need to understand, because you are here to improve, not to reason and justify your limitations”.
Don’t like that answer, feel the reply is unjust, or not really helpful? OK, here is another reply: do any three of these and watch your time to create and implement a training regime that appears like magic. Don’t believe me? Maybe you want to get a pen and paper. These are life changers right here.
Step one, to creating or freeing up time
Cancel Netflix, or Amazon Video. I know it is only 7,99 USD per month, but actually it adds up to 95.88USD for the whole year. Plus I guarantee you are part of the over 70% who forget to cancel the subscription plan, so the final amount of money you send to Amazon or Netflix is the cost of for example a online course in brain training for runners uuuh I had to sneak that one in there. Ok fine then buy those new running shoes instead and wear them as you do your grocery shopping. So everyone can see you are a runner. Ouch.
Step two:
reduce your time online. How do you do that? Well simple if you have an apple phone (are there other phones?) anyway there are apps that clearly show you how many hours you have spent on the phone. SHOCKER last weekend it was raining here where I live and apparently I had spent 5 hours using my phone during the course of one day. 5 hours what was I doing? What do I have to show for that? Honestly, offer me a million bucks Heiko WHAT did you do- I couldn’t answer it. Actually I doubt the time, maybe it counts the time I play music on spotify too? Yes, that would mean I spent less time on the device aaaargh does that sound familiar? You start to reason and add, subtract and speculate as to the data the phone is providing you? Must be wrong. Can’t be. Let me ignore it. Hey let me shut down that notification right away. How do I do that? Hang on I will youtube it lol next hour of your life wasted. Which brings us to
Step three:
This is the simplest one. And it works in any of the 40 countries where I have readersers. And let me give you a big thank you whilst we are at it.
OK, this method to gain time, doesn’t know race color creed, money or lack of it. It works everywhere.
Actually it is a multiple choice. 4 words either way. Are you ready? You will never guess it. You will be shocked. Except those of you who had strict mom’s (like me shout out to my mom, I hope she’s reading) what would they say if you had a toy and you would be spending too much time on it. Rubik’s cube for example hey I still hear here voice no put that toy away Yup it is as simple as that. Put the phone away, or as I said it is a multiple choice, shut down your phone.
And no matter what excuse I had, like in the ruby cube helps build my intelige PUT it away. LOL. Unless you are a brain surgeon and are awaiting instructions on how to proceed on a difficult step whilst doing open brain surgery put it away.
But Heiko you don’t understand, yes my dear Ido understand. No you don’t I might not remember my password I promise in a real life workshop that was the excuse sorry the reason one of the participants I clearly see him it like you could see the gears in his brain working and eureka I have stumbled across a real issue can you imagine, how long must his phone have been ON if he doesn’t remember the startup code.
Ok, there you have it, three of the best reasons to make time for your run.
One, quit Netflix or amazon prime.
Two, spend less time online.
Three, turn the thing off.
And readers, only after you have mastered any one of these three steps, can you really start to make a plan to have a great running year. I mean your chances of success just shot up by I don’t know a million -lol-. Yes, I am serious especially YOU, if you had to chuckle at any of these examples, then this message is for you right there.
Now the next two things that we will be looking at is to start you off on a run streak. Imagine nothing more powerful to get you into the year than looking at your run data, let us say beginning of February and you have a 30 day run streak behind your user name. Runmaschine_1981 lol.
Posting and sharing your 30 selfies, so that everyone (except you) looking at your profile will think you have serious narcissistic tendencies. But it doesn’t matter if you have completed the first run streak.
If you like, drop me a mail makeeerystep@gmail.com and the first 10 mails get a free copy of the book. Make 365 days count. It is a hands on book, all right. No pages of boring scientific studies, or technical wording to make it seem more important than an encyclopedia, no look, it is written by me, Heiko. And what it will give you is, that information which you need to start your run streak. Simple.
Sure, you could go to YouTube, but by the time you have come up with content, trust me January is over.
Unless of course if you go to my Blog advanced endurance coaching, and just add my name Heiko, and you can have a look at who I am and the area here where I run (and live obviously), some nice footage there, and it will help you relate a bit more build some context to the whole advanced endurance coaching methodology.
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.
Hey if the year has been great to you running wise, congratulations. Keep it up, and don’t be shy to set yourself a higher goal for the new year.
And if some parts of today’s message go to you, maybe even irritated you because they were more or less spot on or applicable to your running year.
Then good because and this is the same for all of us we only change if there is a real pain, a real issue that needs to be solved.
So don’t sulk. Get some movement going. And especially if you haven’t yet gone for a run, go right now. Don’t waste a second.
Hey, thanks for reading, remember check us out on www.heikostribl.com give this show a like, share it with someone who you know might need to hear this God bless you, have a great running start to your new year, and remember to take it easy.
