Motivational phrases

Motivational phrases are funny things. You see them all the time now. Social media is crammed full of powerful images and smart fonts giving advice to live by.

My usual reaction to these is:

Firstly, feel empowered and moved by them,

Secondly, remember the sentiment, but not really do much with the information,

Lastly, forget the entire thing and keep doing what I've always done, hoping that somehow the result will be different.

This week I came up with my own motivational phrase and this one has stuck.

It comes at a time when I am finally mending from some weird back issues that have been causing sciatic and hip pain, and at a time when I really need to start a more structured training regime for next years races.

It has nothing to do with living for the day, I can't even pretend it is about change or how the spirit of a person can overcome all odds.

On Friday when I had no motivation to run and figured it wouldn't be good for my back I said

"Fuck it".

Fuck waiting to be better, fuck patience. Fuck waiting until tomorrow when I have more time.

Stop being lazy and making excuses, get off your arse and go running!!!

So I stuck on a head torch and some music and I went running.

It felt amazing, it felt fast, it felt like fun. It felt good to stick a middle finger up at all the things telling me not to run.

Maybe it has something to do with letting go of stress, or simply doing what I want. I'm not really sure and I have no plan to analyse it. But when I find myself in a rut, or not wanting to go out or struggling with the daily grind, its good to know that I can always say fuck it, and go for a run.

Back of the pack

After 5 years of running I recently did two things I've never done before.

I ran at the very back of a race and I ran the whole distance with someone else; and it was awesome.

The race in question was the Stort 30 by Challenge Running. It's a scenic 30 mile out and back along the River Stort which I ran 2 years ago. A few weeks before the race a friend contacted me and asked if I could sweep the race with him and although I've been making all sorts of plans for next year and been running regularly it never really felt like I'd started getting ready for the challenges ahead.

Honestly, I'm not sure if they needed a sweeper or I needed to get some demons out of my system with a long run but it was the perfect opportunity to do both. The weathers perfect as was the company (thanks Conrad).

It was a whole day of running, talking about races and running shoes and it was just what I needed to get re-energised and back on track. 


I took a few days out afterwards and then started to plan. 


One spreadsheet later and with a basic training plan in place I'm starting to feel better prepared for the big goals of next year.


Complete the Centurion Grandslam of 50's
Run Milton Keynes Marathon to a PB (sub 3:28)
Complete the Stour Valley Path 100.

Fear the sweeper.

But the biggest thing for me is to get back to enjoying it. Remembering that training is just a way of preparing for the adventure and excitement of race day. That it's better to run with others than alone and that as long as you stay ahead of the sweeper you are winning.

embrace the change

There is a quote I like; I use it at work because it helps me focus my energy and attention in important areas.

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.

I read on the Internet (so I assumed it must be true) that Socrates, the second best Greek ever (the first being Pheidippides), had said this. 

I like how it makes me feel. It is a positive way to look at change. It portrays it as an opportunity to improve rather than a chore to be endured. After a little bit of digging it turns out that it may not have been THE Socrates that said, but either way I liked it, but never really considered how it might impact outside of work.

And tonight while I was out running it occurred to me that I have been wasting energy fighting the old. 

You see two years ago I was running loads of ultras and some pretty fast Half Marathons as well. Since then I have been angry at the fact I'm not where I was.

Not as fast as I was, running as far as I was or with the achievements I was getting.

And like all of the best ideas that occur to me, my mindset changed while I was running.

Instead of being disappointed with what I've lost I could focus on what is ahead.

Instead of looking back at old races with distaste I could remember them of the good times I had and plan bigger better challenges.

Instead of bitching about not being where I was, I could do the hard work and get back to where I was; or better even.....

2016 is going to be a big year for me with some mammoth challenges and I'll need all of my energy to complete them. I won't be wasting any of it fighting the old.