First they will ask you why you do it, then they will as you how you do it.


Tuesday 24 April 2012

It's ok to feel nervous.

It occurs to me that if I'm anything like my Dad and you're anything like me, then you'll probably think that I'm fearless and willing to take on any challenge. Looking at the next few months, I'm not surprised by this. I try to teach you Kids to be scared of nothing and to try everything but here is a secret which I have never told you before. I'm terrified.


In less than a week, I'm running my first marathon. The MK marathon is nowhere near as prestigious as London Marathon which ran last weekend, but this is my challenge, so to me it means a lot. I've run the distance before, but its never easy, completing that distance is a true feat and should never be underestimated.


A week later, I'm competing in the Strongman Run in Germany. If the event is still running when you read this look it up, it sounds horrific and if it's finished, youtube has a million clips.


Lastly I have signed up for my first Ultramarathon with GoBeyondUltra. This is 35 miles of trail running and as I discovered today, map reading skills. I'm ok at the running not so much at the map reading (don't tell your mother I said that. If she asks, I'm great with a map). This takes place on the 27th of May.


So pretty much 3 new challenges and experiences, each of the more daunting than the last, all within the next four weeks. And I'm telling you now kids; I'm nervous.


Nervous that I'll get injured in one and not be able to do the others, nervous that I won't do as well as I hope. Nervous I'll let other people down and mostly nervous that I'll DNF (did not finish).


Nervousness is just the bodies way of dealing with the knowledge that you are about to do something great. It lets you know that you are pushing yourself to your limits and beyond. It prepares you for the adrenalin rush of taking that first step and the euphoria of crossing the finishing line. 


It doesn't have to be running or sport or even work based challenges that make you nervous. All sorts of things you face will give you that feeling in the pit of your stomach. From exams at school to asking someone on a date, competing in sports or learning to ride a bike, when the nerves kick in you are on a precipice between taking the safe comfortable route that you've taken before and exploring something new and exciting. Recognise them as an opportunity to do something amazing and do it.


So like I said, it's ok to be nervous. , the trick is not letting it stop you from doing the things you love.

PS. If you want t know what happens when you push yourself despite nerves ad self doubt read this from last year.


Wednesday 18 April 2012

Never be afraid to say yes.

Now kids, this does not give you permission to do crazy stuff and blame it on me.I don't know how old you'll be when you read this but trust me when I tell you that it won't excuse what you've done. 

If you broke or lost something just tell me before I find out and get cross. IF it's more serious then start thinking about how you are going to make it better.

But what you need to know is that opportunity will knock for you lots of times in your life and if you want to do anything great, you're going to have to say yes sometimes.

For me, one opportunity came early in 2012 when I was asked to take part in the Strongman Run in Germany on May 5th. Now taking part in any event is a huge dedication of time for training and competing. When you have a family, time is something that can be hard to come by. But when the event is over a weekend and involves foreign travel and flights, you're asking for a huge commitment form everyone else as well.

The strongman run is an insane event, my first event which wasn't just about running, but also included a number of obstacles and challenges. Kids, all those doubts you have about yourselves are totally normal, anyone who says otherwise is lying, trust me. But what you need to know is that most of the things limiting your potential are put in place by you. If you can overcome them you can accomplish anything. By this time in my life running had taught me that I could accomplish a lot more than I ever thought I could. So when I was asked to join Team GB, my instinct was to say no, but I grabbed the opportunity and said yes.



It's still a couple of weeks off yet and to be honest, I'm nervous as hell. I think it's a parents job to lead by example. You don't see the lack of confidence or the huge self doubt that you fell before taking part in a challenge. But let me assure you kids, it happens to all of us to varying degrees.

How does this story end, I don't know, I'll get to that. 

For now, just know that it's good for you to believe that you can achieve great things. And to do that, sometimes you are going to have to say yes.