1-2-3 Sundays: What's Been Going On

It's been a while since I last graced your inbox so I hope you enjoy reading what I've been up to and learned to over the last few months 😄

1 Idea

Rebuilding

As many of you will know, I'm no longer coaching.

This has freed up a lot of my time, energy and bandwidth. What it hasn't done is alter my desire to progress physically and mentally.

Since the last blog post (27th May), I've completed some big physical feats:

• Climbed Ben Lomond 4x within 24 hours, raising over £1100 for charity (I'll be writing a post on that soon).
• Ran a marathon PB as a training run.
• Cycled over 50 miles when training around an injury

Mentally, I felt like taking some time away from writing to focus solely on rebuilding myself as I had attached myself to the identity of 'coach'. I had to remember what it was like to be 'Josh', follow my curiosities and consume the media that helps me operate at my best - the fundamentals that make writing these blogs possible.

2 Positive Outcomes

The Protein Mindset

I'm fortunate to have never had a poor relationship with food. Everyone has their own complications around what they eat however we tend not to address or even acknowledge them.

For me, I thought protein always had to be the main macronutrient.

Protein is experiencing a surge in popularity in supermarkets right now - protein yoghurts, pancakes, puddings etc. This is great from the standpoint of getting more protein into your diet and for a long time I was looking at that number on the back of the packet.

Stepping into a big endurance training phase meant, I didn't need as much protein as I had previously been consuming. An increase in time and volume, resulted in me requiring more carbs and fats to fuel me properly for big runs and cycles.

What this has also achieved is the emphasis on food quality. Whole foods have always been a priority but without the need for protein-enhanced snacks and desserts, the overwhelming majority of my food comes from fresh, whole ingredients.

Feeling Like A Kid Again

I finally did something I've wanted to do this summer.

Go cycling.

It came about through necessity. I had a foot injury which meant I couldn't run so to adapt and get the same training stimulus I swapped running for the equivalent time on the bike.

Wow. I've enjoyed it loads.

Whether it was cycling into work and going up the steep hills or powering down the cycle path, I got that feeling of pure fun. The same type I used to get when I was younger and cycling further than I ever had before.

3 Learnings

Scalar Expectancy Theory

Completing 24 hours of Ben Lomond is one my greatest accomplishments.

From raising a lot of money for a great cause to standing at the top of a Scottish mountain in the pitch black at 2.20am, it was a life-changing weekend.

Since then my perception of time has been altered.

I'm currently training for a double ultra marathon - yes, you read that correctly - so the training has involved a lot of long distance runs. When I read over the training program and I see a run I know what last 3 hours, I know its only 3 hours. When I complete the run it feels like no time at all.

Because I've done runs and challenges for much longer the shorter time feels a lot shorter. Until recently, I couldn't put this into words and then I read about it in The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing by Dr Philip Maffetone.

In the book, he describes Scalar Expectancy Theory:

"a model of the processes that govern behavior controlled by time"

How does this relate to me running? Because I've experienced much longer than a 2-3 hours run, the internal body clock knows how to handle similar events of a shorter time. Your body then also knows how to manage energy stores during this time. It's how it knows to speed up during the last part of a race.

The human body is impressive.

Running Is For Thinking

When I'm out stomping the streets, I have some of my most intense and creative ideas.

I get ideas and visions of not only what I wanted to pursue long-term but also for great things I want to do when I get home or that cafe I really want to try.

It's a space where I allow my mind to wander. Cultivating that space took time because it's not and hasn't always been a pleasant place. This only makes it more critical and special to go to that place in my mind.

Once you find your space where you can be creative and totally immersed in what you're doing, you'll seek to go back.

My Mission

The last 3 years are when I've seen the most progress with my fitness and my health. It's no coincidence that it's also when I started pursuing hybrid training.

Back then I wanted to be someone who could lift heavy and run a 10km. Since then I've become that and so much more.

On a run a couple of months ago, I finally had the clarity to describe what my mission truly is:

To inspire others through my pursuit of the inconceivably hard.

A simple way to explain this is if you currently can't imagine completing an event/race/whatever, then it's a good sign and you should pursue it.

That was my starting point.

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Or send it to someone who will enjoy it.

Speak soon!