Three lessons from the Ultra Running
Ultra running is a perfect representation of our life : we define our dreams, we prepare to reach them, we come up with our doubts, we ingenuity to be able to carry on our project, we are busy to stay consistent with what we decide to do.
The lessons I've learned, and continue to learn, from ultra running are truly many. I want to share three with you that you can apply to any area of your life.
Define a process goal
When you're working on your goals, define a process goal in addition to your outcome goal. A process goal, as the word itself suggests, refers to the process, the path you believe you need to follow to achieve the final result. Let me give you a practical example: if your intention is to lose weight, your outcome goal might be to weigh 68 kg by the end of May. Your process goal might be: to work out 5 days a week. Setting a process goal allows you, as they say, to " stay on track " to always have the situation under control, and to easily monitor how things are going. In essence, you " break down " your outcome goal into many micro-goals.
Give yourself time
Haste, as we know, is a bad idea. In ultra running, it's not advisable to do a 100km ultra trail if you're not capable of running a half marathon. It's not just a question of athletic and mental preparation, it's also a question of time. The body must gradually accustom itself to withstanding the stress of training, and the brain must gradually accustom itself to pushing its limits a little further . Give yourself the time you need and don't be too hard on yourself.
Take a chance
Take a risk. Nothing that could jeopardize your health or safety, but take a risk. For example, you could sign up for that race you'd like to run but aren't sure you'll finish. "What if I don't make it to the finish line?" When we're good, we learn more from failures than from victories. If we want to move into the realm of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, we can say that there are no failures, only feedback . Didn't finish your race? Ask yourself what you can do better, review your performance, and identify areas on which to focus your physical preparation. Listen to your internal dialogue again and identify ways to strengthen your mental preparation.
These are just three of the countless lessons ultra running has taught me. I'm convinced they can be useful to you too. Identify an area of your life you want to improve and apply these three principles to it. You'll be amazed at how quickly you'll see results.
