Rope in your family to see better results in your quest for fitness
▶ How loved ones can aid your motivation on those tough late-night or early morning runs
As a father of two little girls with all my focus on world records and hours of training, I make sure all my free time on weekends or evenings is just for family. I try my best to make sure training doesn’t encroach on that time.
My alarm goes off at 3am most days, to make sure I get training done before work or before the family wakes up. Much of the time, my wife has to make sure I stay on track with what I need to do.
Large challenges like running a race don’t need to be something you do alone; if you know you have the support of friends and family, it will aid your motivation on those tough early-morning or latenight runs. If you have kids, use this journey to empower them with the challenge you are doing. Show them that they can achieve anything in life with hard work.
I have had many people ask me when is the best time to start pushing kids into training. The way I look at it is that sport is like playing, but with consequence. Empower them by showing them what mum and dad can do, and exercise their brain.
My next record will involve me pushing my two girls in a pram in the Dubai Marathon to break a world record; I want to build their legacy and put them in the record books with me. Now the key in that statement is: that’s my goal. By no means does this have to be the scale of what you have to do. The other day, I went to the park with my girls, and seeing my youngest daughter (16 months) walk a full lap of the park was monumental. That made an impact on her mental growth, by being outside, moving and making strides in her own progress.
When it comes to setting your next goal, share your story with the right people who will support you. Putting the word out there on the world wide web gives you a bit of accountability to make sure you do it. Don’t feel alone ahead of the Dubai Marathon. Each step you take is incredible and – depending on your start point – life changing.
Remember: there is no such thing as a bad run, and anything is better than nothing. Never judge a run by the first kilometre. Any run is good, and your body will respond positively, even if it’s just the 20 minutes you have spare. In these moments, it’s the effort you put in that supersedes the required result.
The human body is unique in every single way. Sometimes we feel good and sometimes we don’t – that’s just how it goes. Sometimes we have to treat it like you would a car on a winter morning – you have to get it running, let it warm up and then iron out the cracks.
So, when you head out for a run and your legs feel stiff and the lower back is a bit sore, breathe… take a moment and carry on. Focus on the run, what is needed, and don’t overthink every step. Before you know it, you’re two kilometres in and the body is firing on all cylinders. Go and get it.