Kicking off the 2024 race season and the ultra training plan…and then getting COVID! Everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the face, as “Iron” Mike Tyson used to say. Here’s what I’m doing to keep moving forward.
My Journey To Ultra - Baseline (Day 1)
Embarking on a transformative journey in 2024, I'm taking on two monumental challenges: my first 50K mountain ultramarathon and my first Spartan Race Ultra on my 50th birthday. Despite recent health setbacks and injuries, I'm determined to reach peak physical condition. Join me as I document this journey of resilience and self-discovery - it won't be boring!
My Thoughts After The Spartan Death Race / Race Recap
I Will Endure, I Will Experience, and I Will Learn
With so little time to prepare going into my Spartan Death Race (I fly out in 2 weeks!), I'm not going to be able to do anything to meaningfully alter and train my body for the physical demands of this kind of ultra-endurance event. It's simply not possible. Preparing to take the step up from around where my current conditioning is at to run a multi-day endurance race is usually achieved on the timescale of years (yes, YEARS, plural), not weeks, so I'm just going to have to "run what I brung" to use an old motor-racing phrase.
But I can't help having some real moments of deep self-doubt. Like, literally tears streaming down my face while out on a walk or run, "who the hell do I think I am to attempt this?" and "I am in WAY over my head" kind of moments.
So, knowing that I can't change myself physically, and working through my moments of self-doubt, what CAN I do to prepare?
Is Coach JP Crazy? Maybe A *Little* Bit...LOL
What I Learned While Climbing WAY Too Many Stairs Last Weekend
I went into last weekend's Step Up For Cardiac Health event with zero expectations. I was just there to put in my best effort and support a good, local cause. To end up finishing as the first place male and second place overall was honestly quite a shock.
I can't remember the last time I was first place at anything. I honestly don't know that I've EVER been first place before. Maybe sometime in grade school at a Sports Day event...? Nope- just remembered. Raina and I won first place in the Boys & Girls Club Car Rally back in 2002, I think.
Anyway, here are a few things I learned along the way…
When You Can't Walk The Talk...
Finding Purpose / Direction In My Journey - Coach JP's Journal
OK - I’m Struggling
Over the past couple of months, but this past eight days in particular, I’ve experienced what I would describe as the culmination or confluence of a number of different stresses and struggles. It’s felt as if the sum of all the difficulties and challenges of this past 14 months has finally burst the floodgates and beaten me down. As a result, I haven’t been journaling this past eight days because I didn’t want it to be just a repeating message of negativity.
Why I've Put Away All My Spartan Race Medals...
I’ve been struggling this past month with a feeling of…ambivalence, I guess would be the word (or maybe indifference?), when it comes to my own training and nutrition. This may seem a strange thing to hear from a personal trainer and nutrition coach, but hey…I’m just as human and fallible as any of you!
I made a commitment to endeavour to lead by example this year, and this is hardly the example I want to set, so I’ve been keeping these thoughts / feelings to myself and just trying to work them out behind the scenes. Again, though - sometimes I just need to get stuff down on “paper” (or the current digital equivalent) to work stuff out, so here goes…
Reflections On A Rough Start To 2021
As I sit here, NOT running my first training sessions of 2021 this morning due to a gout attack (something which is, thankfully, quite rare for me these days, but this one was particularly ill-timed), I find myself reflecting on what I plan to do with myself this year, and the challenges I may face.
I have set myself four main tasks to work on this year to help me become a better coach and leader, and in particular to aid me in leading by example with those over whom I have some influence (however small):
Practice and improve my craft as a Nutrition Coach.
Explore my limits as a Multi-Disciplinary Athlete.
Further develop my skills as a Cook and Baker.
Practice and improve my craft as a fitness, nutrition and lifestyle Content Creator.
Here’s what I’m thinking…
Why We Train - Part 1: My Journey
At The BTG, the majority of our members are not competitive athletes, nor do they have jobs that require them to maintain a high level of fitness year-round (E.G. front-line first responders, active duty military, etc.). As a result, we’ve often had folks ask “what the heck do you guys train so hard for?”
The short version is pretty simple - to just kick ass at life, able to meet any challenges that come our way with a balanced spectrum of physical abilities, and to maintain those abilities for as long as possible. To borrow a phrase from Dr. Peter Attia, our aim is “to be the most kick-ass 100-year olds possible.”
Where that gets a bit more complicated is in the details. What constitutes a “balanced spectrum of physical abilities”? If we have no specific demands from a sport or our work, how do we determine where we need to focus our energies?
To understand that, I need to tell a different story…