Why I run long distance and why every founder should too.
Just got back from a long run this morning. Launched at 5:30am and had 2 hours to myself. I’ll keep this quick and get to the point.
The obvious answer is you need to take care of yourself.
The real answer is I get two hours of uninterrupted time to think about my business. During that time I’m generally listening to audiobooks and podcasts which spark my mind.
Today I listened to four episodes of the pitch and got no less than 6 inspiring ideas of concepts from listening and thinking, alone, on the road, in the dark of the morning.
Try it! You’ll find it’s crazy good for sparking imaginative and creative thought for your business. And you’ll get a tad healthier on the way...
I’m currently listening to ‘The Road Less Stupid’ which is all about making time for thinking time - really like the idea of combining thinking time and exercise 👍
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ditto this. Great way to catch up on podcasts + thinking + taking care of yourself physically - but this could apply to other forms of exercise as well, not just running - though I don't recommend earphones + cycling.
It could... but honestly I’ve done many modalities of fitness and so far running is the only one that’s put me in a place where it’s just me and my thoughts for a long time.
When I bike I have to concentrate too much on not getting crushed by a car lol. CrossFit / yoga / group fitness there’s too much going on to actually think. Even meditating, the idea is to NOT think haha
There must be other forms of fitness that this would work for I just haven’t experienced it.
agree... running is also my preference. It's not nearly as enjoyable, but static bike / treadmill @ the gym also works - but you don't get the net effect of fresh air / outdoors.
How far did you run for 2 hours?
I actually ran for 2 hours 23m and did 13.1 miles. Slow pace :)
Thats a half marathon! how often do you do this?
I’ll run anywhere from 3 - 18 miles when I go out. Just depends on how I feel, how much time I have, and how poorly I ate the night before 😂
Well done!!
This has been something I’ve been considering getting back into. Once your in shape it’s so much fun. But dang does it suck pushing through the 3-4 months where you hate every minute of the run.
Shane,
One thing that changed my mind to “running”. The point is to get out there and challenge yourself. I just go as slow as I need. And if you put on some podcast or ebook that you can lose yourself to thought to, you won’t focus on hating the run. :)
Start off simply at a pace you can hold a conversation at for the entire run (or sing a song to yourself). That’ll keep you at a nice base rate and keep you out of anerobic state.
Thank you so much for this!!! I just did a very slow 3 mile jog last night. It was more fun than I expected. I’ll be doing the same tonight! Thanks for the inspiration!
Love the metaphor of marathons to hustling. And yesterday a friend told me they listen to self-help books to get motivated, while knowing full well that they might not work. Eye-opening perspective.
Yeah, I go to the gym 5x a week. Keeps me less anxious and more grounded. It's really helped me with my sleep.
Ps: I used to do marathons, but i think that was more of a case of me trying to run away from my past relationship. Eheh.
Listen to everything. 90% might be throw away content, but things that stick matter. And for me, running gives me a few hours to focus on nothing but the words being spoken.