Regret in your 20s is scary

A quick question before we get into the good stuff…

As promised, here’s the “good stuff”

I have just run a half-marathon, but I got a lot more out of the experience than just cramp and mild dehydration.

There are 4 distinct stages to a long-distance run that are frighteningly similar to those you’d experience in an attempt to achieve any WORTHWHILE GOAL.

Let me explain (using a half-marathon analogy) exactly what you should expect when deciding to work towards an objective that will bring you genuine fulfilment.

Beginner’s Bounce (1km - 5km)

You did it, you have the vision to work towards. You set off with some sort of plan (you have no idea if it will work & if it’s even achievable) but you start jogging nonetheless. You lack rhythm and you look awkward…you wonder if people are staring you trying this new thing (no one actually gives a f*ck).

You stress about going too fast and burning out, but you then look to your left only to see someone ZOOOOM past you making you feel extremely inadequate (you have no idea that person has been running for the past 10 years & definitely has more experience than you). You compare yourself STILL.

In the swing of things (6km - 12km)

That awkwardness has worn off and you’re feeling good.

21km..? You’ll run 50km feeling like this.

You have forgotten about that runner who passed you 5km ago because you’re IN THE ZONE.

“This is going to be easy…why hasn’t everyone done this? Am I just a naturally gifted runner?”

You’re deluded with optimism as you build up momentum. Every stride feels good. It all feels NATURAL.

Cramp (13km - 18km)

Breathing gets a bit harder, your legs are starting to hurt (badly) and your headphones have just died. You realise you are completely on your own.

The thoughts start to creep into your head: “I could just stop now.”

You’ve already done 13km, people will commend your efforts thus far.

The self-sabotaging thoughts creep into your head and you almost convince yourself that you aren’t the type of person who achieves BIG THINGS.

Don’t worry, you can always tell people about the time you ALMOST finished that race.

P*ss off, what kind of story is that?

You push on. You’re over halfway, there’s no way you’re stopping now.

Home Straight (19km - 21km)

You’ve swallowed about 10 bugs, 30+ people have gotten in your way (slowing you down) and you are too scared to check how far you have left.

Each metre drains you and now you feel you have a GENUINE REASON TO QUIT. What kind of maniac does this to themselves?

90% of people have finished their morning runs and are at home eating breakfast, but you are still outside, plodding along.

500 metres left…200…100. You bundle over the finish line.

You expect it to feel…more accomplished.

A few days pass and you realise that it was never about reaching the finish line. The moment you replay in your head is when you dealt with that stitch at the 15km mark or the fact that you rolled your ankle on a tree root at kilometre 18 but refused to stop because you would’ve just wasted the chance of doing something extraordinary.

Achieving a worthwhile goal SUCKS. Everything that can go wrong will go wrong and you will question why it seems so much more difficult for you and not everyone else.

But do you know what sucks more? Looking back at a goal you ALMOST ACHIEVED.

Expect a challenge, expect pushback and expect it to feel unnatural. If it doesn’t feel that way, maybe you’ve set the bar too low.

Keep going no matter what

Yours sincerely

The Kaizen Team