 | | In today's edition, Joe shares: - 7 Big Insights for 2024
- How to Run Faster
- A Top Protein Snack
| | | BETTER IN 2024, PART 4 | Spartans!
Each year, I take time away for a brutal personal inventory. I ask myself, how did I do professionally and personally, as a business leader, father, husband, and friend?
This exercise could turn into a harsh audit that leads to self-judgment and regret, but I've learned over the years to short-circuit that mindset and instead use what I've learned to guide me in the future.
Our Spartan community, I believe, is a lot like me. We are unafraid of searching deeply for answers, taking our medicine, and working hard to be better versions of ourselves.
Each week this month in The Hard Way, I have shared seven powerful ideas on fitness, mental strength, and performance that surfaced for me, with one concrete action we can take in 2024:
Here are the final 7:
22. Find Your 'Why': You can accomplish anything if you have a clear purpose. People who lose their 'why,' lose their way.
This year, take time to define your 'why' for the work you do, your family, and the extracurricular activities and hobbies you enjoy. Remind yourself of it every time you're faced with a decision.
23. Build Systems for Success: Inspiration is fleeting and unreliable, but habits endure.
This year, focus on building clear plans that will lead to accomplishing your goals. Goals without a supporting process are rarely achieved.
24. Don't Let Others Define You: You are the author of your one, unique and novel life.
This year, don't be a sheep who follows others. Blaze your own trail.
25. Choose Curiosity Over Judgement: Don't treat others as bad as they are, treat them as good as you are.
This year, rise above the poor behavior of others and stay true to yourself.
26. Learn to Listen: Paying true attention is a lost art.
This year, listen until there is nothing else to hear. Let others tell their stories.
27. Be Patient: See that old person taking forever in line? Show understanding, because that's the future you.
This year, be mindful that we are all in this thing together, and assume everyone is doing the best they can. Including you.
28. Keep Learning: If you're the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.
This year, spend time with people smarter than yourself. Even better, find smart people who will challenge you and your beliefs.
Here's to The Hard Way!
Joe | | | They Said It | | "The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled." | | –Plutarch | | | NEED FOR SPEED | When prepping for races, Spartan athletes focus a lot, and rightfully so, on navigating our uniquely diabolical obstacles.
But Spartan events also require you to run, and performing well means building a base of endurance and training consistently at race pace.
Too often, Spartans ignore speed training, which has two important benefits:
First, it promotes running economy so you'll expend less energy to run faster. Second, it develops muscular strength that will help you produce more force, resulting in a more powerful stride.
Here are three workouts that will meet your need for speed:
Long Strides: Try 100-meter accelerations to bring you to about 95 percent of your maximum speed. Start with four strides after easy runs 2-3 days per week.
Hill Sprints: Doing short, steep uphill sprints in the range of 10-15 seconds 1-2 times per week will develop strength just like heavy lifting in the gym, but with more specificity to running.
Short repetitions: Running 200m–400m repeats at your 1-mile race pace, for up to 5k total, will help improve your turnover. | | | You Ask, Joe Answers | Q: Hi Joe, What kind of protein bars do you eat?
–Claiborne M., Auburn, AL
A: Hey Claiborne, I don't eat protein bars, I find that most of them have too much sugar. But if you're looking for a good source of protein, go old school and pick cottage cheese.
You won't be the only one. In July, Google searches for "cottage cheese" rose to the highest levels recorded since 2004. Why? It offers an impressive array of nutrients including protein, calcium, selenium and more without sugar or additives.
Eat it after a workout spooned straight from the tub, smear it over toast like burrata, top it with fruit, or use it as a dip for raw veggies.
Aroo! | | | | The Hard Way Podcast | | | "We are hardwired to be able to intercept patterns that don't serve us anymore, and to be open to cues that help guide us on our path."
–Dr. Jeff Karp | | | | | | Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here. | | | WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS NEWSLETTER? | | | | | |
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