Journal: 5am wake ups, reading, running and starting small

This is just an effort to get some of my thoughts on paper. So if you like rambling, have at it. This is for me to think out loud, but I was told some people might find value in it if I share. I don’t know where I am going to go with what I am thinking, so I will add the title after I type it, if I even share. I am not proofreading this, so I might repeat myself, I might mis-spell things, if you are looking for a well written article, look to my other write ups.

Thought: Reading.
So, I would say quite literally, two years ago… if you asked me how many books I have read, the answer would be definitely less than 3 in my entire life. This year, I made a commitment to start reading more, and I learned to love it. Every morning I have been reading for 15+ minutes with my morning coffee. I absolutely love it. Have I missed days? Absolutely! Many days, but I have been getting to a point to where, when I miss days, I crave it. It’s really a good feeling.

After my morning reading, I meditate using the calm app for 10 minutes, and then I move on to my morning run. Usually I have to start working by about 9, so in order to make this all happen, I need to start by about 5am, sometimes early. I have grown to love the routine, but sometimes its definitely a struggle.

Anyway, back to reading. Starting small with this process is the only way I have been able to sustain it. The only way to create a habit, is to start small, and slow and build upon it. Start slow. Find a book that speaks out to your heart. Starting small, with only 10-15 minutes every day has lead to many sessions being over an hour, but I dont force it. I just commit to the minimum, and let the rest just happen.

Every week, I find myself wanting more reading, more meditating. When you start getting a taste of the benefits, and feel them, thats when things shift from “chore” to “lifestyle”

If you are interested in knowing, here are links to the current books I am reading.

Current:
I hope I screw this up
5 Love Languages of Children

Just finished:
The subtle art of not giving a F*ck

Comparing reading to Running?:

I compare this “start small” mindset with those that I am trying to teach running. Running and any other athletic journey require that you start SMALL. Everyone I talk to, that want to get into running, they have this approach where they are planning on biting off WAY more than they can chew. I tell beginner runners, start with 10 minutes a day! It seems like nothing, but next week, add two minutes to a couple of those runs, and then another. After a few months, you’ll be averaging 20 minutes a day, which is DOUBLE what you were doing not too long ago. but if you start with something that you cannot improve upon, over and over, you are going to get burnt out, and its not going to be sustainable, and then you are going to quit. Its about being able to progress a LITTLE bit every single week, over and over and over.

If you have a set-back, then thats fine, you dont need to start from the beginning. Lets say you started at 10 minutes a day (with one day off for rest, obviously), and you make it to the point where you are at 20 minutes a day through adding 10%-20% every week, and then you find that life gets in the way, and you miss some days. Thats ok! Just take a step back for a few days, allow your body rest, and your mind to rest. Then, re-start the program, at the point where you are at 15 minutes a day, think about it, you are still way further along than when you started.

Ok, that was rambling, but I hope you get the point. Obviously what I am saying about the running, is a tactic for beginners, as you get more advanced, little by little, you would want to become educated about the science of a real training plan, but getting started does not need to be rocket science.

Now to my “expert” runners out there reading this. I know, periodization matters, but thats for another talk. For every new person getting into running, or reading, or meditating, or whatever the case may be, my advice is to start with LESS than you are already capable of, leave yourself WANTING MORE. Its way easier to add more than it is to do take away and re-build after digging yourself a hole.

I currently run anywhere from 30-80 miles per week. My running goes in planned cycles, based on the time of year, work schedule, and what goals I have set. I realize, that seems like a lot of running to some people, but the thing that most people dont think about, is I started the same way, I have NOT been a runner my entire life, I actually HATED running when I started at around age 25. I started because I was gaining weight and I wanted the easiest way to burn calories. I made a lot of mistakes in running, and I still make lots of mistakes. The biggest mistake, is adding too much, too quickly. It took me over a decade to get to where I feel comfortable running 50+ miles in a week, 10 years later, its a habit, that I cant get enough of. It took countless set backs, and learning, coaching others, and just trial and error to get to this point. Im not trying to gloat about myself, im trying to tell you, you dont need talent to start something, you dont need talent to get better at something. What you need, is a PLAN, on how to make whatever you want to do, a lifestyle, rather than a chore.

The part that keeps me going, is knowing, I can keep getting better. It sounds cliche, but its a competition against myself. The results in races are fun, but what happens when races get cancelled? Do you quit running? To me, if you have figured out how to make growth a lifestyle, the races dont matter, they are just milestones. The fun part to me, is that constant battle against myself to improve.

Ok I now I feel like this rambling is a blog on why I like to run? Maybe that should be the title? Shit, I dont know.

Continuing my rant.

Dont compare yourself to runners, or other athletes. We ALL start at a different place. Start where you KNOW you can achieve progress week after week. Start with 10 minutes. If thats too hard, WALK part of that 10 minutes. Just whatever you do, allow yourself to be able to add next week. Be honest with yourself. It took me over 10 years to realize the importance of being honest with myself, and if im really being honest, I struggle every day with this, but the one thing that keeps me going, is the fact that I always look to be just 1% better, it gets harder year after year, but thats what makes this shit so much fun, but in order to get there, you HAVE TO START small. Stop comparing yourself to what OTHER people are doing. Use people as inspiration, not to compare yourself.

Look, again, I realize I am just rambling and getting my thoughts out on paper. I realize that my grammar might be jacked up, or spelling. I also realize I probably already mentioned that. Don’t care, this is more for me, than it is for you. There is still even a chance that I will not share this post. I am not going to spend time proofreading this. But, I really hope anyone reading this, thinks about the way they want to approach their next journey.

If you need someone to bounce ideas with, Im all for it, and Im open to making myself more available. If you’re looking for run or endurance coaching, I have space on my roster. Hit me on FB or DM @paulduncanjr on Instagram.

Also: Im into to doing a food eating show on YouTube. Once I reach 1000 subscribers, I will attempt to eat a medium cheese pizza in under a minute like Matt Stonie, I realize I will likely fail miserably, which is ok, you’ll enjoy that. I need your help, if you enjoy them at all, share, subscribe, all that crap.

Here is one of me eating as many bananas I can in a minute. Enjoy.