At the heart of any successful endeavour lies one skill. Your ability to stick at the task for a long period of time.

…. and that’s the topic of today’s newsletter ….

Endurance - do you have it ?

Mark Allen’s Greatest Win

Few athletes embodied endurance better than Mark Allen, who learned that true endurance isn’t about force. It’s about patience.

Mark Allen’s breakthrough race in Hawaii finally came in 1989 in what became known as The Iron War.

For years, Allen had tried but failed to beat “The Man”…. Dave Scott.

He thought the only way he could beat Scott would be by brute force. More training, harder training. Then he would swim, ride and run away from him.

But that wasn’t the secret to success. The only way to win would be through patience.

He had to put himself in the right position and be ready to crack Dave mentally when the time was right.

That year he stayed patient, matched Scott stride for stride through the bike and most of the run, and then surged late in the marathon to win his first Hawaii Ironman.

That victory was a turning point. He went on to win six titles in Kona between 1989 and 1995.

Patience

Patience doesn’t mean doubt won’t creep in. In fact, the longer you stay in the fight, the more your mind will test you

Doing an endurance event needs a lot of patience. Every worthwhile endeavour does.

Imagine starting the Tour de France as the favourite. Everyone is saying you will win the event but you know what that takes.

Day after day. Mountain after mountain they attack.

They aren’t attacking your physicality. They are attacking your mental strength.

They know that if they are to beat you they have to be patient, stay in the fight, and wait to see if you crack.

They are opening you up by being in your face. Waiting for the moment.

Second Guessing

Sooner or later you will encounter the moment where you reach the fight or flight fork in the road.

You will second guess your goals and your ability to reach them.

If you haven’t seen that fork in the road then adjust your goals higher.

You simply must get to this point as this is where your endurance calluses are formed.

Getting up early every day to train when you only move the needle a tiny amount is hard.

Will you engage the fight or flight mode ?

You can’t force it

My biggest successes never came from forcing things. In fact that’s when the mistakes came.

My successes came from creating my framework and sticking to it. Tapping into my deep work ethic. Understanding my challenges deeper than anyone could imagine and working through them.

Then when the moment comes - you strike!

Your competition won’t expect you to still be there. But there you are. Smiling and patient. Ready to apply the blow torch.

That’s why endurance isn’t about pushing harder at all costs. It’s about setting yourself up for the right moment.

That moment, if done right will come effortlessly. You will be in flow state.

Burn the boats

Give yourself no option but to stick it out.

Set a big goal. Share it. Then stay the course. This “no other option” method sets your standards.

When I left my corporate job in 2014 I set the goal of becoming a full time professional coach. A lot of people wanted to water that moment down by saying I was retiring. But my goal wasn’t to coast into the easy life. In fact it was quite the opposite.

I was ready to work. Everything I did, everything I learnt up until that point was preparing me for success.

I gave myself no other option but to succeed.

In Closing

If you want to win your own Iron War in sport or life you’ve got to earn the right to still be there when the fight is decided.

This week, set one big target and give yourself no way out. No excuses. No detours. Burn the boats and stay in the race until the competition cracks.

Patience isn’t passive. It’s the weapon they never see coming.

Just ask Mark Allen … patience wins wars

The Secret Weapon of Endurance