Uncover your inner athlete!

Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten.. Each morning in Africa a lion awakes - it knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve.


No matter if you are the lion or the gazelle, when the sun comes up you had better be running!



Friday, March 28, 2014

Just for the sake of it

When was the last time that you did something or said something that made someone else feel good just for the sake of it? I'm not talking about when you expected something back, but just when you did something good just because.

I was talking this morning with a training buddy after we both commented to a dude at the gym on how much weight he had lost over the past 6 weeks. I really think it’s important to share these sorts of comments with others (even strangers) and often do it when I’m out running or training. When I was at my heaviest and trying to shift kilos I know how hard it was and also how I lived for any sort of commendation or positive word from anyone really. We all value and need this sort of encouragement and after all you never know what someone is going through in their life at that point and how one positive statement or action could have such a great impact on them.

Some people are able to talk themselves up and that is how they obtain their motivation, but others need and really value those pep ups from others. It may sound idealistic, but surely more people would take up running if they didn’t feel self-conscious and if they were proud of their achievements. Since most of us tend towards the negative and are harder on ourselves than we need to be, it makes sense that we would mainly gather encouragement from external sources.

We all started somewhere so be kind to those trying and improving. Kindness should never be confused with weakness. Shared strength makes us all stronger.

Doing something for someone else need not cost money. A kind word or gesture of assistance is often worth more than a lottery win.

Running together (while spreading positive words to others), stride for stride on a life changing ride! – Sean Muller

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Changing the world (and partners) one run at a time!

Running in a group of friends this morning we fell into conversation about relationships of runners with non runners and how this might affect a relationship. I was also sharing a  close friends recent revelation that any exterior of a man (I.e. Clothes, shoes etc) she could change, but that interior changes (around personality and the like) would be a little more tricky.

On hearing this story one of the other girls in our group mentioned that she had first hand experience of having changed one of her boyfriends personalities. Naturally she felt her handy work was for the better and that as a result he was now a better person overall.

There was also talk of the runner heading off early in the morning and leaving the non runner to wake up on their own even on the weekend.

With so many interesting topics broached on the run it is fascinating what one can learn from these group runs.

Running together (while sharing with friends on the run), stride for stride on a life changing ride! -- Sean Muller

Friday, March 21, 2014

Mortality

I was reminded of mortality again today in a few ways. This morning I was talking to my running nun buddy from the gym. Each time we chat I'm amazed at how much I learn from her and it makes the gym session so much more enjoyable. She is unlike the stereotypical nun, but clearly devoted not only to God and serving humanity, but also surprisingly to her football team. We talk endlessly about her work around the world and the fact that many many people around the world don't reach their 30s due to high mortality rates. This chat put any problems I might be having into genuine perspective.

Secondly I was faced with a 70 year old bloke at the pool this afternoon. He looked amazing and always talks about making the most of his life each and every day. His wife recently passed on, and while he was clearly happy to have had so many years of marriage to her he wasn't sitting still now and waiting to die either. In his words there are too many challenges to face still in his life.  We talked about life love and the world around us and he summed it up by saying 'Sam keep training and running and living life to the full. If love follows good - if not at least you will have loved life'. True words indeed.

Maybe I will be the lone bloke in the nursing home driving everyone else crazy, but it won't be before I've lived a full life!

Running together (while living life not sitting still), stride for stride on a life changing ride! -- Sean Muller

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Seizing each opportunity to LIVE

This year has been all about taking on some major challenges (both athletically and in life) and truly LIVING!! The weekend was another of these as I posed for a calendar shoot. This was definitely something that I thought I’d never do in life, but have come through it I feel it was an extremely liberating and empowering experience for all involved and as a one in a life time opportunity, I could not really pass it up.

As I've said many times beforehand, life is so short and I only this weekend learned of some young folks that I knew passing in tragic circumstances. To really LIVE and grab each and every opportunity is something and I plan to continue to do on an ongoing basis.

Do something for yourself and something for someone else each day and life generally goes well.

Running together (while embracing every opportunity), stride for stride on a life changing ride! – Sean Muller

Friday, March 14, 2014

Life is good!

This morning as I was completing my gym workout post run with a little dance off, one of the gym instructors commented and said ‘Sam – how come you’re always so happy?’

Now firstly I’m far from happy all the time, but generally my thoughts are that you are what you put out into the world. Plus no one wants to be around anyone who is negative, boring and unwilling to laugh at themselves.

I get excited by things. I am happy when others do well, I get excited by achievement, I get excited by positivity, I am happy when I see the lady I fancy, I get excited by a new breaking day and the promise that it can bring! I get excited by a morning cup of coffee. Life is exciting! Who knows what will happen around each corner.

Think about the day and how many opportunities it brings. Sometimes I think about how things would turn out if I went one way during the day instead of another way? Are ‘setbacks’ really negative? Or perhaps they are life’s subtle ways of keeping us grounded and showing us that the path we were on was not the correct one for us at the time. If anything though life is so short and who in their right mind would want to spend it miserable and unhappy.

There are always choices in life for us to make. As a very wise member of my family said to me ‘There are no right or wrong decisions – only decisions. If one doesn’t work out then you just make another one. Trust yourself – back yourself and draw on experiences from previous situations that you have overcome in life.

Above all stay positive! It sure as heck beats the alternative.

Running together (while staying positive), stride for stride on a life changing ride! – Sean Muller

Thursday, March 13, 2014

The runners come down - how do you deal with it?

The week after a big event like I experienced last Saturday in the Six Foot marathon is always an interesting time for me. You come off the high of having trained for something like that and then finally getting in and doing it and then just as suddenly it is all over. Even once the celebrations die down, this is always a time of up and then down and is likened by Tim Noakes to a depressive state having attained one goal and not really having the next one to look to.

I was talking to a close friend the other day and I liken this to an exam that you may study and study for and then you dread it, but come the day it’s all over in no time and you realise that it was not that scary in the first place. This is largely true of anything in life really – running or ultra distance events can teach you so much about life and help you to become resilient to anything that may get thrown your way in the future. Having in the back of your mind the fact that you toughed it out and didn’t quit on the day even if it hurt like the devil can only be a good thing for the future. It helps us to grow – develop and mature.

A short time ago I wrote about my other contact I am helping with his fitness journey after his marriage fell apart. It is really so good to see him on a great path and looking do strong again having shed much of his corporate spare tyre that many men fall into when they don’t think of anything bar work and don’t find that they get out of the office at all – much less for exercise. He is pushing through his journey as I am pushing through mine. We all have our own path to walk.

Look at your achievements not only as one offs, but as ways that they will help to shape you, your future and your journey!

Running together (while embracing the week after a big achievement), stride for stride on a life changing ride! – Sean Muller

Monday, March 10, 2014

Stretching your boundaries

I had a teacher once who said we should always try something new every day and push ourselves out of our comfort zone as this is where we would grow the most and experience the most from the world. 

This weekend was one of those occasions where I completed in my first (and probably only) Six Foot Track 45KM Marathon. The track is forms one of the most iconic ultra marathon courses in Australia and is definitely something that is worth giving a go at some point during a runners lifespan.

Consisting of some really narrow sections and single track as well as a steep downhill uneven staircase at the start, it forms a great challenge for both the weekend warrior like myself as well as those more experienced who are racing the clock (and themselves). It was rather weird having so many people barrel down into the race and large packs seemed to stay together during the early stages, but in the last 20K of the race I often found that I was running on my own which again was something that I found strange and at times a little eerie. 

Why do we do these sorts of things then? For me it was a case of never having done something like Six Foot previously, so it was nice to tick the box and get the tshirt and get things over with. No doubt with time and running the course more and more, you will naturally improve.

For many though it is just an annual pilgrimage or journey where they spend time by themselves and vaguely help to reconnect with nature and their spirit outside of their day to day city life. It is a chance for everyone to reawaken that Neanderthal in them that sometimes gets beaten down.

When next are you going to stretch your boundaries and break the creature habits – walk a different way to work, try another coffee shop maybe. Life’s about positive adventure and grow.

Running together (while experiencing positive adventures), stride for stride on a life changing ride!—Sean Muller

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Being a guinea pig for controversial methods

Going into a rather big event on Saturday in the Six Foot Track Marathon, I wanted to share some little known secrets that could ultimately help to increase performance those extra couple of percent in the lead up.

Naturally these won’t make you an Olympian overnight, but they can help to push you a little bit harder.
Firstly green tea is not only good for weight loss and feeling of general wellbeing, but will also help to lift your VO2 Max in the lead up to an event. I find that it also helps to put me in that heightened state of alertness where your muscles start to twitch and you really want to race.

Echinacea is another natural product that can assist in performance. Not only does it help to ward off colds and flu, but studies have shown that taking 8000mg of it per day helps to increase the amount of EPO in the blood. This peaks at 3 weeks and decreases again markedly after four weeks. Now everyone knows that more EPO means more red blood cells, more power and more oxygen – and it’s natural.

There are companies that will encourage you to take their costly concoctions containing these everyday substances, but from what I’ve read and what I’ve experienced, the same results can be obtained through buying the bog standard products in their pure form.

These have worked for me and as stated before, I’m no doctor and I’m not afraid to use myself as a guinea pig for methods that others might find controversial.

Running together (while trying some controversial methods), stride for stride on a life changing ride!—Sean Muller.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

The purest and rawest form of relationships

It’s always interesting to observe how quickly one reaches a comfort level when in the company of other people so that although manners and respect are upheld, some airs and graces are cast aside when natural bodily functions take place.

When we compete in sport, we are often reduced to our barbarian self. The primitive beast inside of us comes out and as a friend said to me ‘we look our worst while achieving our best’.  Natural instinct takes over and we find ourselves blowing noses on shirts, burping, farting and even throwing up if an event becomes too hard. This is all natural stuff really, but stuff that we naturally try and hide from friends and partners.

In this state there is no place to hide. There is no dim light, no makeup, no alcohol or beer goggles. Just the raw honest truth. It is so true that if you can’t love someone in their exercise gear then you will never love them as you will have seen them at some of their worst, but then again also at their most beautiful as there is nothing better than an active body.

My massage therapist earlier this year told me that she thought it was great if my stomach gurgled as that apparently in Chinese medicine means that the body is releasing bad vibes and letting good vibes in. This lady in fact encourages me to let things out and not hold back. Weird initially, I’m now very comfortable to do this in her presence even though she is 55 and slightly eccentric, we have gone past that point of embarrassment. 

I was out running with an awesome friend this morning who commented that we had gone past that point of being embarrassed about passing wind or discussing things like bathroom behaviour and that this is often a great place to find oneself in. In this state you can be really honest about things. Things get reduced to the rawest sense and you see past all the plastic and pretense that usually gets put on.

Running together (while loving those relationships based around simplified rawness), stride for stride on a life changing ride! – Sean Muller