Keeping up with the Willis'
What we can learn from New Zealand great, Nick Willis
My goal in each of these newsletters, the blog posts I write, the coaching I do, and the social media shares I push out have one thing in common: to try and bring you value.
I try to write about pain points that either I’m going through or that you might be going through… Sometimes, I read about what you write in Facebook Groups - mine or Run856’s - and attempt to answer your questions.
This week, I’m going to look at staying in top form as we get older. And older. And older.
I read an article about Nick Willis - a former competitor of mine while in college is still (I mean still) competing at a very high level. How high do you ask?
Well, he’s broken 4 minutes in the mile for 19 consecutive years (a World Record). He’s 37 and still competing with the best in the world!
So here we are - mere mortals compared to Nick Willis, but there are obvious (and maybe not so obvious) places where we can learn a thing or two from this New Zealand legend.
So here’s a short list of what I believe makes Nick keep going and what you can do to mimic his success:
Full support from family
A belief in one’s ability
Using resources, like longtime coaches, to stay up on current training philosophies
Staying healthy
Mixing up training and racing events
Keeping training fun and relevant
Using small wins to keep motivated
I know that this winter was brutally tough for a number of reasons, so my wish and my hope for you is that you take some strength in recognizing how strong and resilient you are.
You got this!
I will be taking a brief one-week hiatus to get some long-term projects done, but I’ll be back the following week. If you have any ideas for topics you’d like me to cover, reply to this email.
Friday’s Action Plan:
Give yourself an opportunity to focus on your most important and most rewarding tasks first. These will help get the ball rolling.
What’s Got My Attention:
Article: Back at it again Emily Infeld Talks Mental Health and Physical Recovery
Popular Articles on the Blog this Week:
Beginner’s Guide To Resistance Bands
Everything You Need To Know About Easy Runs
Social Benefits of Running in a Group
Popular Newsletter Sessions:
Session 4: Celebrating the Victories - May 2019
What are Junk Miles and Are They Worth It? - Nov 2020
Quote of the Day:
It doesn't matter what you're trying to accomplish. It's all a matter of discipline. -Wilma Rudolph
Connect with me:
Here’s what I’m working on and what I’d love you to check out:
Thanks for following along on the journey! Have something you’d like to add? Have suggestions or comments? Email me: TrainwithMarc@gmail.com
If this resonates with you, I would love it if you could share it.
Marc is a middle school teacher and coach but also works with distance runners online. I help distance runners around the globe by providing support, writing customized training plans, and designing workouts to help them reach their racing goals. I write for my blog every Wednesday morning and newsletter every Friday morning.