Hey—Jake here.
Welcome to Working Order, the newsletter that helps you train for one bold challenge a year.
Let’s get to work.
Shall we?
Your Effort
A short story that’ll reframe effort
My first jobs out of college were sales positions. I sold everything from beer to software to renewable energy. Sales taught me an important lesson: Not all accounts are equal. The highest-value accounts were the ones I invested the most time in. Simple math.
The same principle applies to your fitness. Just like in sales where every account matters, every investment in your fitness matters. But certain investments matter more, like committing to that bucket-list adventure you’ve been putting off.
This one adventure will create more value than 100 random workouts combined. Not all effort is equal. Ensure yours is directed toward the things that create the most value.
Your Edge
A training strategy you can use now
Negative self-talk will emerge during training or on race day. It will appear during a casual mid-week run, a strength session, and during your long weekend runs.
The trick isn’t fighting it, but talking back. Here are some practical tips to handle negative self-talk:
Remind yourself why you’re out there. This is where having an emotional anchor or a clear purpose comes in handy.
Create an adversity plan. List 10 to 20 challenges you might face before your race. Preparing means you’ll know how to handle them.
Develop a mantra. Mantras are short, personal sayings that remind you that you are stronger than the voice urging you to give up.
Your Why
A reminder of why you’re chasing this
If you are ever tempted to look for outside approval, realize that you have compromised your integrity. If you need a witness, be your own. - Epictetus
No medal.
No Strava segment.
No applause will mean more than the quiet moment you realize you showed up for yourself.
The real win?
You kept your promise when no one else was watching.
Words: 351 (about 2 minutes of reading)
As always, hope this helped. Let’s make it a great week.
Jake