The Weekly Forge #124

On Running Your Race

I'm different than most people. When I cross the finish line of a big race, I see that people are ecstatic, but I'm thinking about what I'm going to do tomorrow. It's as if my journey is everlasting, and there is no finish line.

David Goggins

---

IT IS DONE.

Last Sunday, just shy of 11 hours I crossed the finish line of the Ben Nevis Ultra marathon. And only now, five days later, do my legs start to feel normal again.

The race threw everything at me:

• mountain goats disguised as fellow runners were racing past me on the uphills

• my legs were cramping when scrambling up the mountains

• it was wet, windy and very cold

And yet, this big German somehow made it past the time cut-offs and stumbled 32 miles through the Scottish Highlands. Here is a quick recap of the route:

As amazing as this adventure has been, it was 100x more impactful because of ALL OF YOU!

I was hesitant to speak to a camera for the first time, but I did it because I’d hoped it would help me connect better with the people following this journey and maybe inspire someone to face their demons.

The feedback has completely overwhelmed me.

The messages before the race and since I crossed the finish-line have made all of this one of the best experiences of my life. And I want to thank each and every one of you for your support!

Although it’s safe to say that it will take more time to fully digest the ups and downs of the prep and the race itself, the best way to capture your thinking is undoubtedly through writing it down. So here’s a recap of the race and the lessons I drew from it:

Ben Nevis Ultra 2023

---

As good as writing it down felt, it doesn’t capture the experience as well as a video of course.

But you’ll have to wait until next week for that, as apart from the usual busyness of our weeks, I was prepping for the next adventure: 9 Munros (big Scottish mountains) over the weekend with our 3-year old and 13-year old + a large group from work!

---

And the last thing I wanted to share with you was another fun experience I had on a podcast a few weeks back, which was released a couple of days ago.

We spoke about the journey from volunteer to CEO, how to craft your vision and go after it as well as more discussions around the difference between for-profit and non-profit organisations.

I hope you’ll enjoy it:

Or listen to it here Apple Podcasts or Spotify

This Week’s Picture of Scotland

And if you’d like help putting systems in place to help you achieve your personal goals amidst the competing demands of work and family life, please get in touch here.