My Sporting Philosophy

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My friends will have heard that I believe there are five types of people in this world and although people may move between the subtypes rarely, and when they do it’s often prompted by an externality such as trauma or major life obstacle. Generally, I believe  this is an innate mindset that doesn’t change, but can be grown with the right approach and you might innately be a ”type 5” but it takes progression through the other 4 types to get there.   I’ll use marathon as the analogy to explain the five types.   

Type 1 - the never, evers 

These people have no desire and will never run a marathon. This is probably the great bulk of the population  These people have no interest in running a marathon and will never even contemplate it. They think types 2-5 need professional help. That’s cool, no judgement.

Type 2 - the bucket listers  

These people have the desire but lack the commitment. These people are interested but it always remains on the “bucket list” and they never manage to prioritise the effort required to get it done.  These people are most likely to jump to type 3 if an externality arrives or they get inspiration from a friend or loved one.   

Type 3 - the once in a lifer. 

These people have the desire and at some point work hard to achieve that bucket list marathon. They do it once and that’s all. Happy, satisfied and content knowing they are now part of the 1% of people in the world who have run a marathon.   

Type 4 - the repeat marathoners. Once is never enough. 

They may not be fast (maybe they are) but they come back again and again. They may be type 3 people that  declared “never again” during the hours of training or at the finish line, but that “early bird” email that pops up a week later or seeing friends do another marathon may bump them into type 4.  They have no interest going beyond the 42.2 and think Type 5 people are crazy (just how most of the world looks at them).   

Type 5- the sadists. 

This is my tribe. We finish our first marathon and maybe declare “never again” but quickly we are not just reacting to that early bird offer but start wondering  “what’s harder” and find ourselves continuously pushing boundaries, finding our limits and then pushing them a little more.   

Fortunately I’ve got a good number of friends I ascribe to type 5 so don’t struggle to find training or event company.   

I remember various events where I’ve finished completely shattered and have sworn, even on camera “never again”. But the physical pain subsides and the brain starts to crave those neurotransmitters again. The run director at my first 100km event told me it was a gateway to the miler and I laughed, vowing “never again” but no surprises I’ve since signed up for a miler (100 miles, 160km) and have plans to break 200km at an event in 2022. Whether I then progress to 200 miles and multi-day events, well check back later.   

What drives me as a Type 5 Runner?  

There are two quotes that stand out for me with respect to physical endurance – one I’ve followed for around a decade and one that only recently came into my feed and really resonates with my 2022 goals.  The long standing statement that I first shared in 2013 as I started triathlon and have re-shared multiple times since and it runs through my head whenever I’m lining up for something harder than I’ve ever done before.