Kolja Oswald’s Post

Morning Running Thoughts Pic Credits : Ultraman Day 3 Run View By Sunnycoast Photos. 👟 Seek No Validation:  Start your day strong with a workout and tackle your most important task before noon. Accomplishing these by midday can set a positive tone for the rest of your day. 🏃♂️Pursue Joy: Whatever you do, find happiness in it. Make decisions with your heart. Overthinking and seeking different opinions can create confusion. 🎽Create Opportunities: Where others see obstacles, see opportunities. Use challenges as a tool for growth and self-improvement. 💨 From Failure to Success: You can transition from failure to success, but not from excuses to success. Keep moving forward and focus on your next step. Failing is not a crime, but lack of effort is. 🥇 Experiment Freely: You never know what you might enjoy or excel at. I never imagined completing an Ironman, but by experimenting, discovered I could tackle an Ultraman too. Keep your dreams alive every day and view each day as an opportunity to grow. #running #ultraman #ironman #run #gloablrunningday #growth #motivation

On the challenging trails of ultratrail running, I've learnt some valuable lessons. The first is to break down big goals into smaller steps, starting one step at a time. By doing so, you turn what seems impossible into mere opinions. Consistent and disciplined preparation has also proved essential. Just as we mould our bodies and minds through daily training, in everyday life, constant dedication strengthens us to face obstacles. These races are not just competitions, they are journeys of self-discovery and overcoming. Each step taken is a learning experience, an opportunity for personal growth. And as I apply these lessons to everyday life, I realise that ultratrail trails are metaphors for the challenges we face off them. With courage and determination, we move forward towards our goals, knowing that we are capable of turning our dreams into reality. Have a great weekend my Friends!! #Ultratrail #Running #Challenge #Selfdiscovery #Overcoming #Determination #Objectives #Dreams #Personalgrowth

"When you think you're done, you're only at 40% of what your body can do. You can push through that mental barrier." A few years ago, my mentor gave me a book called "David Goggins: Can't Hurt Me." Little did I know it would change my life forever. Goggins talked about his love for ultra marathons and the mental battles he faced during those tough races. His words hit me hard because I realized we often set limits on ourselves that aren't real. I took this to heart and decided to put it into action. When I started running, I began with short distances and slowly built up my stamina. It was tough, and sometimes I doubted my choice. But whenever I felt like quitting, I remembered Goggins saying, "When you think you're done, you're only at 40% of what your body can do. You can push through that mental barrier." During races, I repeated the idea of having hidden strength within me like a mantra. Even when my legs were tired and my lungs were about to burst, I knew I hadn't even tapped into my full potential. There was more in me, waiting to be unleashed. Pushing myself to the limits, I discovered rewards beyond my wildest dreams. Crossing the finish line after an ultra-marathon filled me with a sense of accomplishment like nothing else. I became someone who embraced challenges and faced adversity head-on, no longer avoiding tough situations. Goggins' concept of "staying hard" became my motto on the track and in life. I learned to embrace discomfort because that's where I grew the most. Each race was an opportunity to break down mental barriers and find the strength that was hidden inside me, just waiting to be released.

In the quest for solitude, many fear the grips of loneliness. My solace? Nature walks. Comparable to the endurance required for marathons, each step through nature fortifies my resolve, offering a unique form of self-care that goes beyond conventional methods. 🌿✨ As professionals, recognizing the importance of taking breaks to reconnect with ourselves is vital. Let's pursue this journey of self-discovery and well-being together. #SelfCare #ProfessionalWellbeing

4745 kms in 2023. Continued the #streak of running at least twice the distance (in kms) of the year number for fifth year now. #Consistency coupled with a defined #goal is the key to achieve success, in #running or in #life. Wishing everyone a happy and fulfilling 2024. Let's all #inspire and #motivate others around us to achieve their respective #goals. #RunningIsBelieving

Go big, or go HOME! Are you only excited by grand plans that scare you? What about small, unsexy plans? BORING right? Completing a marathon is considered an achievement by many. Running 1km around a park? Not so much. If you ever tried running 42km without any training. You know how regret feels like the moment you hit the road. Chances are, you gave up within the first 10km. The IDEA of completing a 42km run is sexy. The discipline of training for it - Not so much! It took me years to condition myself. You see, it’s not your legs that give up first. Your mind is usually the weakest link that caves. We tend to overthink and make excuses for ourselves to take it easy. Picture 42km at once and your mind gives way. Now picture doing 1km at a time, slow and steady. With lampposts guiding you as milestones. Visualise getting just a bit faster at every milestone. Breathe in. Breathe out. Next milestone. Much easier right? And before you know it - You’ll be slaying the marathon like you were born to do it. That is the power of consistency! #consistency #smallwins #SME #gobigorgohome #tortoiseVShare

What kind of body do you want? Age is just a number. I know, that's such a cliche. But it's really true. In this photo, I'm soaking wet. I'm completely waterlogged. I'm also in severe pain. And it shows for sure. My quad were blasted and completely cramped for the last 9 miles. I tried to do everything right. I was on track until mile 17. Then disaster struck. What every marathon runner fears. Muscles failing. Horrendous cramps setting in. I almost dropped out with 6 miles to go. But in the last 6 miles, I made up my mind to push through the pain and finish no matter how much I was hurting. I finished. But I can do better. And I will. But here's the best thing about an experience like this. The pain is only temporary. What lasts is the moment you finished, and the feeling that your hard work paid off. Is it easy. I won't lie. No, of course it isn't easy. Is it worth the time and training? Oh hell, yes. Do you want to run a marathon or any other race and don't know where or how to start? I can show you how to train for a marathon with safe healthy methods. We're not getting any younger. Get out there and test your limits. Are you ready? Drop me a DM if you are ready. Later. #running #lifelongfitness #fastandfitover50 #agingrunner #fitnessgoals #marathon #marathontraining #runninginjuries

#Maintenance Day 3/100 Welcome to Day 3/100 days of running minimum 3km everyday. #Post marathon #reality check: 🫡The muscles are sore but we still aimed for 5km. In a recent post I mentioned how the body will definitely go as log as the mind is set for the goal. 😇 The sore muscles preferred going uphill to running downhill. Sounds ironic. But yes. Simple but valuable lessons that once you have worked so hard to climb up ladders of achievement, it is easier to keep going up than falling back. Let's say even if you fall, pick up and climb up. The road will be familiar 🖊Last and very #important: Yesterday's achievement can only be maintained by what you do today. Today is so important. Live it like you mean it. Experience has taught me that it is one thing to achieve a goal and another to maintain the results. The latter can only happen today. Today is the golden present for individuals and organisations alike #Livetodaylikeyoumeanit And when the ball rolls off the court, and there is no score, cut yourself some slack for that day, await tomorrow and when it shows up, give it your best shot.

I competed in a road marathon on Saturday just been, in Robe SA (42.2kms run) I pressed the stop button on my watch, it was 10:02am, the distance showing 36.84kms, shattered, my body failed me... how? I was well prepared, hydrated... What the hell went wrong? Failure... I hate the word, I hate the feeling of it... I have been running ultra distances (anything over the marathon distance of 42.2km for those who don't know) for 17 years so I'm no newbie to suffering for hours. I signed up to my first road marathon this year with a specific time in mind, trying a new distance, a more intense distance, a different beast to the long distances I'm used to. Shorter doesn't make it easier, quite the opposite actually, the intensity needed to cover the 42.2kms in a competitive time is nothing short of impressive/daunting. My training prepared me for the challenge, I was ready, I put in the work and my form was where it needed to be, or so I thought, my years of experience made it that the distance did not phase me one bit, I had ran almost 5 times this distance on trails in the mountains in one go before. I failed, miserably by my standards, I didn't finish the race and I never settled into my pace. I pushed for 21kms, I was on target but suffering, my heart rate was much too high, I knew it but couldn't get it back down. I knew the lactic acid build up was mounting and I was going to suffer severely in the next 1h or so. And I did suffer, pushing through for another 11kms, my body starting to shiver, in full sunlight, in a warm Robe morning, I was feeling completely off and so I called it a day. Failure, we naturally avoid it, nobody ever starts something knowing they've got 100% chance of failing. But it is part of the journey. Failure... I hate the word, I hate the feeling of it... yet it is an integral part of human progress. Don't fear it, digest it, analyse it, modify a few things that are measurable and go again. #onwardsandupwards

Training for the Everest Base Camp Trek 1. RUNNING ➡ What to Do: 5-6 kilometer run (approximately 4 miles) ➡ Frequency: 3 times a week. ➡ Good for: Increases your cardiovascular fitness (heart & lungs) making it easier to do the longer, remote trek. 2. STEP WALKING ➡ What You Need To Do: Simply Walk 3 km of stairs or hills. ➡ Frequency: 3 times a week. ➡ Benefits: Increases leg power and also helps mimic the uphill steep descents that you'll do while on trial. 3. MINOR HIKES ➡ What to Do: Go on short hikes. ➡ Frequency: Once a week. ➡ Benefits: Gets you used to walking on different terrains and builds overall stamina. #everesttrek #everestbasecamp #trekkinginnepal #traveller #nepaltreks