Justin’s Blog: Habitual Optimism


Mike Finch |

Winning RW Cover Search was only the start for Justin, a 24-year-old previously overweight ADHD sufferer to 2017 Comrades Novice.

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Habitual Optimism. A catchphrase I have recently coined on social media (#justrunner).

Let’s break it down by definition:

1. Optimism – “hopefulness and confidence about the future or the success of something.”
2. Habitual – “done constantly or as a habit.”

With the removal of all clichés, the above phrase, in everyday terms means that no matter what, we make relentless forward progression with a smile on our faces. Life is 10% what actually happens and 90% how you choose to react.
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Now you may be thinking what on earth the above tangent has to do with running.

Here is your answer:

Running in many ways embodies metaphors applicable to everyday life. There are good runs, great runs and downright terrible runs. There are setbacks in the form of injuries, and triumphant moments in the form of race finishes or PB’s. The underlying factor is that you never stop and consistently push on through the tough times.

This month, I’ve had a few setbacks in the form of tendonitis (both peroneal and extensor, the latter put me out of running for five days straight). Being the habitual optimist that I am, I embraced the pain and used the time off as an opportunity to double up on cross-training, strengthening and stretching routines. The results were a sub-2 hour PB, and I managed to put away my best 25km time to date in the PDAC 25km. To top it all off, I placed top 30 overall and 19th in my age category in my first trail race in the rain (to me, this was a major personal victory!).

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The power of the “laws of attraction” is not to be underestimated, i.e. what you focus on, expands and multiplies. Now this may sound cliché, but it really works! It is all about your attitude and mindset. Throughout my injuries and setbacks I had two approaches – firstly to sit around in self-pity and give up or make the most of it, and push through. I chose the latter and overall had a successful month of running.

Now that I have injected a fresh dose of inspiration, enough with the clichés and on to the good stuff – RUNNING!

I have joined an awesome club of runners in the GetFit AC for 2017. This shall be my club that I will proudly carry their colours through my first attempt at the Comrades Marathon!

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I have also been reading up on charities and with the assistance of Runners World and Old Mutual, I have decided to start running selflessly and for others as part of the Old Mutual More Than Yourself Campaign.

Want to get involved or donate? Click here for more information on the cause I will be fundraising for.

Training-wise, my days are jam-packed with 4am wake-up calls (to study or run depending on weather conditions), working a full-time day job and then back home for either more studies or more running!

Waking up early was a challenge at first, but if made into a habit, has profound effects on your productivity and general capacity for the day.

There are times when you may feel too tired, too sore, mentally drained, highly stressed and many other factors from everyday life, but if you rise early enough and perform an activity such as running, you can let it all melt away by putting down kay after kay on the tarmac. When you arrive back home, just as the sun has risen, you have already accomplished something for the day, and you have not even stepped into work yet. No matter what the rest of the day may hold, no-one can take away your early morning achievement, whether it be a run, reading your favourite book, finishing a chapter in your studies on anything else that gives you a sense of achievement.

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My cover edition of Runner’s World is on shelf at the moment – it is still somewhat surreal to head out to the store and see myself on a magazine cover! I didn’t think I’d ever see the day that I, Justin from Hillcrest, would grace the cover of a magazine like Runner’s World! George Lucas once said “we are all living in cages with the door wide open.”

So my advice is think BIG, dream BIG! Set yourself free and just go RUN!

Missed Justin’s first blog? Click here for more.

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