” If it does not challenge you, it wont change you ” Fred Devito
I have had the chance to work with many people across seven countries and two and a half continents. One of the things that I have always noticed, especially in sales and financial services is that fitter people tend to always perform better on their job assignments. It has also been scientifically proven numerous times. Have a look on the link here to read some science. Like my previous article about health basics while traveling this one shares actions you can take to improve your general fitness as well as to how to create a little challenge for yourself.
So back to the subject, my employer sponsors an yearly square mile relay race in a number of cities around the world. As I have a semi-professional background in wrestling and martial arts doing a running race has not been my thing. Perhaps until recently it was just easier not to challenge myself to do something new, out of my comfort zone where chances are I might lose… I do not know. Anyway, David, my manager is really into running, so is Zak, my right hand man, so as you can probably imagine this year there was a bit of peer pressure to participate in the Dubai edition of the global square mile series. I accepted to do that, after on a random Wednesday in the middle of January literally 20 + people from my office, we went to make a mile trial run without planning it. I had fun at the time and felt that I needed something like that.
Over the next three weeks I followed a training plan that I found on RunnersWorld. Here is how it looked like:The whole article where this comes from can be found here. I would also recommend having a look at couple of other articles, before you put your running shoes on and get started:
Master the mile: One mile training plan
Beginner Training program to run a mile
How to run a mile in less than six minutes?
Six treadmill workouts that will kick your ass
The four week plan to run a sub six minutes mile
Depending on your fitness level, I think many of you will find useful information. I must admit following this routine has been a really nice thing to do, as I enjoyed incorporating running into my rather routine gym workouts. I loved doing something harder than usual, being challenged. To track my performance, I have bought myself a Garmin 935 Forerunner watch. In my view this is the best tool that can be used for that. Way better in comparison to the Fitbit Charge 2 I used before in terms of heart rate accuracy, run tracking as well as GPS accuracy. The benefits of following the routine for three and a half weeks: my average resting heart rate has gone down from 50 to 47.
I have lost 5 kilos for the period. Also, I feel my stamina has increased as I get tired less. This regime has allowed me to run my fastest mile so far.
On the Bloomberg square mile in Dubai our team came second in the mixed competition out of 104 teams.Following that little challenge, the best take away for me personally is that first, nothing is easy and the more you push yourself the more you are likely to grow. Also, that break from my usual routine reminded me how to enjoy the process of growing and being challenged. This is skill that can be used easily be used in business. Factually, over the last month I have closed a lot more business than usual. For me being fit equals being more successful.
Running is easy and does not require sophisticated equipment. It benefits your physical health. It also helps your mind to switch off from the constant stress. Science says that it positively influences your work performance. Just try it. Chances are you won’t regret. Let me know how it feels after couple of weeks. Like. Comment. Share.
About the Author
Boris Grozev is a seasoned fintech executive. Moreover, he is an entrepreneur by heart. Boris has helped number of businesses. To clarify, he has created and implemented business development and product enhancement strategies. In addition, his advisory work in emerging and frontier markets has resulted in culture and technology change. Above all, it has fostered innovation and lead to tangible results. He also invests in variety of asset classes and shares his experiences from the journey to financial independence. Boris’ leadership abilities, ambition naturally spread to others. He is a fast learner. His stamina, attitude and passion to succeed help to achieve common goals.
