Hello Everyone!

 

I can’t believe it is November already!

 

The clocks have gone back, the mornings are dark, and there's a little more chill in the air every week. Some people start thinking about slowing down and saying "I'll get back at it in January.” But not you.

 

Unfortunately, this is a common feeling for some people. But after 20 years of coaching and building my own repeatable habits, I know the people who start now walk into the new year feeling good, already moving, already confident. Meanwhile everyone else is trying to start from scratch on a cold Monday in January. Lets all be part of the first option!

 

 

 

The fact of the matter is, if you build your habits now, you build them through the busiest time of year. Habits that make it through to the end of the year are habits for life - as always, I’m here to support you in this.

 

Here are a few tips from each part of the Positive Edge platform to get you started.

 

The key is making your goal specific. 

 

Below are a few ways to set one in each area, plus a starting point if you're not sure where to begin. These starting points are often overlooked, and each one has had a big impact on me over the years.

 

 

 

Pick a number of rides you can hit on your busiest week, and treat them like appointments. Two or three rides a week, every week, through the winter, as part of your overall fitness routine. Consistency is what turns riding into part of who you are.

 

A starting point: Add one VO2 Max effort each week. If you’ve not done of of these, they are simple but very challenging and intense. These efforts train your heart to pump more oxygen-rich blood with every beat and teach your muscles to use that oxygen more efficiently. The result is a higher cardio ceiling, so everything else feels stronger and more controlled. The mental benefits are just as powerful. Every time you commit to a hard 4 minute effort and see it through, you build confidence, focus, and the ability to stay calm when things get tough, on the bike and in life. Ride it at your own pace, own every effort, and let your easy rides build the base. 

 

 

If there's a race you want to take on in 2027, choose it now. A marathon, The Tely 10, a trail race, your first 5K. A date on the calendar gives every run between now and then a purpose, and winter is where the base gets built.

 

A starting point: Nail down your run form. 

 

As a runner and a coach, this one thing has had the biggest impact on my running speed and injury prevention, and I've seen it with the runners I coach personally hundreds of times. 

 

 

Good form makes every run more efficient, keeps you injury free, and keeps running something you enjoy for years. 

 

 

 

Write your goal down and put it somewhere you'll see it every day. Then pick one small daily habit that supports it. 

 

 

A starting point: Put your phone away at the end of the workday. When work is done, let it be done. Your family gets all of you, your mind gets to switch off, and your sleep improves. Simple and powerful.

 

 

 

 

Making It Count

Full Send 20

 

Hard By Choice

Choose The Challenge

 

Effort = Rewards

Rise Above Comfort

 

 

Have a great end to your week.

Mike