Project 365: And what I learnt from a year of non-stop exercise.

Back in March 2021 I shared a post about my 365 day continuous exercise challenge. Since then I have completed the challenge and am pretty chuffed with my achievement. Here's what I learnt! 

The Hard Facts

I actually completed 367 days of continuous exercise (because I didn’t want to miss out on a final weekend) and since then I have worked out the following.

• I rode 5963.84 miles. Which is about the same as cycling from Birmingham to Tokyo.
• I ran 742.31 miles. Which is about the same as running from Birmingham to Zurich.
• I burnt 345,227 calories doing so. Which is roughly 340 x Big Mac meals.
• I lost 3.175kg doing so. (N.B On Sept 22nd 2019 I weighed 16st 11.7. Today I am 3st / 19kg / 8 big bottles of fizzy water lighter).

The Lessons Learnt

1.     Doing things you like/love means that even the most difficult tasks can feel easy.

If you had told me 18 months ago that I could have done this I would have laughed and thought this impossible. Obviously a global pandemic and flexible furlough created the time and opportunity, but I can only think of 1 day when it wasn’t fun and most of the time I was just out doing something I loved.

Maybe this is a good way to live your life…. Be passionate about what you do and you’ll find that the tough days aren’t as tough after all.

2.     Take bite-sized chunks.

I never set out to do it. Instead I just started exercising and enjoying it. And then, about 4 months in, I realized that I hadn’t had a break for a while. Instead of then deciding to go the full year I aimed for a streak of 150 days, then 200, then 250 etc etc. It was only once I got Christmas Day and New Year’s Day done that I started to focus exclusively on the 365. I just don’t believe that I would have got there had I gone straight for the year.

Break up the big tasks into manageable ones and they become simpler than you think.

3.     Working Smart not hard.

18 months ago I did the same job, but I did it in a classic 9-5, Monday to Friday, style. Then I would go to the office and I would be 'present' in front of my computer. Reflecting now I know that I always worked hard, but it definitely wasn't always smart. Spending time out from work or family over the last year when my head wasn’t in the right place didn’t make me lazy. It did mean that  when I wasn’t productive I had the freedom to reset when I needed to. When I got back from the ride or the run I often went straight back to the computer to download some of my thoughts and plans. Getting back to it with renewed energy and the right mindset.

Focus on being productive, rather than just being present.

4.     Other people are great

Spending time with other people, whilst exercising, made it an even richer experience. I didn’t mind being out there on my own, but the days when I had company were better. The conversations that I had around work, family and life in general with my companions was incredibly useful and therapeutic. And over this last year much as I love my wife and children it was really nice to see a few different faces.

Spend time and share thoughts/issues/problems with people you trust. Make sure the conversation is two way, listen to them and respect their thinking.

5.     Believe in yourself

I only got physically tired at the end, but that might have been because I felt I ought to be. And also because people told me I probably was. Interestingly, I only shared my targets with people at the end, and I do think that had I shared them earlier people’s doubts might have put me off going for it.

If you think you can do something then go for it and don’t let other people’s doubts become yours.

6.     Mental Well-being is as important as Physical Well-being.

Yes, I am now much fitter and healthier. I eat better, drink less, and am as fit as I have ever been. But the real benefit has been having the opportunity to have time out and as trite as it sounds time to free my mind. I don’t think I would have got through the last year without that space to think and talk and be 'normal.

Find time in your day to think as well as do.  

7.     If I can do this then……

This does relate to weight loss and healthy living which, to be honest, was not part of my original plan, but was in the back of my mind and is probably in the minds of many people who are reading this.

Not that long ago I weighed a lot more than I do now. As I said above I have lost the equivalent of 8 big bottles of fizzy water. Thinking about that now 8 big bottles of water is a lot and I already exercised quite a lot when I was that size! I am honestly amazed that I managed it and it was definitely harder when I was bigger.

I will always be encouraging to people going on a similar weight loss / exercise journey and the best advice I can give is…

You are more awesome now than you will be at the end. Stick with it. It will definitely get easier.

8.     Big Mac meals have a lot of calories

What Next

I probably started to obsess about it towards the end of the year and once I finished I found it difficult to get back to normal. One of the reasons I put off writing (and sharing) this was because I was finding it hard to have a better balance between exercise and work and family. I am there now. 

And I am excited about getting back to a more normal work life balance. As we hear more and more about Social Distancing and other rules being relaxed I am excited that the recruitment market will pick up. As a Recruitment Consultant of 20+ years I am looking forward to having less time to exercise.

But I am also determined that what I have learnt in the last 12 months will make me a more productive and effective human being and, as a result, better at my job. It’s like I said to a friend… 'I have had a great pre-season…. Just let me loose now'.

And with that in mind please do bear me in mind if you are looking to recruit! Contact me through here or on 07973 676 348 / jon@wrightsolutionsltd.com