How I Won My First Race in Less Than 2 Years

[@leegrantham]

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[@Zheph]

I commented on a previous video that I felt like my running journey was similar to yours, but after listening to this, I realise it's even more similar than I previously thought. I grew up being competitive on track and in cross-country as a kid, then coming out of high school decided to focus on sprinting, taking it very seriously. A bad knee injury sidelined me for a year, and then dealing with a loss at the same time meant I didn't have the mentality to fight through rehab to get back to where I used to be, and I gave it up. 8 years later I was at a low point and looking for some kind of purpose. I never lost my competitive drive but I had no outlet. While mulling over these thoughts, incidentally I happened to read about the just-passed Melbourne Marathon, and decided in that moment, "I'm going to run a marathon". My body was atrophied and weak but I still had some residual build as a sprinter. Then, I went through the exact same process as you've described in this video. Improper training, but making progress anyway. That was the beginning of the obsession. I'm 2 years and 4 marathons in now, and I can see my early training for what it was. Much more knowledgeable now, but still a work in progress (your videos help with that). I'm at the mid-point in your story where there are lofty goals but I'm not there yet. I'd love to eventually get to a point where I can win a race like I used to in my childhood and experience that feeling again. And I've also had to fight off those thoughts of "I've started too late", at age 28, now 30. But I take comfort in the likes of Eliud Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele, and yourself, that there is longevity in the sport of distance running and it's not too late to make something of myself. You're an inspiration, thank you for these videos.

[@leegrantham]

Oh man, so good to read through your story and feedback. You're right at the start, and it's so much fun. You never lose it, especially if your talent surfaced in high school, in a competitive environment, and all the skills required you'll tap into - you've got 25-30 years of forward progress!

[@ulfeliasson5413]

Ah, that is just the mistake I did when young, one of many, always aimed for a personal best every run I did. 9 times out of 10 I had near maximum heart rate at the end of the run. Nice story, you should do that book someone below mentioned. As a writer myself, I tell you, it is incredibly rewarding having a book you wrote in your hand. Like holding a baby. Writing is purifying for the mind (when it works).

[@leegrantham]

Thank you, Ulf, that's incredible coming from someone who's written themselves.

[@thadstuart8544]

You have lived an adventurous life and are a great story teller. You should consider a book at some point!

[@leegrantham]

oh, that’s kind for you to say Stuart. I really appreciate it. 🙏

[@plantbaseddietandfitness2677]

totally feel you lee, I really never wanna do a 9-5 type job again, it's depressing, I love to trail run, I want to win a big ultra this year, a 50-mile in ontario. coming at the end of may, I'm going to make my very best effort to beat everyone this year.. right now I think I have the fitness to get 4th place in it, as you say im going to go "all in" and hope I can get 1st.

[@raphaelpinel2614]

Interesting how you say "I did all the mistakes" - but at the end who knows if it was mistake?, as it brought you where you intended with an amazing performance gain 🙂

[@leegrantham]

I think you're right, Raphael. It's just another path that leads to somewhere, perhaps if I'd continued after high-school and taken the traditional route, I'd have got burnt out like many. I'm definitely having fun!

[@TheWolfAkella]

Thanx for sharing🙏🏽

[@leegrantham]

You're welcome, Wolf!

[@rajmathew6220]

2:16 even running while cycling, what a beast. Also a 33:27 10k is ridiculous.

[@leegrantham]

An easy way to get some mileage for free in Raj.. 😉

[@leffroffjr8379]

Nice video! Like to hear more stories from your running career :)

[@leegrantham]

thank you, sir, much more to come!

[@jacobmatthew5298]

I really enjoy your videos and look forward to them daily. That was an especially good one! I keep wanting you to talk about other things such as form and milage etc but ironically your insistence on major themes is what’s getting through to me. Case in point you keep going on about fuel during a run which if you only mentioned once or twice I would ignore but today I drank a maurten 320 caffeine drink after a my warm up but before the 20x400 and wow! That made it seem easier!!!

[@leegrantham]

oh, that’s so good to hear Jacob. Nutrition was a big leap forward for me and I love to pass on the message because I think it’s probably one of the most simple things to implement so long as you do it right and you include it in your training so I’m glad that that that’s getting through. Equally as always, I love your feedback, and I will try to make some videos on form of mileage soon.

[@stewart8408]

Not sure if you have done a video on it but how much mileage was you doing on a weekly basis?

[@leegrantham]

I averaged 80-120km only, it's not a lot for a distance runner.

[@elenapetrova8791]

I thought you was backpacking in Eastern Europe!

[@leegrantham]

😂😂😂

[@BlackJesusChrist666]

How did you deal with being too muscular in your upper body?

[@leegrantham]

it was actually really difficult Black Jesus, I went from 83 kg to 73 kg pretty quick, but the next 10 kg and losing the muscle mass took a lot longer. I basically had to stop doing upper body, including simple things like planking, which was still keeping my shoulders and chest, but my goal was always to be as fit for purpose as possible, so light and powerful where it counts in the glutes and hamstrings.

[@BlackJesusChrist666]

⁠@@leegranthampsychologically, was it hard? I’ve been told that the amount of muscle I carry is holding me back from group A. I’m conflicted, I may have body dysmorphia or enjoy bodybuilding too much while at the same time obsessed with long distance running and have a point to prove since was told by orthopedic surgeons I would never be able to practice any sports since a motorcycle accident I had in the past.

[@leegrantham]

@@BlackJesusChrist666 Once you commit it's easy. I had friends who thought I was crazy to give up the physique and what that brought, but nothing hit the mind and soul like what I get from running. You might miss that "pump" initially, but you get that in leg sessions. It feels so much more rewarding to be "fit for purpose".

[@rz9wb]

If my 2mile time is 8:00/mile but my 5k time is 9:10/mile just because my aerobic conditioning is so bad, should I run at 6:24/mile for 20x1min or 7:20/mile for 20x1min? I specialized in 3mi in my 20s and only ran at race pace every day or every other day. I’m guessing that is why my 2mile is so good but I hit a wall trying to hold a good pace for the 5k? Thanks

[@leegrantham]

hey buddy, you want a really good mix, if you focused on just the fastest stuff then you start to miss your endurance and lose a bit of stamina, if you just run along and slow all the time you missed the top speed it’s just about making a mixture but always be aware that you want to spend time at the paste that you want to run up during the race.

[@rz9wb]

@@leegrantham okay, thank you :)

[@BlackJesusChrist666]

Forst!

[@leegrantham]

Top of the podium. 🥇