Hey Reader,

My two best 100-mile races were in 2016 and 2022.

And the funny thing is, they had one thing in common.

I went into both of them with no real expectations.

The one in 2016 was in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

My parents had flown out to watch me, and it was the only time they’d ever traveled to see me race.

I just wanted to run with joy and appreciation.

I wasn’t fixated on finishing in a specific time.

I wanted my parents to be like… wow, Huw really ran with character and courage and a smile on his face, rather than, wow, he broke 30 hours, but he was a bit of a dick.

That was the whole goal.

And somewhere deep into the race, my pacer told me we were on track to finish well under 30 hours!

I hadn’t been watching my watch or chasing anything.

I was just feeling good and moving well.

I crossed the line in a time that exceeded all my expectations, and I had one of the best races of my life.

🧠 The weight is not worth it

Let’s talk about this really ugly side of a goal that means so much to you.

You start genuinely excited about it.

You know you’ve done the work, you’re capable of getting it done, and you have every reason to believe it’s possible.

Maybe it’s a big opportunity at work you’ve been building toward.

Or a personal goal you’ve been trying to crack.

But it can start to pick up extra weight along the way when you begin building expectations around it.

Like you need it to happen by a certain time.

It has to go a certain way.

This is the chance to get it right.

These expectations pile on unnecessary pressure.

Now there’s fear of not delivering, not proving yourself, or running out of time.

And if you’re not careful, things can move very quickly from something you love to do into something you desperately have to prove.

That’s so much weight to carry around for something you genuinely enjoy doing.

❤️ Let it all go

It’s okay to want something badly.

All you need is a clear goal and a clear plan to achieve the goal.

Everything else is unnecessary weight.

What’s interesting is that when you let go of all the extra conditions you’ve created in your head, you’ll effortlessly perform at your best.

Like, your mind isn’t burdened with so much weight, so it’s naturally performing well with more ease.

You’re more present in the process without some deadass pressure to prove anything.

And that changes how you experience it.

Your head is much clearer, so you’re much more able to feel the joy in the process.

You enjoy your way around it as much as you did the first time.

And even if things don’t go as planned.

You’re more focused on picking up the lessons so you can try again, more prepared.

Until you get it done.

What’s something you’re chasing right now?

Do you feel a buildup of pressure when you think about it?

Yes?

Think about the unnecessary expectations and conditions you’ve created around it.

They’re not helping you.

Put them away.

All of it.

P.S: We talked about this on this week’s episode.

We also got into strength training without breaking ourselves down in the process. And lots more fun topics.

Take a listen.​

Ep 13. £750 for an MRI in a... Jun 16 · Two Average Runners 62:36   ​

With appreciation,

Huw

Huw Edwards Founder & CEO, h3.xyz​

Our next episode drops on Tuesday

You can get the link here so you don’t miss it next week