As an endurance coach, I’ve seen athletes undergo remarkable transformations. One of the most powerful frameworks to understand and facilitate these changes is the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, proposed by Prochaska and DiClemente in 1994. This model outlines six main stages of change: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and Maintenance and unfortunately relapse. Let’s us myself as an example as I transition from endurance trail running back to Ironman triathlon after a five-year hiatus.

You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength

New Years resolutions need to be anchored in absurdity and made achievable through our dreams. They need to be hard so we have the opportunity to fail. It is actually in the failing that makes the goal inspiring. JFK didn’t encourage the American people to go to the corner store to get sausage roll. He challenged them to lift their eyes to the impossible. And our mothers kindly said the same thing to lovingly nurse us towards a better version of ourselves.

If you are reading this, you already know that endurance training goes well beyond the physical realm. To train and finish the crazy goals that you set yourself you need, mental fortitude, resilience, and a strong sense of self. On the surface it would seem that an Austrian psychotherapist born in 1870 would know very little about endurance sport considering the first marathon was not run until he was 26 years old. It is only when you delve into Adlerian psychology, that you can see that there is a direct link between the mind and endurance.

In fact if you did sleep you were hindering your progress, hamstringing your earnings and harpooning your career trajectory.  One movie from the 1980s that popularized the idea of lack of sleep being a tool for a successful life was  "Wall Street" (1987), in which the character Gordon Gekko famously says, "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

The ultra 355 endurance triathlon is a three day event that consists of a 5km swim followed by a 100km ride on day 1. Day 2 is a 200km bike and day 3 is a 50km run. Each day has a 8 hour cut off and athletes are required to be self supported. According to Ultra355, the ultra355 event attracts and unites competing athletes under its core values of respect (for self, the distance and for others), mateship and community.

Nestled in the rolling green hills adjacent to the Maleny golf course lies the hidden gem of the sunshine coast park run scene. Maleny Park Run.

As with all park runs, Maleny reflects the spirit of the community in which it is situated. And the Maleny spirit can best be described as confidently quirky. For those of you who are familiar with the eclectic street wares of the Maleny township you will know that Maleny has a none-to-subtle mix of old and new as well as a combination of shabby shek mixed with avant-garde. This inherent complexity can best be summed up with the perplexing juxtaposition of knitted telegraph poles adornments outside of multi million dollar high end properties. All things considered you can’t help but be impressed at how confident it is at being unashamedly unconventional.