MISOGI - Discover your potential.

Welcome back , This week We will dive into the impact I wish for Flowerboy to have on people. Seems kind of funny that a tiny window has the potential to even be memorable beyond a cup of coffee. After having dinner with some of the run club crew they asked some really good questions. One being what is the plan for Flowerboy?

It took a few runs and time in my own head to come up with the idea that Flowerboy is the foundation for potential. The simple act of running and surrounding ourselves with inspiring people are two key tools on the path to unbelievable accomplishments. 

Enter MISOGI - It is an ancient Japanese tradition of purification and cleansing. The original meaning has been stretched and coined by a dude named Jesse Itzler as a unique and challenging event that defines your year. It requires a journey of self discovery and transformation. The yearly event is meant expand your physical and mental limits, to scare you and have a 50/50 chance of being completed. 

Jesse says that in essence the Misogi embodies the spirit of relentless determination and a commitment to personal growth. 

Now, let’s consider how we can figure out what our Misogi can be. The steps to make it happen and some challenges we will face along the way to achieving what we set out to do. This is going to seem scary and you will probably talk yourself out of it before you even start. We will start with our why and figure out a cause or person we can dedicate this effort to.  

Grab a pen and paper or just open your notes app and take some time to answer these few questions. 

Why? What is the reason I am choosing to do this specific hard thing?

Who? Write down a person or specific cause that means something to you. This is what you will lean on when times get tough and you want to quit. Make the purpose of completion greater than yourself.

Roadblocks - People will try to talk you out of it, think you are crazy or simply not understand. That’s all good. You might grow apart from these people or you might inspire them in some way. Just know that if you put in the work behind the scenes when nobody is watching you will work your way into self belief. 

Together -  Bring a friend along and hold one another accountable. Train together, call each other out and go do whatever the challenge is together. It will bond you for life, give you someone to lean on and reminisce with. But hey, some journeys are meant for just you. Figure it out. You’ll be just fine.

What? I think running events are great because the limits don’t exist. The relative cost to them is obtainable for most and the daily work needed to get better is accessible. Not to mention the community aspect is incredibly supportive. I would suggest working your way up to running across a country or mountain range but if you can dream it you can do it. Keep in mind it can be whatever you want it to be. Maybe it’s a solo travel to another country or learning to ride a motorcycle. All we are doing is proving to ourselves we CAN.

But why though? We will choose to dedicate each year to one memorable event / challenge. Not only to prove to ourselves we are capable of anything, but because we want to live life. We want to have a story to tell. With each passing year we will add another incredible chapter that inspires us to keep going, to chase that next big f*cking scary thing. To laugh and cry and hug our friends when we achieve what we thought was impossible. We want to inspire others to step outside their comfort zones and teach the future generations that there is SO much life to be lived. 

The Barkley Marathon is an ultimate Misogi. Check it out for yourself.

https://images.app.goo.gl/GtnSKfJefrnv2j6K8

My personal Misogi for this year is the 60 km distance at BTR next month. I’m way stronger than when I decided to run the 30 km distance for my first time last year. I learned enough from that to run a 50 km race this past September and I’m scared shitless each time I go run a quarter of the distance this race requires . I can visualize myself crossing the line but like all of you my head likes to try and get out of it. Or at least wonder why I do this to myself and its really far.  2 years ago the idea of running more than 10 km was outrageous to me. Nobody you see out attempting these feats of greatness has anything more than you or I. It’s just how bad do you want it and what sacrifices are you willing to make along the way?

How bad do you want to prove to yourself you are capable of breaking down barriers and living a life worth talking about? 

I’m feeling inspired by everyone at run club and the incredible things I see people out there doing. A fellow named Will Goodge is about to break the record for running from Perth to Sydney. It’s something like 110 km everyday for 38 days. He says stop overthinking, put in the work, set a date and just GO.

I would love to know what your Misogi is this year. Please lean on me or our wonderful community for support and encouragement in achieving the impossible. Please remember..there is no failure, just feedback.

BIG LOVE. Hope we can run together soon

Here is a link to a video by Max Jolliffe on his 240 mile race experience.

https://youtu.be/euOpy884bgQ?si=XrkMu_cBM1jbHXZw