Within 10 days you will be regarded as a God by those very people who now see you as a beast or baboon - if you return to your principles and the worship of reason.
Marcus Aurelius.
3.3 mile chilly but great conversation lunchtime run in 29 mins with my colleagues and fellow marathoners Anthony Hamilton and Gary Duffy. Thanks lads for the new route and hills!.
Food for thought to ensure past issues of the financial services industry are not repeated.
Testing your limits. What are limits?
April 2015.
It is hard to describe the final few miles of the 63k race as I ran through and over the lonely mountains and country roads.
From a distance across the wind I could hear the commentator at the finish line and I was aware I had a three frenchmen hunting me down and closing the gap as the finish neared.
The jelly babies and bottle of Coke downed a short time earlier pushed me into full blown sugar flow my slow running turned into running and I made a dash for the finish.
My watch showed 7:15 for 63K as I crossed the finish line, but the time didn't matter after all the training my focus was on that moment in time and reaching my goal to be an ultra marathoner and my personal thought as I crossed the finish.
7 mile Saturday night run as another yellow weather warning is flashed across the country.
In 2020 you can reach your goals and dreams if you face the fear , go for it.
Great relationships last.
Good friends are like stars you don't always see them but you know they are there.
I met Martin Leahy LIB QFA Eric Young Mark Stynes, when we all worked in the early 80's for the Irish Permanent Building Society and we became firm pals and have been blessed that each of us has gone on to be successful in our careers.
Tonight we met for our annual Christmas evening dinner, an event we have been doing for the past 17 years, it's just fantastic to catch up and share the craic and again find ourselves last to leave the restaurant, oops.
Thanks for the conversation, craic and friendship guys.
Yes, you will face challenges as you head towards your goals, and some of these may appear daunting at first, but remember... The challenges don't get any bigger, but you will find you do.
4.6 lunch time run with Gary Duffy in chilly conditions around Leopardstown Dublin today boy that felt good. Thanks Gary.
In the dust of defeat as well as the laurels of victory, there is a glory to be found if one has done his or her best.
Eric Liddell.
Sunday 8 mile run between red and yellow storm warnings, but with strong winds and rain in Dublin, that was tough going.
When you have learned the lessons, don't carry the negative past around in a bag on your back, dump it, it's done its job because you have learned the life lesson.
It's how we experience the experience that matters.
Now grow!.
"Anyone who consciously becomes a goal setter, writes them down, frequently thinks and talks about them will notice an immediate and dramatic improvement in their level of accomplishment, even if they've done very little with their lives before.
Brian Tracey.
13.7 mile run Tuesday night in 2:15 as night air turns icy and darkness thickens.
Once you decide on the goals that most likely will bring you happiness and fulfilment decisions become easier and self doubt and stress reduce and you have some fun.
It's never too late to start.
13.7 mile run Tuesday night in almost zero degrees.
It was invigorating to be out there at a time when the easiest thing to do would have been to sit on the couch.
Think about your goals for 2020
Running out of November.
Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by those that you did. So throw off the bowline, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails, explore, dream, discover.
Mark Twain.
13.7 mile run in 2:10 to run out of November as the temperature drops tonight in Dublin.
"It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves" .
Sir Edmund Hillary.
4.6 mile lunchtime run around Leopardstown in 38 mins thanks for pulling me around Ronan O'Byrne Prof.Banker and for the great conversation as usual.
The personal attributes you bring to your activities are the most valuable resources you have. Determination, concentration, enthusiasm, sense of humour never go amiss when reaching for your goals.
What happens when things don’t go your way, How do you react ?
Attitude is everything.
I am lucky I really enjoy my work and the company I work for Ulster Bank. I am blessed with a loving family and two great kids and the ability to run Marathons and Ultra Marathons to give something back by raising money for kids with Congenital Heart defects.
I was due to run the Connemara Ultra Marathon a 63km challenge on the 10th April ( to best my 2015 time ) , all the training was done with my final long run in training Sunday 20th March a 26.5 mile run which matched my fastest marathon time , I was in the zone ,
Mindset was right Tick the box,
Nutrition was right Tick the box,
Training approach was right Tick the box,
Work /Life Balance was right Tick the box,
New runners broken in on time Tick the box,
Transport to and accommodation for event organized Tick the box,
Monday morning at 640am on 21st when I was putting my shirt on for work I twisted something in my back and put two discs out of place and could not walk for 48 hours.
It was quite an experience not being able to move and oh the pain, I never experienced anything like it. I lay on my back for two days and I knew that all I learned about attitude and mindfulness would have to be put into action to stay positive, be in the present and take it one day at a time.
Being thankful to my family for the huge support and patience, the doctor for his understanding and humour and the painkillers for doing their job. I thought about the people who live with this lack of mobility every day and was thankful for what I had.
Eventually limited mobility returned although my movement was more of a shuffle and now after 2 weeks of painkillers, 2 x rays , an MRI , and a dexa scan I have a visit to a surgeon early next week.
I have had to deal with the disappointment of missing the Ultra Marathon this weekend but I am keeping a positive attitude and I am sure I will make my 7th Dublin Marathon in a row next October when I get back to training.
Disappointments and setback’s happen both in personal life and your career it’s your attitude and being mindful that that will get you through just as its working for me.
The positive recovery starts now.
Brian Kennedy
