← Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

The Secret To A Happy and Contented Life with Eliud Kipchoge (The World's Fastest Man) #304

Oct 18, 2022 1h 27m 46 insights
This week’s guest is someone who I have been trying to set up a face-to-face conversation with for around 2 years. Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan athlete who is widely regarded as the greatest marathon runner of all time - he has won two successive Olympic marathons and 10 major titles. And of course, he’s the only athlete to have ever run a marathon in under two hours, which he did back in 2019 in Vienna as part of the 1:59 challenge. Although this was not recognised as an official world record because it was not in an open competition, it was an incredible achievement for humanity. This conversation took place in London on the weekend of the 2022 London Marathon, exactly seven days after he had once again broken the official marathon world record in Berlin. But the conversation we had for this podcast is about so much more than running. Whether you are a runner or not, I think you are going to find Eliud’s insights highly relevant and applicable in your own life. One of the main reasons I wanted to talk to Eliud was not because of his running ability but because I have always been fascinated by the energy that he radiates. He has a calmness, a humility and a complete lack of ego, which I and millions around the world, find ourselves drawn to. We cover many different topics in this conversation. We talk about reflection and why, in this tech heavy world, Eliud still keeps a handwritten training journal. We talk about success and why he doesn’t believe in it - which, I think, is remarkable for a man who has achieved so much of it. We also discuss why Eliud always does his runs as part of a community, why he smiles in the latter parts of a marathon, how he manages to stay injury free and what he thinks about retirement. But for me, one of the most insightful parts of this conversation is hearing Eliud talk about self-discipline and why he feels that this is one of the most important skills to develop. Eliud is possibly best known for the phrase ‘No human is limited’ and hearing him explain what this means to him, really brings to life the idea that its self-discipline that will help you reach your own potential. This really was a special conversation with an incredible man - I hope you enjoy listening. Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/304
Actionable Insights

1. Adopt ‘No Human Is Limited’ Mindset

Embrace the universal philosophy that ’no human is limited’ by removing mental barriers in any profession or endeavor, believing in your capacity to innovate, excel, and achieve.

2. Cultivate Self-Discipline with ‘N’

Enhance self-discipline by learning to say ’no’ (Vitamin N), setting priorities correctly, and avoiding complaining, understanding that this is a gradual process, not a one-time event.

3. Embrace Discipline for Freedom

Understand that true freedom comes from self-discipline, as indiscipline leads to being ‘in prison’ by acting against your better judgment.

4. Prioritize Preparation & Planning

Instead of believing in or waiting for success, focus on pure and good preparation and clean planning, as these are the foundations that lead to success.

5. Be Prepared, Planned, Capable

Don’t passively wait for success; actively prepare, plan meticulously, and develop the capability to seize opportunities when they arise.

6. Define Success as Mastery

Understand success as the mastery of your chosen field, and ensure you have the correct systems in place to achieve that mastery.

7. Personalize Success Definition

Define success in your own words and language, based on your personal understanding, rather than relying on external definitions.

8. Declare Your Commitment to Success

Internally declare your commitment to success and believe you belong in that space, then consistently work hard by doing what is right at the right time and place.

9. Embrace ‘Next Branch’ Philosophy

After achieving a goal or ‘grabbing a branch,’ acknowledge it, then immediately shift focus to the next goal or ’next branch,’ forgetting the previous one to maintain continuous progress.

10. Accept All Outcomes

To truly enjoy your endeavors, accept all results and outcomes without regret, as this mindset allows you to move forward and maintain peace of mind.

11. Convert Pain into Positive Driver

Understand that pain is an inherent part of success and hard work; convert it into a positive force, knowing that enduring it leads to achievement and eventual relief.

12. Persist Through Urge to Quit

When you feel the urge to quit, recognize that this is precisely where success lies; instead, continuously ‘press on’ until you reach your goal.

13. Visualize & Internalize Goals

Before undertaking a task, internalize your goals, put them in your heart and mind, and vividly imagine achieving the desired outcome, like crossing a finish line with a world record.

14. Cultivate Humility, Banish Ego

Understand that ego at the top is a sign of failure; treat the world as a human family to diminish ego and foster better thinking and respect for others.

15. Daily Reflection on Positive Impact

Before bed, reflect on your day, asking if you affected the world positively or negatively, as this practice helps eliminate ego and promotes self-awareness.

16. Prioritize Movement for Longevity

Embrace movement, especially running as a less expensive option, not necessarily to be a record holder, but to stay fit and live longer, as movement is crucial for survival and extended life.

17. Adopt Running as Family Lifestyle

Encourage running to become a family lifestyle, where parents and children regularly move together in the mornings, fostering health and connection.

18. Train in Groups for Motivation

Engage in group training, even if you are faster, to foster community, motivate others, and benefit from the collective energy and accountability, as training is not about competition.

19. Group Running for Focus & Enjoyment

Run with a group of people daily to keep your mind focused, prevent thoughts from wandering, enhance enjoyment, and stay on course, as running is primarily a mental activity.

20. Handwritten Journaling for Tracking

Maintain handwritten journals for daily training, equipment, book highlights, and to-do lists, as writing things down aids memory and helps track progress over time.

21. Journaling Prevents Missed Training

Daily journaling of your training helps prevent missed sessions by creating a visual record that motivates you to fill your book and maintain consistency.

22. Prioritize Self-Care Before Digital

Upon waking, prioritize your personal routine, such as preparing for and completing a run, before engaging with your phone, emails, or other digital demands.

23. Implement Phone-Free Meal Times

Establish a rule to keep mobile phones out of dining areas during meals to encourage focused eating and allow for a period of self-care (showering, breakfast) before responding to external communications.

24. Reframe Phone Urgency

Question the necessity of immediately responding to your phone by considering if you could truly solve an emergency within a short timeframe; if not, there’s no need to rush.

25. Daily Self-Audit & Internalization

Use alone time to audit yourself, internalize daily events, reflect on longer periods, and appreciate your efforts.

26. Consistent Training & Pre-Event Audit

Consistently meet over 80% of your training targets for months, then audit your progress the day before a big event to ensure you are well-prepared and ready.

27. Practice Pressure & Limit Pushing

Train your mind to handle pressure, embrace hard work, and believe in pushing your limits, as this mental fortitude is what ultimately drives performance and success.

28. Overcome Apathy: Ask ‘What If?’

On days you lack motivation, ask yourself ‘what will happen if I don’t do this?’ to prompt action, knowing that a short period of activity can re-engage your body.

29. Focus on Your Own Path

Concentrate solely on your own goals and progress, running ‘your own race’ without looking back or comparing yourself to others, regardless of who is around you.

30. Trust Your Training & Preparation

When alone and pushing limits, rely on the trust you have in your extensive training and preparation, knowing that your past efforts will carry you to the finish line.

31. Train for Relaxed High-Pace

Train your body to maintain a relaxed posture and efficient form even at high speeds, as this allows for sustained performance without excessive visible struggle.

32. Long Runs Teach Suffering Handling

Engage in long runs and extended training to develop the ability to handle suffering and pain, which also helps calm the mind and accept what happens.

33. Structured Injury Prevention & Recovery

After major events, dedicate the initial training phase (e.g., two months) to muscle building, gym work (steps, weights, aerobics 3x/week), and massages to prevent injuries and allow early detection of issues.

34. Address Injuries Immediately

As soon as you feel something is wrong or an injury is starting, trace and address it immediately to prevent it from worsening.

35. Listen to Your Body, Adjust Plans

Develop a strong sense of self-awareness and listen to your body’s signals, adjusting established plans as needed to conserve energy, prevent injury, and do what is truly necessary.

36. Block Negative Externalities

While you cannot prevent others from speaking negatively, you can prevent those negative thoughts and comments from entering and affecting your personal life.

37. Avoid Negative Sleep Data Check

If you’ve had a bad night’s sleep before a race, avoid checking sleep tracking data (e.g., readiness score) in the morning to prevent demoralization.

38. Block Distractions, Focus Metrics

While acknowledging external cheering, actively block out distracting thoughts and redirect your mind to immediate, actionable metrics like mile or kilometer splits to maintain focus on the task.

39. Plan Active, Purposeful Retirement

Plan for retirement to be an active and purposeful phase, continuing to engage in meaningful activities like charity work and community building, rather than a cessation of activity.

40. Inspire Through Ongoing Action

Don’t retire from an activity solely because you’ve made history; continue to engage and demonstrate its value to keep inspiring others and reinforce its meaning.

41. Incorporate Free, Enjoyable Runs

Include free, easy runs in your routine where you can simply run and enjoy the movement with a group, without strict adherence to pace or distance, just going with how you feel.

Engage children in free conversations, explaining the direct link between consistent effort (training, working hard) and positive outcomes (winning, comfort, success), and instill in them the belief that they are not limited.

43. Use Music/Podcasts for Easy Runs

During easy runs, gym sessions, or recovery activities, listen to music or podcasts to enhance enjoyment and distract from the passage of time, but avoid them during intensive runs.

44. Systems, Belief, Commitment for Breakthrough

To achieve ambitious goals, combine robust systems (nutrition, technology, teamwork) with an individual’s deep-seated belief and personal commitment to try, as the internal agreement to attempt is paramount.

45. Cultivate & Maintain Hope

Recognize that hope is essential for survival, even more so than basic necessities; actively cultivate and maintain hope, especially when struggling.

46. Understand Life, Work Slowly

Strive to understand what life entails and its inherent challenges, then approach them slowly and deliberately, which helps reduce struggle and facilitates learning.