What's up people!

Another Memorial Day Weekend and another Murph in the books! The “Murph” is a workout that honors the life of Lieutenant Michael Murphy from Patchogue, NY, who died serving in Afghanistan in 2005. The Murph workout is done for time and consists of:

• A one-mile run
• 100 pull-ups
• 200 push-ups
• 300 squats
• Another one-mile run

This workout is special to me because it was a major component of building the foundation for my running and content creation journey. This year I had a blast doing the Murph with a bunch of people at a local gym here in Austin. It's always better doing it with other people so we can suffer and push through the pain together. Check out my recap from the weekend!

Wellness Tip

4 Benefits of Cross Training Workouts Like The Murph

Coming from a football background, cross training has always been a staple for me. But many runners I talk to don't fully understand the benefits of incorporating other workouts besides running. Here are 4 reasons why workouts like the Murph can help on your running journey:

1. Prevent injuries

Running is a high impact activity. So when you only run, it causes stress on the main muscle groups you use to run. By switching up your workouts and doing some low-impact activities, you can give these overworked muscles, joints, and tendons time to recover. 

2. Improve strength and maintain muscle density

Going for a bike ride or a swim can help build and maintain muscle strength and density that running won't target. This comprehensive strength improvement contributes to better overall performance and endurance.

3. Prevent burnout

It's really easy to get caught up running a lot of miles each week. When training for a marathon, it's tough to stay motivated to go out for that 5th run of the week. Try doing some pilates, hiking, or strength training instead. It will give you something different and exciting to look forward to, while still training for your race. 

 4. Helps strengthen muscle imbalances 

It's important to work on muscles that are less utilized during running. Activities like yoga or strength training target these weaker areas. This will keep you balanced and reduce your risk of getting injured. 

Mindset Framework

Get Comfortable With Failure

You want to see amazing results? Build your relationship with failure.

I truly believe getting comfortable with failure is the formula for success. It can be asking out the girl you think is pretty and getting a no. It can be posting that video that sucks. It can be getting out of the gym and struggling through your first run in months. 

Put yourself in a position where you are a student. Go out and explore your curiosity. But go at it from a mindset of learning and not worrying about the results. 

This means so much to me because I cheated throughout school. I never applied myself in high school or college. So now I'm trying to make up time and learn as much as possible. That comes from putting myself in positions where I am a beginner or I am the dumbest person in the room. That's why I do pilates. I don't know what I'm doing, but I learn from my instructors. I ask them to show me each movement step by step until I can figure it out on my own. 

The most successful people in the world are constantly learning, constantly improving themselves. 

If you want more out of your health, your business, your relationships, or anything else in life then put yourself back in the mode of learning and failing.

This is a mentality that I never want to lose. I challenge myself every year no matter how many followers I have or how much I have grown to continue to be a student.