The Longevity Lens
Staying consistent, managing stress, and choosing the right focus for long-term development
A few weeks ago, we talked about finding the right focus for your performance - the value of zooming in and out, seeing more clearly, and framing things in a way that supports you. But what about over time? What if you could use that same skill not just to regain focus in a bad mood or tough race, but to stay consistent across seasons, setbacks, and all the life-stuff that tries to derail you?
This time, I want to stay with that idea of the lens - but take a step back and look at how that helps us stay consistent. The reality is, sometimes our greatest performances don’t come from peak fitness, or from a breakthrough session. They come from the decision to keep going - to “give yourself a shot,” even when things feel uncertain.
Let’s zoom out a little further.
Zooming Out to Stay Consistent
I’d like to think that most of us want to be healthy for the long haul. Most of us (when we really think about it) train for longevity and to develop our performances. That long-term lens requires us to believe we’re worth the investment, even when it feels awkward or uncertain.
Counter-intuitively to this, we can sometimes zoom in so tightly on the here and now that we lose sight of what we're building. There are days when the session in front of you might feel meaningless. You’re not in great shape, the race is too far away, or your head’s elsewhere. It can even be classing a hard workout as ‘really important’ or getting frustrated that ‘today was my one chance’. This is overvaluing any individual moment, and diminishing the importance of the bigger picture.
That’s where the discipline to zoom out comes in. Long-term growth demands that we see ourselves as a work in progress. It demands that we don’t abandon ship when things get a little shaky.
This isn’t fluffy motivational talk either, it’s grounded in research. A whole bunch of studies show that athletes who stay connected to their personal values and internal motivators are far more likely to sustain consistent training, even through low motivation or setbacks.
It turns out, consistency has less to do with rigid structure - and more to do with keeping belief alive and finding a way to stay involved. It might suck right now - but one day, it’ll suck less. That’s your reason to keep showing up.
PBs Matter - But So Does Context
Another thing we like to zoom in on that isn’t always helpful to staying consistent is personal bests. There’s a funny thing that happens with PBs - we celebrate them (rightly), but they also start to loom over us, as if any performance short of a PB isn’t worth much. But remember there’s a deeper layer to them: PBs are shaped by context.
I ran my 10K PB during a year where I placed 27th in the UK. That context matters far more to me than the time itself - because it reflects where I stood among the best that year. Framing performance through a competition lens can reveal more than just a stopwatch can. That was the performance lens I cared about: competing, not just completing.
Zoom out, and PBs become part of a longer storyline - one where development and competitiveness both matter, but neither tell the full story on their own. Sometimes, your proudest effort doesn’t match your fastest one and that makes perfect sense.
By continuing to show up, you learn more about yourself and gain more evidence for just how adaptable you can be. Keep the story going, you’re more than a one hit wonder.
Stress Management Is Part of the Plan
Perhaps the biggest influencer on consistency is stress, so we should talk about it. Now I don’t need to explain that one (so I’m not going to) but I will take this opportunity to remind you…
Stress, like effort, isn’t bad. It’s neutral. It becomes helpful or harmful depending on how we interpret and respond to it.
Acute stress can even sharpen focus because it tells you something matters. It might even be the reason you show up strong during a performance. But chronic stress - constant activation without relief - wears you down and muddies the lens entirely.
The key to staying consistent is recognising what kind of stress you're under, and whether it’s appropriate for the situation.
Here are a few things to ask:
Am I under stress because I care? (Useful signal)
Am I under stress because I’ve taken on too much without rest or clarity? (Problem)
Can I do something to adjust this — or do I need to grit my teeth and ride this one out?
If I need to ride it out, what’s the minimum I can do to stay afloat and keep a foot in the game?
I heard a metaphor the other day that stress is like multiple pots cooking on your hob. If you’re not keeping an eye one starts to boil over, and then the next, and then the next.
So when demands are high and you have no control, that’s when performance and wellbeing decline. If you can turn one down - or at least know why you’ve ended up with so many burners on - you have a chance to steady yourself. In training terms, we know now is maybe not the time to go overreaching, but to dial it back and preserve what we have. By zooming out, we get to see that we don’t have to burn under stress, but can simmer along nicely.
Coaching, Consistency, and the Long View
This is also where coaching can be powerful. A good coach doesn’t just hype you up or analyse your data - they get to know you, and know your baseline. They can spot when something’s off before it boils over. They can help you stay diligent even when motivation dips, or adapt when life gets messy.
Sometimes that means reminding you that modified sessions still count.
As a coach, I keep track of what a "good week" looks like for each person. That helps me know when to push, when to pause, and when to ask the right questions. Longevity allows for pattern recognition - and subtle differences can be the signal.
Are you modifying workouts but still showing up? Are you missing key sessions altogether? Are you overstimulated, under-recovered, and still trying to grind?
These questions help steer the course. And if the athlete isn’t ready to answer them - that’s a sign, too.
This kind of zoomed-out perspective is hard to maintain on your own, especially when you're in it. That’s why a second set of eyes - grounded in context, not emotion - can make a real difference.
Final Thoughts: Keep Showing Up
Some weeks are about nailing the key session. Others are about getting through with your head just above water. Both are valid. Both count.
Improvement happens through showing up, again and again. Through competing, failing, adapting. Through knowing when to zoom in, and when to pull back and see the bigger picture.
Zooming out means seeing each performance, each session, even each missed session, as part of a much larger picture. It’s about remembering what you’re building - and staying in the game long enough to find out what you're capable of. When you start viewing consistency and adaptation as performance skills in their own right, you begin to take real ownership.
And that’s the version of you that keeps improving - even when no one’s watching.
Peace and love,
Ron
Call for Comments
Based on this newsletter, here are a couple questions to think about:
What’s your version of ‘still showing up’ when things aren’t ideal?
What do you tell yourself in order to give yourself a shot?
If you have been reading along consistently, thank you. In the meantime, if you’re keen for more performance insights from our previous editions - all here on Substack.
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