RunStrong Rebellion - Optimising Mens Health through Trail Running, Kettlebells & a Plant based lifestyle
Extreme Ownership, Discipline, and the Road to Optimal Health at 40+
In life, just like in trail running, the path isn’t always smooth. Rocks, roots, and unexpected climbs test our resolve. The same goes for making significant lifestyle changes—whether it's leaving behind a party-fuelled corporate existence, committing to a plant-based diet, or finally prioritizing strength and endurance after years of neglect.
The Lessons of Extreme Ownership and Discipline Equals Freedom
Jocko Willink and Leif Babin’s book Extreme Ownership changed the way I saw responsibility and leadership—not just in business or combat, but in everyday life. Their principles, honed as Navy SEALs, apply just as much to a man looking to overhaul his health as they do to a team executing a high-stakes mission.
One of Jocko’s most powerful lessons is this:
"Implementing Extreme Ownership requires checking your ego and operating with a high degree of humility. Admitting mistakes, taking ownership, and developing a plan to overcome challenges are integral to any successful team."
For years, I made excuses. Long hours, needing a release, social obligations—reasons to skip workouts, eat whatever was convenient, and numb myself with binge drinking. But when I finally accepted full responsibility for my health, everything changed. I left the corporate world, trained as a firefighter, and embraced entrepreneurship with The RunStrong Project. This was a massive shift, but one fuelled by the same principle Jocko preaches: take full ownership, prioritise and execute.
The Discipline to Change: From Partying to Plant-Based Performance
Jocko’s Discipline Equals Freedom further solidified the mindset shift. Discipline isn’t restrictive—it’s liberating. When you develop discipline around training, nutrition, and mindset, you’re no longer a victim of your past habits.
A plant-based lifestyle might seem like an extreme change, but so is running ultramarathons or hitting the trails at 5am instead of nursing a hangover or hitting snooze for the 47th time. The reality? It’s all about discipline. Instead of letting the chimp and alcohol control me, I took ownership of what I fuelled my body with and the choices I made—nutrient-dense, whole foods that enhanced recovery, performance and clarity. Look that doesn't mean I always get it right or make the right decisions but striving for better more often delivers the marginal gains for higher success rates.
Jocko often says:
"Don’t expect to be motivated every day to get out there and make things happen. You won’t be. Don’t count on motivation. Count on discipline."
This rings true when adapting to new habits. There were, and are, days when I didn’t feel like hitting the trails, just like there were,and are, times I craved old vices. But discipline—not motivation—got me through.
Applying Extreme Ownership to Health, Relationships, and Life
By taking ownership of your actions, you reclaim control. If you’re a man over 40 looking to break the cycle and optimize your health, start by asking:
- Where, when and why am I making excuses?
- What areas of my health, fitness, and nutrition have I neglected and what can I do about it?
- How can I take extreme responsibility for my goals and outcomes?
Trail running, kettlebell training and a wholefood plant based lifestyle became my proving ground. Each session and moment of discipline reinforced the idea that I controlled my body, my mind, and my future. The results followed: improved endurance, mental clarity, better relationships, and a newfound sense of purpose.
Resources to Get Started
If you're ready to step up, here are key resources to help you apply these lessons to your life:
Now, detailing the mind-set and principles that enable SEAL units to accomplish the most difficult missions in combat, Extreme Ownership shows how to apply them to any team, family or organization.
Leadership is the most challenging of human endeavours. It is often misunderstood. It can bewilder, mystify and frustrate even the most dedicated practitioners. Leaders at all levels are often forced to use theoretical guesswork to make decisions and lead their troops.
More than three million readers of Extreme Ownership learned to apply combat-proven leadership lessons from authors Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. Now, in the new edition of the sequel, Willink and Babin dive deeper into the most challenging aspect of leading people: The Dichotomy of Leadership.
FIND YOUR WILL, FIND YOUR DISCIPLINE - AND YOU WILL FIND YOUR FREEDOM Jocko Willink's methods for success were born in the SEAL Teams, where he spent most of his adult life, enlisting after high school and rising through the ranks to become the commander of the most highly decorated special operations unit of the war in Iraq. In Discipline Equals Freedom, Willink describes how he lives that mantra: the mental and physical disciplines he imposes on himself in order to achieve freedom in all aspects of life
Extreme Ownership | Jocko Willink | TEDxUniversityofNevada
Extreme Ownership Podcast
Final Thoughts: Take Ownership, Take Action
Whether it's hitting the trails, entering an event outside your comfort zone, dropping excess bodyfat, Improving your nutrition or relationships, or simply being totally honest with yourself about your overall health the same principle applies: take extreme ownership and commit to discipline.
If you're ready to stop making excuses and start making real change, start today. Step onto the trail, pick up the kettlebell, choose real food over processed junk. The time is now.
Because at the end of the day, the only person responsible for your health, happiness, and success—is you.
The RunStrong Project | My Mission
My mission is to help men at 40+ build strength, endurance, and resilience through trail running, kettlebell training, and a whole food plant-based lifestyle. But this goes beyond just fitness—it’s about transformation.
I believe in Extreme Ownership—taking full responsibility for your health, mindset, and the way you show up in life. My aim is to use Transformational Coaching to help men shift from the old “work hard, play hard” mindset to one focused on longevity, purpose, and optimal health. With a Growth Mindset, we reframe setbacks as opportunities, pushing limits on the trails and in life.
I incorporate Chimp Management and mental toughness principles to help you master your mindset, control emotions, and make decisions that align with your long-term goals. For many, this journey is about evolving—moving beyond the corporate grind and redefining success as strength, adventure, and contribution.
The goal? To not just get stronger, but to become the kind of man who thrives in the second half of life—physically, mentally, and purposefully.
Join the RunStrong Rebellion
The RunStrong Rebellion isn’t just about Trail running and lifting and eating more plants.....it’s a movement. A rebellion against the norms of middle age, against slowing down, against settling for the dad bod, bad knees, and feeling past your prime.
Affiliate Disclaimer – Keeping the Lights On at RunStrong HQ
Hey, quick heads-up! Some of the links in this post (and my emails) are affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. Think of it as tossing a few coins into the RunStrong coffee fund (or, let’s be real, the kettlebell upgrade fund).
This helps keep the content free, the lights on at RunStrong HQ, and ensures I can keep bringing you solid lifestyle, trail running and strength training advice instead of resorting to interpretive dance tutorials on YouTube.
Only products, solution, and books I personally use and believe in get a shoutout here—because integrity matters more than a couple of quid. Appreciate your support! Now, stop pissing about and and get after it. 💪🔥
