Steve Flagg

CEO and Founder @SupplyFrame + Evil Overlord @Hackaday

[Steve Magness @stevemagness]

He Called His Shot, Then Backed It Up: Josh Kerr took down one of track’s most untouchable records.

One of the most famous moments in sport is Babe Ruth pointing his bat towards the stands and calling his shot.

Josh Kerr just did him one better. In March of this year he announced Project 222, an attempt to break one of the hardest and most hallowed in sports, El Guerrouj’s 3:43.13 mile world record. Something that had stood for 27 years.

Kerr called his shot: “It’s time for that record to have a real go at it, and I’m going to be that guy to do it.”

Today, July 18th, Kerr backed it up. Running 3:42.66 to bring the record back to the UK, to join legends like Bannister, Ibottsen, Coe, Ovett, and Cram.

And the way he did it was impressive. Just look at his splits: 55.22 (400m), 1:51.06 (800m), 2:46.45 (1200m), and 3:27.6 (1,500m).

He had two rabbits that got him to 1,000 meters, but then had to make a long push home. And let me tell you, pushing for a lap and a half while you are riding the razors edge is HARD. During that push, his 100m split only varied between 13.67 and 13.88. Just incredibly consistent.

It was one of the most impressive performances I’ve seen. And Kerr has one of the most impressive mental games you could imagine.

Kerr’s M.O in his career has been confidence. It’s sometimes interpreted as cocky, but what it really is is a deep conviction that’s founded in the work. He and his coach, Danny Mackey, are methodical in preparation, and always keeping the main thing the main thing.

It’s one of the reasons why Kerr always shows up at the big meets. He’s got a history of coming through at championships when the lights are brightest. It’s so hard to do, and yet Mackey and Kerr almost always get it right.

Part of that comes from how they approach training and performance. They know what matters most: consistency.

“I don’t do crazy workouts or crazy mileage. I just don’t miss days. Consistency is my biggest weapon. I’ll break any athlete down with how consistent I’m going to be training wise and just getting the work done.”

They realize that the whole game is compounding. It’s not having one killer workout here or there. It’s putting together a body of work that prepares him. Too often at this level, we turn workouts into proving grounds, to show what we’re capable of. It’s easy to fall into that trap, both as an athlete and coach. Often, it’s the doubt and insecurity that pushes us to prove ourselves, especially in the era of strava and comparison.

“The way that I get fast is stacking. I’m stacking years, I’m stacking days, I’m stacking months.” It’s about winning the workouts. As Kerr said, “If you show up and put in the same level of effort regardless of how you feel, you’re winning every day.”

Putting in the work is step one. The second and just as important is: trusting and letting go.

Kerr uses the analogy of the work filling the cup: “If you can stand on a start line with a filled cup, you’re ready to go to war.” Then it’s time to release and show what you’ve done. You can see it in his pre-race talk. Yes, he’s after the record, but he’s chasing that feeling:

“That’s what I’m chasing with this record — full flow — like I’ve done every single thing I can. I’m now giving my body and my mind over to this experience. That’s living for me.”

On the starting line, trying harder is the enemy. If we overthink, try to force actions that are ingrained, we get in our own way. You turn down our impulse to overthink by trusting what's underneath. And that only works if you've built something to trust

It’s why famous sprint coach Bud Winter coined the term “Relax and win.” And jazz maestro Charlie Parker once said, “You’ve got to learn your instrument. Then you practice, practice, practice. And then when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail.”

Kerr certainly let it wail. His similar philosophy could be seen in what he said before the race: his body was capable of the mark, so his job was “to have my mind be available to let my body do its job.”You spend years grabbing control. Then, in the moment that matters most, the skill is letting go of it. As Kerr alluded to, it’s not turning your brain off completely, it’s getting out of the way so you can focus on the task at hand and let you do what you’ve trained to do.

Kerr has some of the best insights and quotes on mental performance. But more so, what I’m thrilled about is that you can trust this record. I’ve known his coach Danny Mackey for almost two decades. He was right there with me in the hardest time of my life as a whistleblower. He put his career in jeopardy by stepping forward in the same situation. He loves the sport and respects it.

So celebrate this one. An absolutely amazing performance.

He called his shot. And got it done in the hardest event in track and field. Astonishing.

-Steve

[Steve Flagg @steveflagg]

@mamoonha @kleinerperkins Congrats 💪

[Supplyframe @Supplyframe]

🚀 Big news: @siemenssoftware is #acquiring @Wevolver!

This powerhouse combo with @Supplyframe will supercharge our DSI Network by adding millions of engaged readers to our existing community of 12M+ #engineers & #sourcing professionals.

More here 👉🏼 https://t.co/3qi8MANfUS

[Aleksandar Bradic @randomwalks]

Work in progress... @Hackaday #Supercon2024 #UX #Design

[Steve Flagg @steveflagg]

@mamoonha @kleinerperkins Congrats!

[Steve Flagg @steveflagg]

@levie @mamoonha Identical story over here at Supplyframe.  Series B pivot, out of runway. @mamoonha (an associate at the time) fights for us with the partnership and gets it across the finish line.  Forever grateful.

[hackaday @hackaday]

Excited to be back in Berlin, sold out house!

#HackadayBerlin #HackadayEurope #HackadayPrizeX

Sponsored by @Supplyframe & @digikey

[Steve Flagg @steveflagg]

https://t.co/dWbuqzSEQs

[hackaday @hackaday]

Join us for the greatest gathering of #hardware hackers, builders, #engineers, and enthusiasts in the world at this year's Hackaday #SuperCon!

Tickets are almost sold out, get it now → https://t.co/WfG2LZrenE 🎟

[Aleksandar Bradic @randomwalks]

2022 Hackaday Superconference coming up in T-53 days https://t.co/u23Zdw7qlY

#poster #design @hackaday

[Supplyframe @Supplyframe]

One year later, we look back at how our acquisition by @SiemensUSA has accelerated our shared vision for digital transformation.

We hear from @siemensindustry CEO, EVP, and VP People & Organization, as they share their thoughts on the ever-evolving digital enterprise.

[Aleksandar Bradic @randomwalks]

The 2022 Hackaday Supercon Call for Proposals is now open:

https://t.co/pfZ9RvAxct

#poster #design @hackaday

[Supplyframe @Supplyframe]

📦 Supply chain has taken a big hit in the last few years.

Our CEO @steveflagg, shares his tips on how to weather the ongoing #supplychain storm.

Learn more➡️ https://t.co/kENAQTD9JY

🗞: @ForbesTechCncl

[Paul Graham @paulg]

Wow is this good. Every would-be startup founder should read this. Everyone who cares about the future, because this is what the way forward sounds like, not the whining and cynicism that fills Twitter and the media.

https://t.co/VaJpx880qZ

[hackaday @hackaday]

The #HackadayPrize is back for its 9th year! This year, we're asking the community to help address #global issues that affect us all.

Learn more about this year's challenges in our full article → https://t.co/jGPzLyC5rN

Sponsored by @supplyframe and @digikey

[Supplyframe @Supplyframe]

Supplyframe is proud to be the Platinum Sponsor for the 2022 EDS Summit, an annual event for the #electronic components industry. Learn more ➡️ https://t.co/MGR4W0ZCEb

See you there 👋🏽

[Supplyframe @Supplyframe]

#PressRelease: The latest Supplyframe CommodityIQ report suggests that #supply constraints and cost #inflation will continue into 2023.

Although, there might be some cautious optimism for certain #commodities. Find out from our CEO, @steveflagg here ➡️ https://t.co/CazRgQJSqB

[Steve Flagg @steveflagg]

@TickPick @tickpick I have tired multiple times over the past hour to place an order for super bowl tickets and it won't process... help please

[Steve Flagg @steveflagg]

@mamoonha Congrats Mamoon!