The Extraordinary Within: Finding Your Inner Superhero on the Trails

We Are All Clark Kent!  We live in a world obsessed with superheroes, marvel, DC, Star Wars etc, everywhere you look, there’s another larger than life character saving the day.  But the truth is, it’s not Superman we actually relate to.

It’s Clark Kent.

The mild mannered, glasses wearing reporter. The man who wakes up each day, does his job, questions himself, and yet, when it matters most, shows up.  That’s us.

The mum juggling school runs and a full time job. The grandad who runs a business and still trains for races. The dad who fits his workouts in between conference calls and airport lounges. The quiet warrior facing battles no one else can see.

Somewhere inside each of us, there’s a hero waiting to step forward.

The Spark…..Ordinary People, Extraordinary Magic

Recently, I listened to an episode of Simon Sinek’s podcast A Bit of Optimism, called The Extraordinary Magic of Ordinary People. It stopped me in my tracks.

Sinek interviewed Brad Meltzer who talked about how it’s not the loud caped heroes who inspire us most, it’s the everyday people who do extraordinary things in the middle of ordinary lives.

That’s what I see every single week as a trail running coach. My athletes, friends, parents, grandparents, busy professionals, they don’t live on Hollywood sets. They’re not gifted with powers from another planet. But when they take on something huge such as a marathon, an ultra, a mountain adventure, they are absolutely superheroes.

The Superman vs. Clark Kent Lesson

We are all Clark Kent. The “normal” self, the one paying bills, looking after families, dealing with the ups and downs of life.

Superman, on the other hand, is simply the extraordinary that emerges from the ordinary.

What makes Superman strong isn’t his alien DNA. It’s his upbringing. His parents taught him values. Right from wrong. Standing firm in the face of adversity.

That’s the lesson for all of us:

We’re not born with superpowers. We earn them through perseverance, consistency, and the simple habit of showing up, especially on the days we don’t feel like it.

And as Simon Sinek says:

“You don’t get the heroes you want, you get the heroes you need.”

Heroes I Get to Coach….

One of the privileges of my job is seeing heroes in action every single week. They’re not famous. They don’t have millions of followers. But they’ve all got grit, humility, and courage.

Here are just a few:

Wonder Woman – The Mum

A full-time teacher. Long hours. A young child, a husband who also works full time. She trains after the kids go to bed, or before the sun comes up. She’s determined to succeed. Relentless, committed, inspiring.

Tony Stark – The Dad

Travels abroad for work. Family at home. During 1:1 sessions, he’s still having to answer urgent emails. He invests in the best kit because he knows it helps him get the best out of himself. Juggles responsibilities and performance with style.

The Batman – The Grandad

Runs his own business, supports his family, trains when he can. Has gone from half marathons to preparing for his first Ironman. Shows the younger runners what persistence looks like.

Captain Marvel – The wife

Multiple injuries. Setbacks. Days when it would have been easier to quit. But she kept showing up. Again and again. Refused to let circumstances define her.

None of these people are household names. But the way they live, the way they push themselves, sends ripples of inspiration into their families, friends, and communities. That’s what real heroes do.

Why Effort Matters More Than Results

One of my favourite quotes is:

“I don’t care about the result, I care about the effort.”

This is where the real transformation happens. Not in the medal, not in the finish time — but in the hours of training, the early mornings, the choice to get out the door when every part of you wants to stay home.

When I trained for my first ultra, the UTS 50 mile, I felt like Superman taking on Doomsday. I respected the challenge. I studied it. I trained hard. And on race day, I took the hits, battered and bruised, but I crossed that line. That fight changed me.

More recently, I ran the Snowdon International Fell Race. The forecast promised cloud cover and cool air. Instead, we got 30°C heat, no breeze, and a brutal, draining climb. I had to dig deeper than I thought I could.

That was just months after a DNF at the Three Peaks Fell Race, when the heat did beat me. That failure hurt. But it taught me that you can be humbled and still come back stronger.

Life on the Trails = Life in the Real World

Trail running isn’t just about fitness. It’s a training ground for life.

Every run is a chance to practise problem solving under pressure. To deal with discomfort. To adapt when the plan goes out the window.

I’ve seen athletes battle mud, blisters, cold, heat, injuries, navigational errors, and still find a way forward. That resilience doesn’t disappear when the race ends. It’s there the next time life throws a curveball.

Three Superpowers You Already Have

From every race, every training block, every conversation, I’ve learned that the best heroes have three core tools:

1. Humility – The trail will humble you. That’s not failure, that’s growth.

2. Consistency – Show up, even in the rain, mud, heat, or doubt.

3. Grit – Push through barriers, visible or invisible. Get up every time you’re knocked down.

These qualities aren’t given. They’re earned. And you earn them by leaning into discomfort instead of avoiding it.

As a coach, my job is to help people see that discomfort as a gift, accept it, and acknowledge it, it then becomes more comfortable.

You Don’t Need a Cape

You don’t need gamma rays, mutant DNA, or a spider bite. You don’t even need to “feel” heroic.

You just need to start.

From where you are, with what you have. And you need to keep showing up, because the showing up isthe superpower.

The truth is:

You might think you’re just lacing up your trainers for a run.

Your kids see a parent chasing a dream.

Your friends see resilience.

Your colleagues see commitment.

And one day, you’ll look back and realise…

You were never just Clark Kent.

You were the hero all along.

If you take nothing else from this, take this:

You don’t have to wait for the “perfect moment” to start. You don’t have to wait until you feel ready. You just have to decide that the effort is worth it, because it is.

Every time you choose to show up, you’re telling yourself and the world: I am capable of more than I think.

That’s the extraordinary magic of ordinary people.