28th Sha'ban 1447H | Assalamu'alaikum, | I just completed a 5K tempo run this morning. | If you're a runner, you know exactly what this means. It's a type of run where you don't run easy or fast, but something in between. | Most runners would tell you that they find tempo runs "annoying" because they can't go all out, and they can't take it easy. But most understand why these runs are important. | The purpose of a tempo run is to push yourself beyond your "normal" effort, but not go so hard that you can't sustain it over long distances. It's about building physical endurance, speed, and mental toughness. | Why am I telling you about tempo runs just before Ramadan? | Because we often fall into one of two categories in Ramadan. Either we stick to the bare minimum so we can "survive" the month with minimal disruption to our lives. Or we push ourselves so hard, especially at the beginning, that we crash before Ramadan is over (or worse, during the last 10 nights when our effort is needed most). | So how do we find that sweet spot "tempo" during Ramadan? Here are three tips, inspired by the running world: | 1. Understand your personal baseline. | In running, there's a baseline or recovery run that you know you can commit to. This is the easy jog you can maintain for a long period of time. And it's not based on a number on your watch, it's based on perceived effort. | Why does this matter? | First, your "easy" effort on one day might be different from your easy effort on another day due to internal and external factors. Sometimes the weather is hot, or you're on hilly terrain, or you had a bad night's sleep. All of these affect your run. So when you go for an easy run, don't try to stick to a specific pace; stick to an effort. | Second, what's easy for you might be hard for someone else, and vice versa. So don't compare your effort and what you achieve with what others are doing. | What does this have to do with Ramadan? Understand your personal baseline in terms of worship. What is your "baseline" effort? For some, it's the basics: praying 5 times a day, reading a page of the Quran, and giving some charity each day. For others, the baseline is praying 5 times a day plus sunnah prayers plus witr, and reading 1 juz' of Quran a day. We all start at different baselines. Understanding yours helps you adjust your Ramadan efforts accordingly and stops you from judging your efforts based on what others are doing. | 2. Commit to non-negotiable efforts that push you beyond your baseline. | In a tempo run, the idea is to move from a 3–4 out of 10 effort to a 6 out of 10 effort. Similarly, in Ramadan, what would be your "push" factor? | If you're struggling to pray the 5 daily prayers on time, your push is to pray all 5 on time. If you regularly read the Quran, your push is to read more than usual during Ramadan. Each of us has capacity and room for growth, but it starts from our baseline, not from what others are doing. | A lot of people struggle in Ramadan because they set a high bar for themselves and burn out before mid-Ramadan even arrives. | Once you commit to this new 'effort' level, make sure this becomes a 'non-negotiable'. Your struggle and jihad during Ramadan is to maintain this effort throughout the month as best as you can, and not lower your effort just because it gets hard. | 3. Start smart, finish strong. | In running, a run is often divided into quarters or thirds, and each segment has a specific pace or effort. This allows someone to pace themselves properly throughout and finish the run strong. | One of the beauties of Ramadan's design is that it's also divided into thirds, and we're encouraged to put our maximum effort in the last third. This means we need to pace ourselves throughout the month. And the best way to pace yourself is to start smart and finish strong. | Notice I didn't say "start slow", I said "smart". For example, let's say your non-negotiable Ramadan push is to recite 10 pages of the Quran a day (up from a baseline of 5 pages a day). You might start with that at the beginning of the month, but by the middle or last third, you find yourself naturally picking up the pace, until you're doing a full juz' a day and then using the last nights push to finish the Quran. This is what I mean by start smart and finish strong. | People often think of Ramadan as a race. But I personally see Ramadan as a special training season, like a tempo run. It challenges your endurance for worship physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, so that your new baseline after Ramadan is higher than your baseline before it. | Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us this when he said: "Take on only as much as you can of good deeds, for the best of deeds are those that are done consistently, even if they are small." | What's your baseline before Ramadan? What will you push for during Ramadan that becomes non-negotiable? And how will you pace yourself during Ramadan so that you start smart and finish strong? Ask yourselves these 3 questions, and you'll be ready for an amazing Ramadan insha'Allah. | If you need help understanding how to pace yourself in Ramadan and manage your energy, focus, and time, check out my free course: High Performance Ramadan. It's got practical tips to help you thrive in Ramadan, not just survive. | | | Finally, on behalf of the Productive Muslim team, we wish you all a Ramadan that's full of Barakah, full of goodness, and full of khair for you, your family, and the Ummah. Ameen. | Sincerely, | |
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