Golden Gate Ventures' Michael Lints digs deep to do better

IT started with judo when I was 9 or 10 and eventually got more serious with karate when I was 15 years old. It eventually got me into the Dutch National Team.

Sport has always been a constant in my life. When I started my professional career as a developer and later as a venture capitalist, sport remained a continuous part of my life.

I got into running in my mid-twenties and still train for half marathons to this day. After moving to Singapore, I picked up cycling to commute to work, and I eventually started joining the Rapha Cycling Chapter and Team Cycle Training in Singapore.

In 2017 I participated in my first Ironman 70.3 in Hawaii. That experience was the trigger to dive deeper into running. Running became my meditation, and I started focusing on improving my run. It was my way to refocus, to get away from the daily pressure of work. It was my way to rebalance when I felt stressed out.

When I can't run due to injury, I notice my mood changes. It has become an integral part of my life.

The way I approach running is the way I approach work but also other parts of life. To become a better and faster runner, the first thing you have to do is slow down. Usually, I train at 70-80 per cent capacity, which helps build endurance for long-run races.

Running at a low heart rate made a massive difference for me mentally and physically. The physical part was somewhat obvious; lowering your heart rate helps with efficient training, allowing me to pay more attention to my form.

The mental part surprised me. During work hours, I try to focus on my physical and mental well-being. I am checking if I feel stressed and what causes it. I am trying to be conscious of how I respond to specific situations, similar to analysing my running. It helps me to remain calm, even under challenging circumstances.

Another thing I learned from both running and Ironmans is perseverance and discipline. Training for a marathon or half Ironman requires discipline.

When I prepare for a race, I train almost every day. Typically I like to do a run just under or around 10K and a long run on the weekend. Even during busy times, I try to keep a routine as much as possible.

Perseverance and determination is needed during the race. I typically need to dig deep to finish a marathon or half Ironman, especially since I try to improve myself in every race.

Regular exercise keeps me on my toes. Starting the day with a run or bike ride makes my morning better, especially with a demanding job. I am more alert and ready to take on the rest of the day. Even a short 5K run is enough to get me going.

During the pandemic, my routine was even more important to keep my sanity. I did change the times I went out for a run. Instead of mornings, I would run in the evening and go for a slow run. The slow pace was necessary for me to unwind from the day and get out of the daily routine of Zoom calls.

Currently, I am moving back to my morning routine after a long year of hard work and co-directing the Broken Chains documentary, which discussed the racial wealth gap. Many of the interviews for the documentary were in the US, so the production team in Singapore sometimes worked 24 hours straight.

I recently was in New York and did a few 10K runs in Central Park. Immediately I noticed the slow runs started paying off. I was able to run at a relatively fast pace without feeling tired. Of course, New York weather helped as well.

• Michael Lints, 46, is partner, Golden Gate Ventures