🌴72. Match fitness

Great to have you here!

I’ve just come back from the physio, and yep, I’m talking about my Achilles again. It’s one of those injuries that’s frustrating but also teaching me a lot about life, patience, and the balancing act of recovery.

My physio gave me some straight talk today. I told him I could run through the pain, but I was worried—if I push too hard, will I tear it? His response? “No, but you’ll keep aggravating it.” So now, I’m navigating this fine line between staying fit, getting stronger, and not making things worse. All while still eyeing the Gold Coast Half Marathon.

And funnily enough, I’ve actually had the time to focus on this injury properly because of a curveball—Cyclone Alfred. Our Red Carpet Campout had to be postponed, which completely cleared my calendar this week. Instead of filling it up with random things, I set two clear priorities:

1. Locking in my next book topic—it’s not about waiting for inspiration, it’s about making a decision.
2. Getting my Achilles in shape—strength exercises, physio, dry needling, massage, and structured workouts.

What Does It Mean to Be Match Fit?

This got me thinking about match fitness—a term from sport that Alan Joyce (ex-Qantas CEO) dragged into pop culture when he blamed airport delays on passengers not being “match fit” for travel. Sure, he got slammed for that, but the concept itself is interesting when applied to work and leadership.

Who’s responsible for your match fitness? You.

In the workplace, there’s an increasing expectation that organisations will keep people match fit—running resilience training, well-being programs, engagement initiatives. And sure, that’s helpful. But at the end of the day, your match fitness is your responsibility. If you’re leading a team, it’s about setting clear expectations:

👉 What does match fitness mean here?

👉 What’s the standard we expect?

In sport, coaches don’t babysit players. They provide the training environment, but it’s up to the individual to show up and be ready to perform. The same applies to work. If you’re running a business, what’s your definition of match fitness? What do you need to be operating at your best?

For me, it’s things like:

✅ Getting enough sleep

✅ Creating space in my calendar

✅ Staying physically active

✅ Having time to think and reset

But match fitness isn’t about being at peak performance all the time. It’s about knowing how to push through when you need to and recover when you can.

Showtime vs. Training

There’s a difference between training fitness and match fitness. You don’t have to be at 100% every single day, but when it’s game time—when you’re on stage, leading a meeting, delivering a workshop—you need to be able to switch on and deliver.

I’ve had to run multi-day workshops overseas on zero sleep. Do I recommend it? No. But I know I can do it. I’ve seen people like Alan Weiss do it—operating at a world-class level, even under tough conditions. And that’s the thing—when you’re a pro, you show up and get it done.

Your Match Fitness Plan

So, here are two questions for you:

1️⃣ What does match fitness mean for you? What do you need to be at your best?

2️⃣ If you’re not at your best, can you still perform? Can you push through, then recover?

Let me know what you think—send me a note on socials! And if this episode resonated with you, share the love. I’ll catch you tomorrow.

Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.com

P.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are three ways I can help:

1. Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel: Let's energise your next event. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9RyOeXZfW4)
2. Get My Book: Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint (https://2hourwork.shop/) . 
3. Red Carpet Campout: Inspire, Indulge, Invent. Let’s take your ideas outside in March 2025. (https://www.leannehughes.com/events/red-carpet-campout)

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