Note: I came across this unpublished post last week while I was cleaning up my desktop. I’m not sure why, at the time, I chose to not publish it on my website.
Maybe I needed to read it again today, almost 4 years later, and find that the 7 things I learned that day and in the weeks after continue on today. Maybe. Then again, it’s always good to revisit our lessons of the past.
So, without further ado:
I finished the The Pilgrim Pacer Marathon on November 9, 2013. The day was beautiful; no, it was perfect. A cloudless sky, minimal if any winds, temperatures in the 40’s to 50’s, and a gorgeous setting for the route: a park, leaves in full autumn splendor, a paved trail. Here's some pictures from that day. If I'd found mine, I'd point you to it.
I’ve found I learn, resolve, recognize, understand...so many things when I’m on a long run. It’s one of the many benefits of long-distance running. That’s time in silence, unless I’m gasping, engaged with running but free to consider vexing issues of the day, week or life. With a steady supply of endorphins and adrenaline and a surging supply of blood and oxygen to the brain, connections and solutions and peace come easily.
Here are the 7 things I learned, some new and others deeper, as I ran that day.
Plant Your Flag.
Weather in the Midwest in Spring and Fall was unpredictable before the impact of global warming. Predicting it now, even two to three days in advance is, well, entertaining. I’ve noticed daily highs can change twenty to forty degrees within three days.
This race day was beautiful, albeit perfect. The bookend weekends around it were awful. Who among the organizers knew this weekend would be so beautifully perfect for a long run? They picked a date, planted their flag and said “This is when we run.”
Whenever, wherever, you launch your idea, product, conversation, collaboration or the pursuit of your dream...you’ll launch it into uncertainty. Your best predictions will prove wrong. No plan survives the first day. Plant your flag and make it happen.
Be Generous. Help Others
Even if it’s only to gasp Good job, marathoner. Say it.
We runners all know what you’re doing, you’re helping us with a few words of support. Trite maybe after 20 miles. But hey, trite works after 20 miles.
Maybe that helps for only 2-3 steps. Maybe the grimace of those 20 miles turns into a smile for a few steps ... (Hey, it did for me.) That’s a start. You gave someone a smile who needed it for a few steps. Good job. You can’t save the world but you can put a smile on someone’s face for a few steps.
And, let’s acknowledge the self-interest, it helps those who say it as much as those who hear it.
Give somebody, today, a few words of support. Just a few.
If you see somebody having a bad day, ask. You ok? I did that for a few runners who looked like they weren’t. They waved me off but... from my own experience I know it’s nice to know somebody cares.
You could be the next one that needs help. During this race a few times I thought I might be.
Don’t Judge a Runner By Their Shape.
If you can’t judge a book by its cover, then you can’t judge a runner by their shape. I’m guilty-guilty-guilty of this; but I’m learning.
Before the race I’m walked through the enthusiastic, upbeat, crowd of runners and their supporters, seeing the usual gazelle like shapes and serious looks; they’re stretching through their latest dayglow fabrics. Cool. Then there’s another group I’m thinking...No, there’s no way you’re running a marathon. Many of those in this second group finished ahead of me, some passing me and delivering a silent head slap as they did.
It’s Not the Route; It’s the Runner.
Bing-Bang-Boom. I wanted a flat route for this, my second marathon in 4 months. The only one in driving distance was Naperville and it was full. I found this one, finished it, but
Bing-Bang-Boom. I wanted a flat route for this, my second marathon in 4 months. The only one in driving distance was Naperville and it was full. I found this one, finished it, but in a slow pace. That’s because...hills killed me at that point. So does running on pavement. For others that day, not so much. So, I finished and had a great leg workout in the process and learned something. I needed to work on leg strength which I have since then. Now, hills don’t bother me.
Running 26.2 Miles is Only Part of the Marathon.
Finishing a marathon starts with training. Training to finish a marathon is a marathon. Months of miles, heat and pain and snow and rain, aching knees and stubby legs and some euphoric moments. Juggling schedules and mastering time-management, making sacrifices and asking others around us to make their own for us.
Then getting to a marathon. And you haven’t even crossed the starting line.
No marathon is ever run exactly to plan. It’s hotter, colder, you’ve trained too hard or not enough. It’s crowded, it’s hillier than you thought, the route’s not marked well, the aid stations busy...where the hell’s a portapotty?!?!!?
It’s no different with your business, established or a startup. So...pace yourself, walk a bit, roll with things, grit your teeth and keep moving forward. And pee in the bushes if you have to. Everyone else has done that at one time or the other.
Pace Yourself.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint. You don’t want to gas out or ‘hit the wall’ before the finish line. That goes back to training.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint. You don’t want to gas out or ‘hit the wall’ before the finish line. That goes back to training.
Pacing yourself also means ... eating right, getting the right amount of rest, staying hydrated, staying inspired. Sure there are days when you need to work long hours at a frenzied pace. That’s like a sprint workout or a tempo run. But you can’t run everyday like that everyday, at least I can't.
Besides it’s a sign of incompetence to organize your life into sprint. It’s a great way to lose friends, family, co-workers, employees if you organize their day in a sprint to keep up with you.
To make the best decisions, to deliver the best experience, you need rest and nutrition just as much as training. Pace yourself.
Run Your Race.
Like the saying Be Yourself; Everyone Else is Taken ... It's your race, run it the way you run; all the other spots are taken. You’re competing against yourself unless you’re an elite runner trying to qualify for the Olympics. So, run your race.
When we be ourselves...no one can compete against us because we’re each unique to the world. When we be ourselves then our unique message is heard loud and clear and finds the right audience of supporters, customers, employees, vendors and suppliers.
And just like in a race we we hear the right calls of support from spectators and volunteers and the lessons we learn are the lessons we need to learn. That helps us grow stronger, better, faster ...
So, run your race. The other spots are already taken. Enjoy it, learn from it, grow from it.
I ran my race, finished my race. And I learned some things about myself and my training that have proved invaluable since.
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