Reaching a summit is all about being persistent

Anita Campbell (@smallbiztrends), an author and someone I've come to know as part of my work on OPEN Forum (http://www.openforum.com/), commented on my last blog post about how my PACE running principles apply to entrepreneurs. I couldn't agree more and that's why there are so many similarities between marathon running and being a small business owner.

I am fortunate that I get to immerse myself in the latter as part of my job - small business owners create magic in all they do for the US economy, foremost by creating most of the jobs that hire US workers. In this current climate, running a small business is about being resilient and PERSISTENT. For a view on how to address these uncertain times as an entrepreneur, check out this article on OPENForum http://tinyurl.com/yjlqzgk

Fundamentally, it's getting up every day with the desire to make meaning in executing on the vision each entrepreneur has crafted for her or his journey. There will undoubtedly be days when nothing goes according to plan. These times will test the best of us but the end goal keeps us coming back for more.

I'm writing about persistence and its importance in reaching your summit - as either an entrepreneur or a marathon runner - because the past two weeks have tested the metal of the hardiest souls in NYC. Sub-zero temperatures, biting winds, dustings of snow followed by feet of snow, freezing Gatorade, solid Gu....you name it, us long runners training for Spring marathons have endured. And, the runs have not been for the faint at heart - there is no joy [or sanity, you may add] to running across the George Washington Bridge in sub-zero weather and having the left side of your face feel like it's being prepped for the dentist chair with umpteen shots of novocaine. Imagine trying to slurp semi-frozen Gatorade with a bottom lip that lacks any control!!

Having said that, persistence is the key. When there's a goal in sight, whether taking your business to the next level or training for a 5K, getting out there and doing what you need to do is the only way forward. While the attached run that includes the GWB is indeed a great way to get 15-16 miles in for any marathon runner, I do not recommend it for blustery, cold, frigid days. And for those entrepreneurs or marathoners looking for additional inspiration, check out Christopher McDougall's best seller, Born To Run, which follows the story of the Tarahumara Indians.

http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/ny/new%20york/208126590869636927

After all, as this book and countless stories prove, there is more than one way to the summit but persistence is the common factor... ;-)

14 miles of revelation...and PACE

For the longest time, I have considered marathon running analogous to life in that they are both long [well, hopefully life is in terms of years] and not without its challenges.

Certainly this has been true for me over the past year since my last marathon in London. Finishing my sixth marathon in a personal best for London of 2:53:14, I was ready to prep for New York in November '09 after a few weeks off. Well, New York never materialized because of injury and "the blues". While the injury healed over time, it further impacted my psyche and motivation to run again. While it's common to feel "low" after finishing a marathon and the exhilaration subsides, the past five experiences didn't prepare me for the complete lack of interest in running in New York.

Having rested for approximately the last four months, where my average mileage per week has never exceeded 10 miles [gasps from certain quarters], I am now back on the training schedule again for London on April 26. While it's a little early to set goals, coming back from such a long layoff, I'd like to think that a PB [New York 2008 - 2:51:28] could be possible given this past week's running and particularly the long run this past Saturday.

Chris Stoia, my running machine of a friend who serves as inspiration on a consistent basis, accompanied me on a 14-mile run from Washington Heights to the mid-40s along Riverside Drive [the map of the run can be found here:

http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/ny/new%20york/742126439037116368

During this run, with 14 weeks to go, I was reminded of how, for me, running is analogous to life and that you can PACE your way to success in both. I'm not suggesting running is for everyone. The purpose of writing this blog post is to identify four core principles that apply to almost anything in life...

P is for Passion

A is for Attitude

C is for Consistency

E is for Enjoyment

Passion

Running is not for everyone....but, life is!! Simply put, the best things in life that give us the most sense of accomplishment, enjoyment and fulfillment are those things we're passionate about. I have many passions and running is one of them; interestingly, it is a recent find. My first run was in January 2006 as part of a crazy notion I had in the New Year that I'd run a marathon - for no other reason than to check it off the 'accomplishment' list.

At that time, I'd never heard of New York Road Runners nyrr.org or Front Runners New York frny.org. Didn't even know that you could qualify for the NYC marathon in ways other than a lottery. And I assumed that my lottery chances were pretty high, right? Yeah...not really!!

How I managed to run the '06 NYC marathon will be the topic of another post - it was all legitimate - but the ability to manage through that first 26.2 miles and the five other marathons since that date is due, first and foremost, to finding a passion for running and runners, a group of people who, regardless of their aptitude, are all INVOLVED IN SOMETHING, as opposed to nothing.

Attitude

Attitude truly is everything. For those of you who know me, I believe that I am a "glass half full" kind of guy. I look for the positive in most, if not all, situations. For me, it takes this type of attitude to be successful in whatever you do.

Now, I'm not trying to be all new-age, mumbo-jumbo here....not that new-age thinking is problematic. Believe me, when I was injured and had lost the zest for running in 2009, my attitude stunk. I kept re-enforcing the "I'm injured" notion and could not get out of the running funk. And, it's amazing how if there's one part of your life that's not "running well", it can, if you let it, impact other areas - relationships, career, health, eating habits. Chocolate certainly started playing a larger part in my diet, lol.

It's easy to get sidetracked with attitude...and you start doubting yourself, your abilities...this impacts your attitude...and increases your self doubt...you get my point here, I hope. For me, running attitude, as with life, is crystalized in the following:

i. believe in yourself and the power of positive thinking

ii. it could always be worse

Attitude is best summed up in tricking the mind to push for one more mile even when the legs think that they can do no more. An interesting point to discuss in a future post - suffice to say, it's amazing what the body can achieve if the mind can conceive and believe it. Simply stated - attitude!!

Consistency

Practice makes perfect - and I can tell you first-hand that there is no way to short cut a marathon in training. It's not about being the best, but in order to be your best, consistency is key. For me, it means having to get up and run a weekly long-run [14 miles this past Saturday with Chris], regardless of the sub-freezing weather. It means getting on the treadmill in the dead of winter or height of summer and running 4-6 miles to ensure you get the mileage in. It means stretching the aching muscles to ensure you stay limber. It's drinking Gatorade at every mile on practice runs to mimic the fluid intake stations in an actual marathon.

Think about it - Jordan, Gates, Federer, Einstein - the world is littered with greats who were consistent in their approach to being the best they could. For those of you interested in how to vary the treadmill workouts to stem potential boredom, check here realizing that running at 0% incline is less than the advertised 'pace per mile' due to lack of wind resistance:

http://www.hillrunner.com/training/tmillchart.php

Enjoyment

The last of the four PACE principles but often the most important - like anything, you have to get a sense of enjoyment from whatever you choose to do. As I mentioned, I lost the zest for running and the results were evident. None of us likes to do things we don't enjoy. I was burned out and was not running with a sense of enjoyment but rather a sense of obligation. Obligation? - not sure to what, to be honest...the need to compete? to stay fit?

It took time off from running to get to the core of why it works for me. There is a solace in being out on the road for miles and miles - some of my best thinking has been done while training. There's the comraderie of running with others who share your passion - although you have to remember that you can't always get away from the chatter. There's the benefits of being in the best shape of my life.

Find something you like and immerse yourself in it - you'll be pleasantly surprised at the results and the spillover effect that it has on other parts of your life. When we are in harmony and living the best life we can, lots of things fall into place.

Eventually we all get to it...

So I started this blog in July with intention that I would write about training for the New York City marathon that is about 5 weeks away...and this is my first post. Hence the title of this first blog post.

Suffice to say, with the general lack of posting, the training has not gone well and I am, at best, 50/50 for the marathon, which sucks. I have been dealing with what I can only describe as "heavy leg" syndrome all thru' training as well as dealing with an uncomfortable tendon behind my right knee. It's about 36 hours before the training run in Central Park [minimum of 18 miles] and we'll see what I can pull out of the bag. I'm always positive and hoping that training pretty consistently since July 2006 for marathons will stand me in good stead, although i have to believe that some straightforward atrophy of the rapid response that I've had in marathons past to be able to run fast, strong and meet my goals. I'm a sub 3-hour marathoner and New York is my PR [2:51:18]...and a large part of me does not want to race if I can't at least give cracking the PR a good shot!

So, we'll see how we feel after Sunday, starting at 7AM....

To view a map of the course, click http://www.nyrr.org/races/2009/pdf/map_tuneUp18mi.pdf