Life is a Marathon

I see it happen all the time. I'm guilty of it and I believe you are too. We try a new hobby, become an entrepreneur, try to lose weight or embrace some other life endeavour. We enjoy it for a short amount of time, see some results (good or bad) and when that plateau happens, as it always does, we quit. We lose interest. We move on. We expected quicker, possibly larger results, but the disappointment of the plateau made us stop our progress. We lost patience.

A professor at a college near Denver, Colorado has a brilliant idea. He's teaching a business course and marathon class at the same time, to the same class. This professor will lecture about business during the week and meet with his same students on weekends for the very important weekly long run. (The other training runs are to be done on their own during the week). I think it's a great idea, especially if you are willing to complete a marathon and want to get into business. These students will learn that patience is key. Patience that is needed to get through the tedious obstacles to achieve your goals. It doesn't have to apply strictly to business though. Any goal you want to accomplish takes patience. I also think any distance training you do, whether it's a couch to 5k, or a marathon, will teach you patience. Patience is so important when you want to achieve your goals. In just the last 2-3 years since I've been running and preparing for any race distance, I have applied what I have learned from running to life. From week one to race day, you will need to slowly progress your mileage 10% each week. You will need to hold back, and really discipline yourself when you feel the need to push further. In race training this will prevent overtraining or injuries...in the business world, discipline allows you to follow your plan as laid out with going overboard.

I tried the "get rich quick" multi-level marketing schemes. I have picked up a guitar only to quit a month later. In my lazier teen days I would spend $400 on a yearly gym membership only to use it 5 times in that year. I didn't see instant results, so I quit. No patience. And that's what many people do. Only a very, small percentage of people in this world are successful, famous, or rich in an instant because, well, good luck most likely. Everyone else worked hard. They practiced the tedious things over and over again. They failed miserably. They got right back up and started all over again. I must stress though, if you really want to achieve your goals, patience isn't the only key. Passion is a large part of it. Looking back at the things I quit, I had no passion for it. First find that passion and then remember it takes patience to achieve. If you fail, great, learn from it and try again. Failure is also just as important as patience. It keeps you grounded.

Let's start with our local hero Shaun Suisham. I always remember his story if I need a mental boost for training. A small-town Canadian boy playing in the NFL. He's the perfect example of a hard work ethic and patience. Shaun is a (former?) NFL place kicker with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He's the most accurate FG kicker in Steeler history. Sure, some could argue that good genes gave him that powerful leg, but there's more to it. He practiced field goals over, and over, and over again. If he plateaued on distance or was cut from a team, he was determined to keep trying. He didn't give up. He picked away at the tedious things all by himself. In the off-season he would go to a local park, again this was all by his lonesome, and kick the ball. He would place the ball on a tee and kick it. He would walk the 50-60 yards to retrieve the ball and do it over and over again. Tedious practice giving him slow but incredible results.

What about that local business you love? It's been around for years. How does the owner keep it successful after so many years. You remember going to this place as a child and it's still operating despite a very sluggish economy. In fact, so sluggish your community is losing population at an alarming rate. Younger couples are moving to the big city, and your hospital is threatening to close. Employment in this small town, like other small towns in Canada, is at an all-time low. How does the business survive? They don't give up. They stick to the plan, adapt where needed and patiently see more positive results.

That's how a marathon (or other distance training) can teach you about life. You can't just say "I'm running a marathon." and then finish one within a month. You have to try a 5k, then a 10k, a half marathon and then slowly but surely, go for that marathon. It's a long, tedious process to get there. It took me two years. Whenever I sign up for a race I print out a calendar and write out how each day will look. I stick to the plan as best as I can. Life will get in the way, so you adjust. Have a wedding or major event coming up? Plan around it. Move your weekend long run to a Friday or Sunday morning. What about a week long vacation in the Bahamas? Relax while down there, because you have earned it, but take a couple mornings to run along the beach or use the resorts gym.

There will be injuries, adjustments needed, and sacrifices to be made. If you still have a passion for running (or any life endeavour) and believe in the patience it takes just to complete it, you will easily adapt to the upcoming levels. If you are new to this, give yourself some time to achieve. I promise you, once you see the results, you will be glad you followed the plan. If you get injured or bonk out of a race you weren't fully prepared for, you will want to take back the day you threw the plan out the windows. Write something down and STICK TO IT!