Don’t try this at home
Bellingham Bay Half marathon was September 30, 2018 and I survived without injury. The day started off chilly and wet so the toughest part was picking out what to wear. Decided on shorts and t-shirt with ball cap. Simple and if I am cold I will run faster.
No injuries. Lots of fun. And great people. The lady flashing us was a bonus to get up the last hill. I don’t think she reads the news.
4 things I learned from racing that impact leadership:
- Warm up. Muscles are like people – they need time to warm up. Set aside a couple minutes in a meeting to share a win or personal story. Clap, or just stand and circle the table. This will activate the endorphins in your brain so you can focus. Seems childish but who doesn’t love to pretend to be a kid once in a while? (or as my wife would say, “are you ever going to grow up?”) Then get into the meeting. It’s easier to grow when you are connected.
- What to wear. Over dress, under dress. Cold, hot. Picking the right outfit matters. You want to feel comfortable. Not Zuckerberg sweatshirt comfortable but comfortable for the moment. You need to adjust to the group or person. Don’t wear jeans to a Black Tie Gala at the 5th Avenue but they are OK at the rodeo. The tux would look funny and you would have to pay extra at the dry cleaners.
- Train. Learning a new skill. Practice. It makes you better and makes the task easier. If I would have trained longer than 24 days and also more consistently during the 24 days I may not be as sore today as I am. Need to “put the sweat in the bucket” as they say.
- Accountability. I needed this more than anything. Well, parting with $100 helped too. Skin in the game…but knowing I had to be able to keep up with Mark on a specific day and time forced me to train. I would not let him down. Period. I would rather die of a heart attack trying…the wife likes me around and doesn’t think that’s funny.
- Finally, I guess that’s 5 so this is the bonus. Have fun! The slump is broken and we broke 2 hours as mentioned in the blog 24 days ago. We achieved our goal. Not bad for a couple of old guys with very little training.
If anyone is looking for a fun well done race the group does an amazing job. It runs like a well-oiled machine. Check it out you have time to train for next year.
https://www.bellinghambaymarathon.org/
Or if you know someone that wants an Executive Coach that can run, laugh, and hold you accountable while YOU crush your goals click here – lets talk!
