Ten years ago I ran my first 26.2 mile race in the inaugural Brighton marathon. Since then, I’ve taken part in several events including London, Paris, Berlin and Edinburgh marathons along with many halves and 10ks. Then, three years ago my life changed and I stopped running.
Last month I returned to the Brighton marathon for a second time. Even though I love to run, it felt like starting over. Worse still, my training was disrupted by two separate injuries, a busy work schedule and a short illness. All of these meant I was frustratingly ill prepared. The race was incredibly challenging, messy and nowhere near any previous time I’ve completed other marathons in. Having said that it was fun, energising, life affirming and a reminder of the tenacity that we can have to triumph in the face of adversity.
Running a marathon is lot like being in business. There are moments when it feels like a breeze and others, when no matter how hard you try, you don’t seem to be getting anywhere. There are times when have no idea where your energy comes from. Sometimes things don’t go to plan and you feel like giving up.
Time is Man Made
One of the best ways to ruin a run is to get hung up on time. It’s the same with your business. It’s important to remember that the numbers are just measurements. They are not who you are nor are they an indicator of your value or self-worth. Time doesn’t exist outside of human kind. It is literally man-made, as is its meaning.
It was near mile eighteen when everything inside me screamed “STOP!” My energy was gone, my inadequately trained legs were struggling and all I could think about was ducking through the barriers and walking the short 500 metres to my home.
As in business, you have to accept the reality of your situation. Especially when it feels hard. You then have to decide to to stop or keep on going. If you choose the latter, you need to be realistic and reassess. I realised that I had to forget about achieving a time based goal. I simply had to focus on completing the race.
Accepting my fatigue, I thought about how I’d feel quitting and then how I’d feel completing the race, regardless of time. I decided to stick it out and began to walk for 50 steps and run for 100. Counting the steps kept me focussed on a very simple task: each step. That was it. For you, it might be counting the sales you make. One by one.
Keep it Fun
One of the things that’s wonderful about marathons like Brighton is the number of families out on the streets offering sweets, orange slices and fruit to the runners. When you run a marathon your glycogen (sugar) stores deplete after 2-3 hours. If your training has gone well your body will have learned to burn fat at a rate that holds this off for as long as possible.
Once your glycogen is spent, your energy levels drop and you feel like you’ve hit a wall. It’s the hardest part of running a marathon. With good training you can usually stave this off until somewhere between mile 20 and 22. This still means you have at least 30-60 minutes of running on empty and using all the will your mind can muster to reach the finish line.
My energy had dropped off even earlier. So I stopped running past kids with bowls of sweets and began stopping to say hi and carefully choose which colour I wanted. They were delighted and it made my run a lot more pleasant. I also began to high five supporters and chat with runners around me. It feels so much better when you choose to smile and make it fun, despite it feeling tough.
Why are you even doing your business anyway? To make money it’s easier and less stressful to get a job. If it’s your business then it’s up to you to make it fun. If it doesn’t feel like it then lift your head up and look for the fun in it. There’s opportunity for wonder and delight in so many moments of our every day lives that we can miss them because we are so busy running along, caught up in our own little meaningless missions.
I say meaningless not to be cruel, but because for the most part it is true. What’s important to us is invariably irrelevant to most other people. And yet we can’t understand why they don’t get it. Everybody enjoys a laugh and a smile though.
On an industrial estate, halfway through mile 21 I stopped smiling as we doubled back along the seafront into an icy cold wind blasting at us for the last few miles. Yippee. Despite the earlier sun, it had been a cold start and fortunately I still had a jacket tied around my waist and a pair of gloves, both of which I slipped back on. Not long after though, I stopped jogging completely and walked steadily forward as several pace makers, carrying balloons labelled with those precious times I’d hoped to conquer, chugged past me.
HELP!
Back amongst supporters at mile 23 I tried to start jogging again. Big mistake. My thigh muscles pulled sharply into a tight spasm and I couldn’t move my legs without searing pain. The cold was causing me serious issues.
I don’t know about you, but as much as I love to help other people I haven’t always been that good at asking for help from others when I need it. Not only that, but there have even been times when I haven’t paid attention to the fact that I needed to ask for help.
This can happen in business too. We often feel like we need to do it all on our own and somehow we are failures if we reach out to others. Perhaps we are afraid that we will look weak or vulnerable. We feel ashamed. We may also feel that our achievements won’t be our own if we do.
Balderdash. Sharing vulnerability is brave. Take care of yourself when you are finding it tough and ask for help when you need it. Most importantly, accept the help when it is offered. Especially if you really need it. Don’t let your pride get in the way of your well being. Caring and be cared for are two sides of the same coin.
I spotted three people in a Brighton beach hut nearby and staggered over to them hoping to get warm. They were wonderful and offered me a seat and a blanket. I eyed the chair nervously wondering if I’d be able to get up once I sat down. My legs felt even worse when I did sit. The blanket warmed me and I enjoyed their company as my body recovered. They poured me some lemonade and I scoffed handfuls of crisps from a bowl on their table.
The warmth, sugar, salt and compassion all helped and five minutes later I was able to move my legs. I thanked my samaritans and ambled off towards the finish.
Cheers!
The support at most marathons is great, but Brighton is really special. The cheers and whoops from the crowd really pull you through the last three miles along the seafront. Soaking up the energy of the crowd is a real boost to anyone on their last legs at the end of a long race. Buoyed up, I even managed to run the last mile to the finish line.
Every business has fans so remember to spend time enjoying their cheers whenever you can. Testimonials are a great reminder of why your business is special, as are referrals. Keep a book of compliments your business has received as a reminder. Read it when things feel challenging.
Your business is a long distance event. It’s not a sprint. Even the biggest companies are built for the long haul. Remember it’s not just about the money. Remind yourself to keep it fun, ask for help when you need it and celebrate your victories (no matter how small). When in doubt. Just keep on running. Everything passes in the end.
How to do things when you don’t feel like it
