In it for the Long Run

One of my goals for 2021 is to get more into LinkedIn. As a business community I think we have had to be more open to doing business virtually and although it looks like the world will reopen gradually next year, I think online will always have a presence. So here is my first blog post.

I have often wondered what I would write about and if it would be interesting for others, so as the name suggests, I am going to talk about (at least for the next 16 weeks or so) my training for a marathon. This is halfway through week 3 and with each day I tick off my training plan, it occurs to me there are a lot of parallels between training for marathon and being successful in your job.

The main learning so far is about running slowly. I have been guilty since the start of lockdown 1, to break PB's and pushing myself as fast as possible. A consequence of this has been a few injuries and I'm probably not a better runner as a result of it. The plan I am doing sets me long runs at "easy pace" and gradually longer and longer ones on Sundays. Easy pace is 1 minute per mile slower than the marathon pace you are aiming for.

At first easy pace was not my friend, I found myself telling myself easy means you're not trying hard enough. One method I have learnt to slow myself down is by listening to podcasts rather than my usual running playlist, by listening to the words, I find myself focusing on the subject and enjoying the mental stimulation at the same time. I find it also helps to find someone to run with, again so you are focused on chatting about anything from work to family life and of course still socialising in a COVID friendly way.

The parallels I drew from this are around pace and tempo in work life. Often, as soon as the ink has dried on a business plan you race off trying to reach PB's and get to the goal quickly. What are the risks involved in doing this? Just like an injury in running, if you are so focused on getting to a target too quickly, you risk looking at just the transaction and stifling the enjoyment from the journey. Following the plan and knowing your pacing is part of that journey.

What I hope to bring from my training to my work life is the balance of being able to take an "easy pace" run every now and then. Reflect and build for the race to come. It's very different from stopping altogether. Take your podcast, read further around a subject or engage with colleagues/friend, to aid this process.

COVID has forced a lot of us down an easy pace route, from the challenges of lockdown, isolation and all the emotions of the past 8 months. Everyone has had to build up their stamina and resilience through this time. I hope whatever race you're building towards, it's a good one.