13 Things I Learned in 13.1 Miles
1. The Importance of Setting a Goal
It started over a year ago when a past coaching client of mine
asked me to join Team Emily www.Team-Emily.com and run a half or
full marathon for charity. Me. At that point in my life, running
was something I did to the grocery store, to the dry cleaners
and to the bank. I could only run (okay, lightly jog) for 20
minutes on the treadmill at the beginning of my work out, but
for the most part I left running to my son Blake, the High
School Senior and All State Cross Country Runner. I had never
run for more than a mile at a time and that took me a good half
hour to finish that.
I agreed to do it, half thinking she would forget in a year that
I had even committed. It would be fun, I thought, and help me
get into shape. I even started to get a little excited thinking,
wow, wouldn't it be cool to say "I ran a half-marathon!"
The first thing you have to do is set a goal to do something. No
matter how crazy it may seem, no matter how far off in the
future or even if you are not sure how you are going to do it,
the first thing to do is to decide.
2. Accountability: Everyone needs it
I remember talking to a friend who was an avid runner and
telling her about the charity and the event. She wanted to do it
with me. Okay, now I was committed. I couldn't rely on anyone
"forgetting" I agreed to run now. She didn't live close to me,
but every time we talked or emailed, she always asked me how the
training was going. I didn't want to tell her I hadn't started
yet, so I would just say "great!" She did not let me off the
hook.
Along with my own personal trainer, Team Emily was under the
training supervision of Coach Jack Daniels, PhD. He was named
the NCAA Cross Country "Coach of the Century," has been the
"National Coach of the Year" three times and was named the
"World's Best Coach" by Runner's World. Jack has published five
books on training and over 50 articles in scientific journals on
both running and training. Check out his latest book, "Daniels'
Running Formula." http://www.CheriAlguire.com/runningbooks/
After you have set a goal, tell someone, anyone, everyone what
you are going to do. Tell someone who will be excited and
encouraging to you and hold you to doing it. Everyone needs a
coach!
3. Become a Student of the Game
Running. You can do it by yourself or with a group. Other than a
good pair of shoes, you don't need any special equipment. You
can do it anywhere. So, when I decided to get out there and just
do it, I found it more difficult than I anticipated. I needed to
become a student first. I went to the bookstore, looked through
every single book on running and bought five. (Yes, the cashier
gave me a weird grin.) My favorite books were the "Absolute
Beginner's Guide to Half-Marathon Training" and the
"Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer."
http://www.CheriAlguire.com/runningbooks/
Knowledge is Power! Learning has never been easier. You can
research practically anything on the internet and books have
been written on every subject. Don't worry if you don't know how
to do something. If you are willing, you can learn the rules of
the game!
4. Practice, Practice, Practice
After I had read the books and hired the trainers, I just had to
get out there and run. I knew I had to work on my cardio. I knew
I had to work on strengthening the muscles and ligaments that
would need to take me 13.1 miles. I had to practice.
Whether it is practicing running, scripts or an elevator speech,
we all need to practice to improve at the skills necessary to be
successful in running, business and in life.
5. Self Discipline is the Defining Quality
Yes, there were days I was too tired and really didn't feel like
doing my training run, but I had to do it anyway. There were
actually a lot of days like that but I knew I had to do it. No
one was making me do it, I had to stay disciplined and do what I
knew I needed to do.
Everyone knows the things they are supposed to do in their
business from creating a business plan to lead generating. No
one is going to make you do those things. You have to have the
self-discipline to get your self to do the things you know you
need to do.
6. The Importance of Visualizing
The Saturday before the race after I picked up my race number, I
took the course map and drove the streets I was going to be
running on the next morning. I noted every turn and bridge and
underpass and visualized myself running it the next day. I even
paid attention to where the water and "pit crew" would be. I
visualized running farther than I ever had. I visualized myself
that night running the course and crossing the finish line with
my hands held high in the air in triumph! The next day when I
was actually running it, I was surprised at how quickly I was
passing all the markers from the day before and could visualize
what I had left to run.
In order to be successful in business and in life, we need
visualize where we are going. You need to visualize yourself
achieving the goal in your mind, before you will ever be able to
do it.
7. Benefits of Starting from the Back of the Pack
This was my first ever organized run of any kind. On the
application it asked what I projected my finishing time to be. I
didn't have any idea so I left it blank. I would just be happy
to finish in the four hours we were allowed. Because I left my
estimated time blank, I was assigned corral number 24 out of 24.
That meant there were 23,000 runners lined up in the 5 block
stretch ahead of me. It took forty five minutes from the sound
of the gun until I got to cross the start line. That meant I was
back with a lot of people who were planning on walking the
half-marathon instead of running it.
Because I was running, it meant I had to weave in and out of
people passing them on the course. As challenging as this could
be at times, it also boosted my confidence. Others I was running
with eventually stopped and walked and I was able to continue
running. I was able to build off my success and even after I
passed the five mile mark which was the farthest I had ever run
before, I was able to continue running until the very end.
Everyone has to start somewhere and usually that is at the
bottom, the beginning or even the back of the pack. Build off
your past successes and keep going for it!
8. Be able to find your own Dog Beach at Sunset
Part of my training the five months before the race included
long runs on Sunday afternoons. These were the hardest for me to
do so I decided to not run the same areas I ran the rest of the
week. I instead went to one of my most favorite places,
Huntington Beach. There is a beautiful six mile stretch of beach
that you can park at, run and turn around and come back. In the
middle of that six mile stretch is the famous Huntington "Dog
Beach" and I would typically hit that on my Sunday afternoon
runs just in time for the sun to set. There is nothing like
keeping stride with the silhouette of a Labrador or Retriever
running carefree after a stick thrown by his owner. That
inspired me on the training runs and when I hit mile 7 on the
day of the half-marathon, I just kept remembering Dog Beach at
sunset and drew inspiration from that memory and didn't even
notice as the hot desert sun was getting higher in the sky. All
I could think about were the dogs playing in the ocean waves.
Sometimes, the days get long and you are doing something that is
monotonous or tough. Those are the times to go to your own Dog
Beach at Sunset.
9. Running from the Neck Up
Before this weekend, the farthest I had ever run was four to
five miles. There came a point when my right ankle and left
knee, both of which I had wrapped, were beginning to ache. I had
to concentrate on not thinking about the pain. I had to "run
from the neck up." If one of the people I was running with would
say something about an ache or a pain, they would hear me repeat
"It's time to run from the neck up."
As I sit here days later still on the mend, I would do it all
over again. You see, that was my chance. That was the moment I
had been studying for and training for all year. I was going to
finish. My body will heal, I knew that. I know others have done
what I was doing and even though they felt the effects, they did
it, and so could I!
Sometimes you don't see how you can do something. Sometimes you
just have to know that you know that you can do it and complete
the task. There comes a point where you just have to "run from
the neck up!"
10. Cheerleaders are Underestimated
When I think back to how I was able to run farther in less time
than I was ever able to do a much smaller distance, I know that
part of that victory is shared by the thousands of cheering
spectators, honking cars, cheerleading squads and bands that
lined that route. As hard as it was for me to run for 2 hours
and fifty-four minutes, they had to stay upbeat and cheer 24,000
runners and walkers on.
Find your cheerleaders and draw energy from them.
11. Importance of FLOW
I had heard that distance runners were able to run in "flow." I
understood this intellectually, but never did find it for myself
training for the half marathon. I did find it somewhere in those
13.1 miles. I am not sure what mile marker it came, but I
noticed when I stopped to walk through a water stop, that it
hurt to walk. Running was just very automatic. I was in flow. It
only took three steps after I began running after walking
through the water station to find the flow and then the running
was almost effortless.
If you have the determination to keep pushing forward, you can
find that flow in business and in life. You just have to be
willing to keep pushing until you finally find it, or maybe I
should say, until it finds you!
12. You really can do anything you set your mind to
My mother stopped over to see me the day I got back from the
seven hour car ride back from the 13.1 mile event. She said
something that night that has been repeated by friends and
relatives that have called over the past few days. "You really
can do anything you set your mind to."
If you really want to do something, or become something, or live
something, you can. You really can do anything you set your mind
to.
13. When you do something for the benefit of others, you
receive so much more in return
The things I gained from this experience are absolutely
priceless. I really did not believe until a year ago that
running 13.1 miles was something I would be able to do. But I
did.
When you do something for the benefit of others first, you are
rewarded in ways you never would have dreamed possible.
This said, I did not run this race for my own benefit, but to
raise awareness and money for a very worthwhile charity. I
invite you to visit www.team-emily.com
I will never forget that moment that I crossed the finish line
after running 13.1 miles, with my hands held high over my head
in triumph, running from my neck up, with wings silk-screened on
the back of my running shirt to let everyone know I was running
for an angle, for Emily.