Thoughts on the Run

I have a pretty tight schedule. Between being married, having 4 kids, day job, long-time clients, running, and volunteering … take a breath … I’m required to be organized. Now, I’m not organized down to the minute of what I’m doing each day. That would be setting myself up for failure. Instead, I create blocks of time for particular tasks. One block of 2 hours could be to write a chapter in my book, another 2 block to hang out with my kids, and another block to work on a client’s eCommerce strategy. By creating blocks and loose goals, I’m not putting additional pressure on myself to accomplish something.

In the world of business, it’s more about S.M.A.R.T. goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely. I understand the need for this in order to drive productivity and get the most out of the employees involved. In running though, if I was to create Specific goals that are Attainable, I probably would have never ran my first half marathon … let alone register for my first ultramarathon to go 50 miles. Think about it, if one of those specific goals was to start a race at a 9 minute pace and it ended up being a 10 minute pace, then I didn’t meet the goal. That kind of defeat early in any adventure can cause a mental chasm to move forward.

I’m a big fan of watching tv. It’s something that resonates with me back to my childhood from watching Saturday morning cartoons to WWF to Hogan’s Heroes. One of my college degrees includes video production and editing, so I really enjoy watching how a show is put together. Combing the writing, acting, video, and sound together to create a connection with the unseen audience is an art all of it’s own. Just look at all the critics out there!

Last night I setup in the basement to do an hour run on the treadmill and watch some tv. The plan was to watch The Voice and go for at least an hour. Made it through one contestant, 8 minutes into the run. Then pop. Tv out. The television that I bought almost 15 years ago when I moved to Colorado was done. Shed a tear.

So game over. Plan for the night done. I really want to watch my tv.

Or maybe this is a test? I’m going to be tested in the Leadville 100 Mile Trail Run come this August. Can I use this situation as an unexpected test to prepare myself? With that, I went on to run another hour plus.

It’s a great reminder in life that while we prepare for every situation, there will be those unexpected tests. Throughout the day, I look for the unexpected challenges that will be presented and find the learning opportunity in each.