Go Down the Closed Road
In the week following an event, whether it be marathon or ultramarathon, I often find myself in interesting conversations. The audience ranges from runners to non-runners to others that are dipping their toe in the proverbial running water. Some have questions and others just want to know how it went. When people ask me how the marathon was, I generally start off with “it was fine and another finish.” If they really want details, then they are going to need to be more specific.
One conversation has stuck in my head this week …
Friend: How did the marathon go?
Me: If I would have done the half marathon it would have been a PR.
Friend: Maybe you should lower your goals then.
My first response in my head? No. In fact, hell no.
Some people like to pick one thing in life and get really good at that. They spend 5 years trying to qualify for Boston or winning a race, spend all of their school life in one sport hoping for a scholarship, or learning one specific skill.
Cool. I get it. However, I’m different.
For me, life is too short to throw all of my eggs in one basket. I don’t want to do just one thing. In fact, one the things I get down on myself about is that I can’t do more. Yes, I want to run faster, but I also want to spend more time with my family, finish my book, motivational speaking, cook more, get back to playing instruments, and the list goes on. Oh yeah, need to do some work that pays for all of it.
In my work life, it is about asking the questions and trying new things. I can get bored easily, which is why I have picked a career that combines technology, marketing, and business into one. When people ask me what I do, they get confused.
Wait. You have degrees in design, coding, and an MBA? So what do you do?
All of it. In my consulting life, they are all needed. It provides a perspective that is very useful to almost any situation.
My point is, just because nobody else has gone down the road doesn’t mean you should not. It may be closed because someone is hiding something, usually insecurity. They don’t want to deal with change. People don’t want to move outside of their comfort zone.
Or as a fellow ultrarunner put it to me:
Some people want the award without the work.
In other words, wouldn’t it be great to say that I completed the Leadville 100? Well sure it would! Except that there is a journey of work and experiences involved for that goal to happen. Falling down is part of that learning experience. Understanding that any new road will include a challenge is important to accept. Once that is accepted, you can then focus on the steps to get there.
Just to be clear, my goal is volume and not speed combined with being loud. If I wanted to run fast, that is an easy training plan. Speed work with hills. A road traveled by many. I want to explore the less traveled roads, hear the stories, and have experiences of my own. If I may be fortunate enough, I can take a few people on the journey with me.
Take off the blinders and look down that closed road. Just imagine what you could find …
Some people want the award without the work. So True!! I used to be that person, or think I was. This race was the first time I cared more about my time than the shirt or the medal. And while I’m not fast by any means, it was one of my more rewarding moments as a runner.