It’s been over two years since I wrote my last running blog. Part of the reason for this hiatus was that I wanted to wait for something I truly felt writing for. As I wait for my lemonade sitting here in a coffee shop, I feel there is something that I truly want to write about today. So, here it goes.
Rewind four years – It was the winter of 2018 when I did my
last decent Full Marathon (FM- 42.2 km) in 3 hour 24 minutes (3:24). I was
happy with the effort and gave myself the next target of improving my timing to
sub 3:15. However, a much longer wait awaited me in the years ahead before I
could get the taste of my next strong FM.
As I reflect upon the way my FM panned out today morning, I think
there are five management principles that got reinforced for me.
Principle 1: Patience is a virtue.
So, what really happened in 2019 after I had trained for a year? - I developed severe cough due to air pollution which lasted for several weeks. I decided to wait for a year and take a stab at the 3:15 target the next year.
Event time 2020 - As luck would have it, I caught viral fever just a few days before the run. I took a crocin and participated in the event but struggled badly (really badly!). I swallowed the bitter pill and decided to train for another year.
Event time 2021 - Unfortunately, I pulled a back muscle just four days before the run which rendered me almost immobile. Another event time came and went.
I started training for next year, with two targets this time– a stretch
target of 3:05 (which would be a Boston Qualifier) and a pragmatic target of
3:10 (a 15-min improvement over my previous best)
Event time 2022 - The event was originally planned for 27th Feb, but in wake of the rising Covid cases, the authorities decided to indefinitely push out the event.
It was disappointing, but I decided to run on a route of my own
choice with my GPS watch on the same day (i.e., today!). The run went well. I
finished the run in 3:09 beating the pragmatic target by one minute and missing
the stretch target by four minutes. And I am elated.
Principle 2: Break the complex problem into smaller modules. It helps, always!
Running 42.2 kms in 3:10 can feel overwhelming. So, I decided to
break the journey into smaller modules. The plan was simple –
Run 10 km in 45 mins. Repeat the effort four times. (i.e., 40 kms in 3 hours). And then run last 2.2 kms in less than 10 minutes.
The plan worked. It entailed the same physical effort, but mentally
it wasn’t as taxing.
(Remember what Mohammad Kaif told me last week – “Focus. Just one ball
at a time!”)
Principle 3: There is no substitute for a good plan.
As I started to put down my plan few months back, I realized I
needed to improve on a few things to have a good run – strength, flexibility, cardio,
recovery, diet, running form, to name a few.
I imagined each of these as different workstreams of a complex
transformation project. I then developed a simple plan for each of these
workstreams.
Principle 4: Despite all your plans, unanticipated challenges
will show up on D-Day. Embrace it!
As I drove down to my self-chosen venue for the run today morning
(Galleria loop), I noticed that it had rained last morning. The roads were wet
with several water patches. It was bad news for me.
So, what do you do when unanticipated challenges show up on the big day? If you can do something to address it, then do it. If you can’t then just get on with it. In my case today morning, I did the latter.
Principle 5: Celebrate the effort, not the result!
The Sundeep of yesteryears would have fretted about having missed
the stretch target. But not anymore. Covid has taught me a few things. Life is
too fickle to fret over trivial matters. Yes, I am happy with the effort and
there is no reason why I wouldn’t celebrate it.
Time to order the most exotic dessert that this café offers (which I
am going to do next!).
As I conclude this brief narrative, I am thinking about famous quote
from king Martin Luther King Jr.
Sundeep Singh
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About the Author: By background, Sundeep Singh is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Delhi and an MBA from IIM Kozhikode. He is a Managing Director at Accenture's Sustainability practice in India. Given his flair for mechanics and passion for running, he loves to analyze and write about the finer nuances of running techniques / strategies. Sundeep’s fastest Half-Marathon is 1:26:29 and fastest Full-Marathon is 3:09:13.
