Five Career Lessons from Distance Running

As a former high school runner and current competitive runner and triathlete, running has always been an important part of my life. While I could talk about how 5 Ways A Morning Run Will Change Your Life forever, the focus of this article is to share the career lessons I've learned from distance running. From my life experiences, here are five career lessons I have learned from running.

1. A career is a marathon, not a sprint. In high school, I had a bad habit of starting out way too fast in my cross country races, especially big invitationals. Unfortunately, I would "burn out" by starting out too quickly, spending a lot of my energy that I needed for the full five kilometer (5k) or 3.1 mile race. The same can be said about a career. If you start off too quickly, you are likely to get burned out. Learn how to say "no" and not to over commit yourself. Also, be sure to take vacation time regularly to unplug and actually disconnect while on vacation. Just like rest days are needed for distance running training, rest days are needed away from work. As much as I hate taking rest days from training, they are important for recovery and performance. Rest days allow us to return healthy and refreshed.
2. Embrace the hills. While I enjoyed running up hills in high school and was a strong hill runner, I tend not to enjoy it as much these days. However, by including hill work in my training today, it helps make me a stronger runner, especially for racing. Similarly, a career is going to have ups and downs. It's important to embrace the hard times (hills) as much as the easy times (descents). By learning to embrace and overcome challenges, it will help build resiliency over the course of your career.
3. Focus on your own race. While I was one of the top runners on my high school cross country team, I wasn't the best. Today I am a middle-of-the-pack triathlete. There were better runners in high school and there are better triathletes in my age group today. However, I focus on my own race by setting individual race goals for each discipline and each race. Similarly, it's important to focus on your own career without comparing yourself to your colleagues or friends. With today's social media, it's easy to compare yourself to someone else's highlight reel. Set your own short-term and long-term career goals and be sure to celebrate your wins along the way.
4. Mind Over Matter: The mental game. Many people say that distance running is 90% mental. I think the same applies to a career. Having a positive attitude and outlook will allow you to get through the difficult times over the course of a career. The past three years with the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly a great example. A positive attitude is one of the most powerful tools you can utilize throughout your career.
5. Enjoy the journey. Like the finish line of a race, it's easy to be so focused on the next goal in our career (certification, degree, promotion, publication, etc.) that sometimes we can lose out on the journey or process. I try to remember this during every training session for my next race. While I am focused on preparing for my next race, I am intentional about enjoying the journey along the way.

In closing, there are many parallels between a career and distance running. I strongly believe the lessons learned from distance running apply directly to a career. Like the Chinese proverb by Lao Tzu, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," it takes a single step toward positive change.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Lao Tzu

Dave Herpy is a career public servant who has dedicated his career and life to making a positive difference in the community through leadership in municipal, county, and university settings. He is a father of four, husband, parks advocate, triathlete, and wellness champion. He strongly believes that focusing time in each domain of life creates a more fulfilling and rewarding life. Connect with him on LinkedIn or follow him on Strava.