Marathon lessons

"Distance adds enchantment to the view" they say, and almost a month out after a very tough race, I can share some thoughts regarding?the lessons learned on a recent marathon and how they may apply to other areas of life, including sales.

Find your why:

With the last name of Corredor, it's impossible for me not to be a runner, but I have learned to run for those that can't: be it my mother who uses a wheelchair, those that have been impacted by landmines, or even complete strangers, like a sweet older lady I met on a trail this year who told me she wished she could run, but hip issues prevented her from doing so, and asked to pray and run for her.

Finding a reason why we?do something is key to all endeavors. Simon Sinek describes this best in his "Start with the Why" TED talk and book of the same name. Knowing this is the foundation of everything one is building. Be it the sense of accomplishment, the need to prove oneself, or the challenge. In sales this is also vital. Is it for the money? To help others? While good sales people are motivated by the former, the rewards are greater with the latter, knowing that you've been able to make a difference in a patient's life is extremely rewarding. A former colleague of mine keeps a picture?of his kids on his wallet, and looks at it when having a long day in the OR, or when he has to leave town on another business trip.

In running, I follow the first of Stephen Covey's highly effective habits: 'Begin with the end in mind', and it's always imagining a picture of me holding the medal at the finish line of whatever race I'm running. This year, with all the virtual runs available, I had separate goals and different medals for each virtual stage completed (5k, 10k, half, full) and the one earned at the finish line.?

Training:

How you train and prepare will directly affect the outcome of your race. Never have I felt truly prepared for a marathon, but for some, having done enough training and a good long run, got me to the start line with more confidence. It is the same with sales, the more you prepare and practice, the easier the sales process will be. Even preparing for all the things that can go wrong (What if the weather changes overnight? Do you have the proper gear ready to make a morning of decision? Have you set up a backup plan for everything, like the alarm? Have you driven the course before to get a better idea of where you'll be going?). In sales, a great exercise to go through is to do a "pre-mortem", to go over all the things that could go wrong and prepare for it. (Your champion doesn't show up to a key meeting to push for your system. Federal officers raid the hospital of a group that is about to give you a $1m PO. Your device has a technical issue during a key demo...all things I've experienced.)

Mixing things up and trying new things that can help is also important. Even elite runners are constantly tweaking things to see how they can improve: new shoes, laces, watches and apps. Since my last marathon, there's been an increase of items available for runners that I had not used before, but each made an impact: massage devices, recovery shoes, knee braces, better liquid gels, faster shoes and improved reflective gear for night runs. It's no different in sales, where in recent years there has been a lot of new sales tools, including solutions for virtual sales, enablement and digital marketing. As with the running gear, all these can be intimidating and overwhelming, but worth trying new things and seeing what really helps you.

"Blisters go away, Bragging is forever"

Find your mantra:

This is particularly important when the going gets tough and you've hit the proverbial wall. "You can do it" is simple and helps both me and others which is why I had it on the back of my shirt. I recently stumbled into Ryan Holiday's lovely bookstore in Bastrop, TX and his books. I've especially?enjoyed his examination of the Stoics in his "The Obstacle is the Way" and this has become my new mantra (have a coin with?these?words on my desk). It has helped me understand that overcoming things that are hard is what makes us better individuals, that there are lessons inherent in what's affecting us, and that by pushing through them we can get the breakthroughs that will help us grow.

On mile 15, by the Mexican consulate there was a great sign: "Quince-puede!"

Have a support team:

Nothing beats having people on the road cheering your name. Harvey Mackay taught me a great lesson when he spoke at my school while I was in college: "The most important word in the English language is your own name" (in fact, I won a 'lifetime' supply of envelopes by answering this, but never cashed it in). Writing my name on the front of my shirt was definitely one of the best decisions I've made in a while, as every time I felt like walking, someone would say my name, and that pushed me to run a bit further. Even one female police officer around mile 17 who said: "Nando, what's going on?" or the 'heckler' around mile 19 who said: "Nando, the hands are clean, how about getting back to running!" (when he saw me spending too much time cleaning the much needed Vaseline from my hands).

But also knowing that I had my wife and supportive friends along the race was a huge boost. Gave me another reason to keep going so as to not miss them/disappoint them. We all have access to a support team, be it colleagues facing similar situations, or friends we can bounce ideas of.

Know your numbers:

Running is the alchemy of legs, lungs, heart and mind, and we track it with numbers. How long it takes us to run laps around a track or a specific distance? The simplicity lies in the fact that we can always compare our time to our previous times. Knowing our predicted race time is key for the staging area we should be part of at the start, but also to know if we're on track or not.

In sales, it's not just the estimated value of the purchase order or commission, but also all the numbers in pipeline development and forecasting. A deeper dive into COGS helps you understand why items?are priced in such a way, and where your contribution adds to the overall goals of the company. More importantly, understanding the value perceived by the customer, and providing all the required ROI to have a VAC support the purchase of your equipment or device.

I've recently enjoyed Michael Clinton's book 'ROAR' where he dedicates a significant amount of time to remind those that are considering any transition, especially in mid-life, to "Know and own your numbers". These include not only the financial ones: 'How much money do I have?", "How much do I need to retire comfortably -or to switch jobs?", but also the health ones, like weight, BMI, and blood pressure (he inspired me to buy a blood pressure monitor so I don't have to wait for my annual physical).

It's OK to ask for help:

I had three injuries to contend with during the last race, but it was a massive blister that developed after mile 18 that made things really tough. After mile 20, each step would hurt and I knew that it was going to take a lot of effort to get back to Grant Park. Never have I required medical attention in a race, but after getting my medal I went straight to the first aid tent. A team of five looked over a resident?who helped me remove a sox, and when doing so, she did her best to not show any shock and said to her colleagues: "It's a big one". This actually turned out to be a blessing, because it allowed me to rest on a cot with a cold towel on my head while they put lotion and gauze. As a bonus, they also re-taped my other foot that was affected by fasciitis. My recovery was much better because of that final pit stop and I'm glad pride didn't prevent me from seeking the help I needed.

It's no different in sales and other aspects of our life. It's OK not to be OK. It's OK to ask for help. In fact, it's better to do it early and often, to prevent an issue from becoming a bigger problem. With any struggle, be it a tough sale or a personal conflict, it's OK to ask for help.

Adapt:

Things will always change, and most will be out of our control, be it the weather on race day -or when your champion that has been advocating for your solution leaves her institution. Adapting and anticipating these potential changes can reduce stress and minimize the impact. Do you have all types of gear ready the morning of the race and make a last minute decision? Have you developed more than one champion at the institution you're working with?

Gratitude and Mindfulness:

Although I had completed 11 marathons before, this was the first time I incorporated a new?element into the race. As the pain became really tough to deal?with, and I knew that my goal time was not going to be possible, I had to muster up some inner strength to help me continue when all I wanted to do was to stop (the Goose Island beer truck around mile?23 was very tempting!) I had to reframe the day, and started to think how lucky I was to be able to visit 29 different neighbourhoods of the city (over half that I had never visited before).

A few times, I truly was happy to at least have had the opportunity to be running -participating is probably the better term! Twice, on streets that had?tree?canopies I could see the skyline in the background and felt recharged by seeing such a beautiful sight. How cool was it go through the Chinatown gate?! To have hundredths of people yell my name! On my birthday! I felt truly blessed to have experienced this.

During miles 24-25 I did something new, and decided to treat this time like I would in a meditation session. Focus on the breathing, and nothing else. While still feeling a lot of pain, I was able to focus less on that, and more on each breath knowing that each inhale and exhale got me closer to the finish line.

Emotionally and physically drained, I was able to cross the finish line (appreciate the stranger that encouraged me to run the last 200 yards), and earn another medal. Now that the blister is almost healed, and my fasciitis improving, I can look back and appreciate all the good that took place that day. I also have made peace with my age, accepting that it's also OK to go slower. That it's also OK not to get a PR. I was lucky to finish. And like most marathoners know, it was out of the question to immediately think of another run, but now I'm already plotting the next one...?