Running a marathon, same as running a business.

The R4F (Run 4 Fun) race group is 10 years old this month.

One of the ways to celebrate this fact is the launch of a book filled with adventures and misadventures of its members.

My participation story of my first marathon is included, the one in Lisbon in October 2013, at a time that I was part of this group.

Below I recover that story; naked, raw and pungent. Even today I shiver when I read it. And whenever I need to "align axes" I recover it, just to remember what life is about: passion, dedication, commitment, struggle, effort, disappointment, resilience, victory ... and, in the end, repetition (live, work and create, all over again) ...

And what does this have to do with business, or running business?

All! Running, and especially running a marathon, has to do with: Organization, Planning, Creativity. Besides Passion, Dedication, Commitment, Struggle, Effort, Disappointement, Resilience, Victory ... Repetition ...

Organization. What do I do? I run! What business is mine? What do I sell? What do they buy me? What market am I in? What competition is out there? What team do I have? What I want? When do I want to achieve (and what) goals?

Planning. What do I want to do and when? A marathon in 18 months! What tools will I need and implement? What procedures and rules will I set up? What will I do and when with my clients, suppliers, partners, collaborators?

Creativity. What do I do to improve the race? Listening to music, training analysis, mental work to overcome physical difficulties! What methodologies of control, analysis and continuous improvement will I implement? Will I only appeal to myself or ask for input from all of my audiences, internal and external?

Running a marathon and running a business is very similar. It requires time, requires mental capacity to maintain course and focus, requires mental strength to overcome obstacles and difficulties.

The first marathon always costs more, and the following will also be difficult. But they will be better for you. My first marathon was made at +4h10, my second +3h50, my third at 3h37. There was above all, creativity, to be used on better organization and planning.

In business the same happens. The first fights will always be more difficult, the next will continue to cost but will be more "easier" to deal with.

Below is "my" inspirational text, posted on the blog of the R4F racing group:

"I share with you what for me was the best experience of the Lisbon Marathon: the spectacular and fantastic camaraderie of what I call the Run 4 Fun tribe.

A big thank you to the great Vitor Aguilar, who first tried to tow me some 3km from the finish line and finally got it for the last 1.5km / 2km to the finish line.

In the last kms Run 4 Fun Angola also helped, my thanks to this unknown "Angolan".

Along the way, the feeling that the Run 4 Fun never was, or would be, alone, to remember the Liverpool anthem: "you will never walk alone".

Great support inside and, above all, out of the race, very good the "reception" at the Expo.

But this was the end, in agony, already past 2pm, of a test that was great in everything.

The days before had been one of frenzy and "fear", what was going to come?

For a rookie like me, who just started running in June of the year before, a Marathon was a great thing.

Respect was a lot.

And now it's even more.

I heard a lot of the experienced in these wanderings, Fernando Rosete, Pedro Gil Morais, Jo?o Góis Gomes, Jo?o Ralha.

They may have not noticed, but I tried to listen to everything they said, and what they did not say.

I've been reading and listening to other stories out there.

I mentally prepared myself for the great day of October 6.

That morning the alarm clock rang at 6am, at 7:30 am there was a meeting with Run 4 Fun's at the Expo, to catch the metro and then the train to be in Cascais by 9am.

"Phew", this on a normal day was enough to tire a common mortal.

Until 10:05 am, the departure time, was the so-called "heating session to fill chorizo".

It you do not warm up here at all, all you want is to start running and as soon as possible.

10h05, starting shot.

Finally!

It was time!

Now we were going to see if we had a man or not.

The first kilometers were to have been made at 5m30, but the excitment of the departure always takes its ahead, and I began to run to the rhythm 5m15, 5m10, until it passes for me the flag of the 3 hours and 30.

I had trained for 3h and 30, it was a very ambitious goal for a rookie.

In the last 2 weeks I had pondered, little, but had, lower the target of 4h.

I wanted to arrive before 4h. "Damn, it's really good!" I thought.

And I did not care to come with this time.

During the preparation for the 4-month marathon, I "heard" at a certain point the phrase "The first is to end," and now, in the last days before the "big" Marathon, I began to think the phrase did all the sense, and that this "new" goal would be a very good time.

But the bastard of the 3h30 flag passed me and "stung me", "let's go athletes, get together, come on".

And I went.

Great trip I made with this man that carried the 3h30 flag.

Fantastic the spirit that managed to print the whole time I could follow.

He kept encouraging the group that followed him, after each supply he tried to get the group together, he gave us tips of hydration and food, he said to save energy, not to stretch...

I take my hat off to this man.

The walk through Cascais was 5 stars, the marginal to Oeiras, was 5 stars, until the strange "entrance" to Oeiras was 5 stars, everything was being 5 stars.

In the mid-marathon, almost in Algés, I even raised my arms to celebrate the middle of the race.

I was fine, very well.

Everything was 5 star.

I had a comrade Run 4 Fun who accompanied me in this group on the 3h30 mark for many, many kilometers.

Emanuel Silva was also a newcomer and had more or less the same goals as me.

We made an "alliance" there.

We talked about marathon experience, life, things, everything helped to pass the time.

I was pulling Emanuel, Emanuel was pulling me.

The entrance to Lisbon was also 5 stars, the approach to Terreio do Pa?o was when it started to be less stars...

Until then everything was going well, I was hydrate myself and putting in the gel according to the rules, but...

I start to slowing down at the 32km, and slowing down well, the climb from Terreiro do Pa?o to Restauradores never seemed so long.

The sun at this hour was right over my head, there were no shadows nearby or wind.

It was here that I "disconnected" from Emanuel.

The "alliance" disappeared, I was so close to the "disorientation" that mentally I only thought of myself.

The descent helped a little, but the wall was near.

I totally lost Emanuel here.

At 34km I was over, it looks like the body turned off, the head still said for another few meters "come on, man!".

Than I remembered the Mexican who, a few miles before, would say to himself, but aloud, which started a small laugh in the group: "bamos cabron, son of putana, bamos!".

But a few feet later, my legs thrashed, and appear, small, many, intense, cramp... and they would not "let me run"...

I did not stop, I kept walking, at a fast pace, and thinking: "What the fuck! I cannot believe it, it was going so well! I took the wall! I thought this will only happen to the others! I'm in shape! What did I do wrong?".

For 2 or 3 times I wanted to stop, but I never did.

At this point I thought "fuck, this shit isn't over", the first marathon is to end!

I cannot run but I would walk till the end.

But the finish line was 7 to 8 km away!

But I cannot stop.

All the effort and dedication of about 100 trainings, about 1000km total training, the many mornings and nights that I spent on running, the "failures" with the family, deserved that I finished.

And so it was.

Until km 36 it was a disgrace, not even walking straight I could, the back "forced" me to do hump.

From 36km to 40km I was walking and at a lower pace, I could already walk relatively well and right.

Many Run 4 Fun tried to pull me but I couldn't.

Many injured, crippled, bent, crooked I saw on the way, no one "dead", I saw many people like me "ending", purely and simply, but wanting and being able to continue.

I was coming to the Expo and I started to feel the "support" of the Run 4 Fun, fabulous once again!

And as if by magic I began to feel that after all I could run the last few meters, I was still feeling something in my legs.

I decided to try running slowly, very slowly, and in fact I started.

There I was in the last 1.5km in jogging rhythm, dragged by the comrades Run 4 Fun, to the entrance of the finish line.

There I felt an inexplicable force, I started to run harder, I think I even did a mini sprint...

At the finish line the explosion of feelings: "I'm at home", "good man, you're great", but above all , "the first is to end!".

I'm a Finisher!

For the history is the time, to beat in the next opportunity, that I want it to be as soon as possible (Sevilla already is messing with me):

Tempo Chip 4:13:40

Time K10 0:50:29

Time K21 1:45:35

Time K30 2:30:25

Time K32 2:41:02

Time K33 2:52:41

Time K36 3:17:27

Time K40 4:02:42

Overall Rating: 945 "

PEDRO SANTOS VICENTE