Six lessons I learned during a 5K race

I was panting heavily; my feet felt as heavy as lead. Our company had a 5K run event organized to raise money to fight cancer, and I was running my first 5K after years. What I learned from this unforgettable experience:

Lesson 1: Understand yourself.

One needs to have a strong self-awareness of your strength and weakness. If you have not run for long, understand your body condition. Ask the question: can I finish the whole run? Set a realistic goal: finish in under 30 mins. Once you understand yourself, you can make a strategy. Should you run fast from the beginning or conserve energy for a final sprint?

Lesson 2: Never quit.

One half of the 5K, I could barely breathe, but I kept moving. It was the most challenging moment of the whole process, and I almost wanted to give up. The key is not to stop your step. Even jogging or walking is helpful. Coordinate your body, adjust the speed of your arm and legs and the pace of your breath. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” This was an example of a man with a purpose, plan, and vision. The people who succeed are those who never quit, not those who never fail.

Lesson 3: Show your vulnerability, and ask for help.

? of 5K left. I could not run as fast anymore. I asked for help: ”Thomas, can we run a little slower?” “Yes, I will follow you.” Asking for help is so important. Instead of fighting things alone, ask for help! Sometimes, we slow down to speed up.

Lesson 4: Reserve energy to make a sprint.

In the last 500 meters, I could hear the cheering of the crowds, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, so I sped up with my final energy for a final sprint.

Sugar" Ray Leonard, a six-time world champion boxer, showed how hidden reservoirs of determination could make the difference between success and failure. When he started to learn boxing, he was skinnier, shorter, and younger than other kids. One day, he missed the bus and started chasing after it. Day in, day out, rain, wind, or snow. He did have the heart and the desire to improve. He beat the undefeated Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns in the 14th round with a reserve of strength and determination.

Lesson 5: you will need luck, but be prepared.

I finish the 5K with 29 mins and 40 seconds. It is not something extraordinary. Some professionals finished within 20 mins. Still, I hit the goal. I am lucky! I hear many successful people saying they are lucky.

"I'm a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have" – Thomas Jefferson.

A little story of Qi Lu. At 27 years old, he earned $27 a month; at 47, he was the president of Microsoft. He Grew up in a poor village in China. He re-engineered his sleep pattern to sleep 4 hours a day and managed to publish five research papers on the topic of model checking in computer science. One day, a visiting Carnegie Mellon professor came to talk on the same topic. Lu made some perceptive observations and impressed the professor with his research. He suggested that Lu try and study in the US; he waived his $60 application fee, which he did not have. That encounter may feel a little lucky, but did you see how hard he has prepared? The rest is in history.

"luck is a little like a bus: if you miss one, another will come along, but if you are not prepared, you can not jump on.”

Lesson 6: play the infinite game.

The "race" is not a competition. I saw people helping each other, encouraging each other. The crowd cheered for the runners. We all had a common goal: raise money to fight cancer. Life is not a zero-sum game; we need to learn to play the infinite game with a common goal to make it a better world. The world is big enough for us all to be successful. Act with integrity, and focus on cooperation and teamwork, not independence and competition.

Also, do not forget to enjoy the beautiful sight along the journey. It was stunning to see the beautiful sunset on the river during my run.