Some life (and entrepreneur) lessons from our recent running expedition

Late last year, the good wife and myself decided to set ourselves a running challenge of some substance … so we entered the Cape Town Marathon (which happens in October). As some of you may know, I did this race last year … and boy oh boy was it a shocker!! Grossly under-prepared, no real game plan around nutrition, early cramping – and to top it all off, I ended up walking 21km (yes – that’s half the race) …

So in a serious attempt to get some redemption this year, and having my better half train with me, we set ourselves an achievable goal to finish the race well this year. Part of that was getting a rhythm and structure around our training, and supplementing that with nutrition. Come early January and so started the program – weekly focused training sessions, some gym work, and managing our nutrition.

And this set us up for the Two Oceans half marathon – which happened to be on my birthday!! And what better way to treat yourself – set a goal, put in the effort, do the work, and get the result … Fast forward to the race – as always, running the half at Two Oceans is such a treat. This year was our 5th – and perhaps one of our better ones. We finished a few minutes outside our goal time (crossed the line at 2:15) – but for us it was a goal and result definitely achieved.

A few weeks on, I reflected on the lead-up to race day, and the race itself. For me, there were a number of learnings, which I am sharing with you – hopefully, some of these resonate well with you in your personal, professional, or entrepreneurial journey.

1. Have a plan – at the beginning of the year, we put in place a plan to get to Two Oceans. Some 12 weeks of diligent training (road running and gym) and nutrition with a focus on weekly progress. The plan was focused on getting our fitness levels up and putting ourselves in a position to finish the half marathon comfortably. In life and our entrepreneurial journeys, we often look to go somewhere without a plan as to how we are going to get there … you will surprise yourself by having a plan with focus and what you can achieve.
2. Anticipate roadblocks on your journey – in the lead-up to Two Oceans, I picked up a small injury (a roadblock of sorts). This necessitated us moderating our expectations on race day, and also being aware of the injury flaring up on race day. Which it did (7kms into the race) – and at some level I was mentally prepared. Plan B kicked in – slow up a bit, stay focused on going 1km at a time, and keep my eye on the prize (finishing the race in good shape) – ultimately mission accomplished!! For each of us, we need to anticipate the roadblocks and speed humps along the way -have a plan B (and C and D if needed) and activate it when you need to.
3. Age is but a number – as some of you may know, both the good wife and I are into our 50s (and perhaps behave like 30-year-olds). And this in no way is a deterrent for either of us. More often than not, it comes down to setting a goal, putting in the work, and staying focused on the prize. So if you are thinking of starting your first (or 2nd or 3rd) business, or running your first Park Run or 10kms race, or just doing something you have not done before – because you are ‘past your sell-by date’, then think again (and again). Just get out there and get it done!!
4. Feed off the crowds – for those of you fortunate enough to have done Two Oceans, you will resonate with this so well. The crowd support is at another level – total strangers cheering on for you, willing you on to the next watering point, shouting out your name to offer that small bit of encouragement!! The crowds, in the hundreds, line up most of the route – you never feel alone, and it is so exhilarating that these wonderful people will us all on!! In life, we more often than not encounter those ‘crowds’ that don’t have a vested interest in us (as individuals or in our professional worlds) but are there to cheer us on and offer some encouragement. Embrace those moments as it will certainly lift you up … and why not become part of the crowd to cheer others on …
5. Have a partner on your journey – in our case, both the good wife and I train together. At many levels we are able to feed off each other. On race day, I am a bit better on the hills and she is better on the downs – this helps us work with each other’s ‘strengths’ to pull each other forward. Often enough I encourage founders to get at least a co-founder for a multitude of reasons – including creating the ying-yang effect, allowing you as a business to be at 2 places at the same time, feeding off each other's areas of expertise and just merely having an inner-circle sounding board to keep you honest and grounded.
6. The prize is so worth it – and in our case, crossing that finishing line, still running strong and getting close to our target time was such a reward!! Receiving that medal (and I collect them) is always a moment to cherish … And for each of you, work out what your prize in life is. Whether it be getting a new customer, meeting the target to get that bonus, raising those funds to continue your entrepreneurial journey, or just being present when you are with your family … the joy and fulfillment are all so very well worth the effort.
7. And finally, believe in yourself (and your better half in life) – because if you do not, then whom else do you expect to believe in you? When we started on this journey to Two Oceans, above everything else we both had a strong sense of belief in us as individuals and each other. No matter the challenge – an injury, too much work, too little me-time, not training enough and so on – we maintained our very own self-belief. We gonna do this – because we believe!! The hard work was done, the many kilometers were run and the body was in good shape – all that was left was for us to arrive on the day and just get it done.

On a closing note – my final lesson is one of asking the question. I often say this – if you don’t ask the question, the answer is always NO!! For us, getting into the race was a matter of asking the question – by the time we decided to enter the race, the cap on the number of entries (on the site) had been reached. Hoping that there are a few entries in reserve, I decided to approach the organizers (electronically) and humbly request their support in allowing us to run our 5th Two Oceans on my birthday. And so I merrily wrote them an email (more in hope) – and lo and behold they granted us the 2 entries (after confirming some details). And that started our expedition on a successful race – we arrived, we conquered and we live to tell the tale …