Are you running in the right direction?

A theme that often comes up when speaking to business teams is the idea of change and how we can succeed when the goal posts are shifting.

Many of us haven't experienced a great deal of change in life by the age of 23. But I want to show how embracing even the small changes can create something bigger.

Last week I ran my third marathon alongside 40,000 others in London: from the elites and record-breakers, to first-timers and the Sunday plodders. We were all heading to the same place, but all had a different reason driving us forwards to get there. As many of the signs by the road said: we were all going faster than Brexit! They say you can't run a marathon without telling everyone, so at least I've got that bit over with...

In the same way that training helps our bodies adjust and get stronger to run a marathon, adjusting to life changes takes time, pain and perseverance. Being comfortable for too long is never a good thing.

A lot had changed since my last marathon in Chester when I got a tendon injury and was out of action for three months, struggling to maintain my mental health as a result. Luckily, I got back to running and training as normal. But it was never going to be that simple. After a delicate and frustrating recovery I knew I wouldn’t realistically improve my 2:54 PB at London. For me, running and sport has always been about improving performance, chasing seconds and minutes, and like many businesses; striving to be the best I possibly can be.

Training without this sense of progress stole the motivation altogether and it became a chore instead. I already knew from experience that I could run a marathon - and the element of uncertainty is what keeps goals exciting. But just because you've done it before doesn't make it easy, either. I fell out of love with running – when it was all I wanted to do whilst injured!

The first step was learning to change expectations. My mind and body weren’t ready for the demands of another sub 3-hour training plan. So I changed the goal from time to making a difference by fundraising for YHA England & Wales, transforming young lives through adventure – having realised just how often we take being active and outdoors for granted, and how important that is for our mental and physical health.

This also inspired the idea to raise awareness by wearing a giant logo costume. It was supposed to officially be the fastest marathon dressed as a logo - except Guinness World Records said it wasn't big enough!

How do you manage when change comes all at once? Two months ago I moved from Cheshire to Kendal, near the Lake District, to be nearer the hills that first inspired my Everest journey. Leaving home and a sense of belonging was a much harder change than expected, and the blasé “I’ve spent months living in tents on expeditions, how hard can it be?!” mindset braved to admit.

This also worked in my favour, though. Changing the scenery from tarmac to hills was a chance to start exploring the new local routes, the excitement of new trails, warmth of sunrise on the fells, and bluebell woods in bloom. All of these were a powerful reminder of why I run in the first place, and getting out to train suddenly became much easier. Sometimes I decided to ignore the training plan and run whatever, wherever and however I felt like - and ultimately performed better than running every day with half-hearted effort.

The marathon day soon came. Losing the time pressure and self-comparison created the best run of my life. I’ve never had so much fun in a race before by absorbing the experience around me, instead of glaring at the watch and counting down the miles left. The crowds were overwhelming. Thousands cheering 'COME ON TRIANGLE!' had me smiling most of the way around. Strangers congratulating me on the Underground (!) proved the 'gimmick' I had worried about was not the case. The camaraderie was inspiring, albeit a few fellow runners were displeased at being overtaken by what resembled a Quality Street chocolate...

It was my slowest marathon at 3:14:29 but ultimately the most rewarding, and rediscovering the passion has already inspired new challenges this year. Most of all, the fundraising target is helping more young people to experience the same physical and mental health benefits of being outside - and I'd be very grateful for any kind support.

Change is inevitable and we can't run away from it forever. But if we run towards it and embrace change with a new approach, it just becomes another opportunity to win.

----

What changes are you currently dealing with? I'd love to hear your thoughts and share some stories with your team (costume is optional)... you can contact me via LinkedIn or via email [email protected]