RUNNING a company?

May 11, 2010 – 11:25 pm

10 days ago I ran, and completed my first mini-marathon.  13.1 miles.  It was a big feeling of accomplishment for me, because when I decided to do it 12 weeks prior, I had never run more than five miles…and that was just once (despite 5 years of college basketball LOL)

Here are some thoughts on how running a mini paralleled entrepreneurship:

Goals are important. I was going to run 13.1 miles.  That’s all there was to it….”how do I get there” was just a means to an end that I knew I would make.

No shortcut. OK so there are two basic steps to running a mini:  1)  Start running.  2)  There is no step two!  (Hattip to Barney)

Keep going. One foot in front of the other.  Keep doing that and you’ll make it.  Stop thinking about the end….

Risk and adversity must be dealt with optimistically and with a clear vision. I was injured as I ran.  My hip/quad were giving me MAJOR problems through the last 3-4 weeks of training.  Not good.   But because I had a clear vision for my goal (run the entire race without stopping/walking), I could focus on exactly what needed to be done to achieve it.   I decided to let my stamina decrease and protect my leg from further injury…doing just enough to keep my body moving and just enough to stay confident that I could run 13.1 ONE TIME….because that was the goal, nothing else.

Support. I had a great training partner who ran it with me the day of the race.  People on the sidelines were cheering.  It helps to involve other people in what you’re doing.

Savor the win, rest when exhausted. Enjoy your wins.  Reward yourself and don’t let anyone detract from the feeling of accomplishment you get as big moments happen.  Part of preparing for the next win is enjoying the current one fully, and resting your mind and body for a while.

The most important thing is to build a momentum of winning.  Set daunting but achievable goals and do not stop until you get them done.   Then celebrate that win.  Repeat.

Win.

p.s.  Congrats to all of you who have done this kind of thing before.  I’m not posting this to brag.  I know it’s not that uncommon of a thing to accomplish.  And that’s the point.  YOU can do it….YOU can run a mini, YOU can have a successful company, YOU can change your world.   Screw the critics.

  • landonswan
    I was able to snap a very short video of Andy and his wife turning the final corner of the mini. After this corner they could finally see the finish line. It's not the best clip, as it was very crowded and I was holding my flip up in the air above the crowd. And ya that's me yelling the end of SHERI. Good job man! GOGO!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhiraeXS50A
  • This is really a great work to share your thoughts,views,ideas and experiences.
    You shared your thoughts.Thanks for it.
    We should not use shortcut.It harms us a lot.
    Great job..!!
  • Thanks man...
  • LScott
    I set a huge personal goal for myself last year at this time. I had to overcome an intense feeling of selfishness and "me first" guilt to make it happen. Perseverance and focus and an ability to block out detractors and diversions was hard for me. Support was great but not crucial. It was a mindset. Goal achieved. WIN.
  • Nice!
  • davemabe
    Congrats!

    I think once enough time goes by so that you forget how much it really hurts you'll try to convince yourself to do a full marathon.
  • I agree. If you didn't use to run you won't be motivated by improving your time in your next half marathon, but you can be with a new and longer challenge. And it can be done. My first race ever was a marathon. I wasn't a good runner (also a rugby player), but with will you can do it.
  • Sort of like how you forget what the first 3 months of raising an infant are
    really like?
  • stringsn88keys
    Ditto on the marathon and the kid part... still working on running my 7th marathon in 3 years.
  • davemabe
    Exactly! Or actually birthing one, so I hear.
  • stringsn88keys
    I had to fully commit to quitting the marathon at mile 17.

    I guess there's a lesson in that, too. If you've blown a hole in the boat, man up and abandon ship, instead of bailing water with a small bucket.

    If I had finished in my condition, I would have set myself back 2-3 weeks because of recovery. By dropping when I did, my embarrassment of a race turned into a mediocre training run.

    I am now in full training mode for the Chicago Marathon [10/10/10], and my failed marathon week just became a "cut-back" week in a 40-week training plan, instead of a failed marathon.
  • Smart. Chicago should be awesome.
  • Me and @JoeYevoli are planning to do a full marathon in the fall (our first). You in?
  • NO! :)
  • ha!
  • Good post Andy - I think you are absolutely right about the parallels too. I chose to do the London Marathon a few years back despite not being a runner (playing rugby and tennis were of no help to me either).

    Like you say the great thing about running a distance is that you either achieve your goal or you don't .
  • Mile 10 is a bitch, my quads cramped then, and my tylenol quota had been burned up already.
  • Ya for me it was 11-12. Wow
  • There is SO MUCH VALUE in this post Andy. Thank you!
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