Postcards from Equanimity # 010
Scenes along a half marathon, Mt. Dora 2021
It's Christmas Eve 2021 as I put the final touches on this note. I wasn't planning for this note to go out today but why fight the outcome! As the year comes to a close, I am assessing my progress and also your interest.
Would you indulge me please and answer by way of replying to at least one or perhaps all the questions below? And I will answer some too.
a. What has been the best part of this newsletter for you? What's the worst?
b. Some of you have given explicit feedback. For those who have never written back, what topic would interest your engagement?
c. I have been putting the posts on my blog as well for posterity. Would you be more likely to read on a blog or in an email?
d. What are you looking forward to the most in the coming year?
And the final question...what did you learn last weekend? This one I will answer too.
Things I learned last Sunday:
I can walk a 10K pretty much any day once I am off the couch and stretch my lower back a bit.
Completing a half-marathon without appropriate training is just asking for trouble.
I don't particularly like running or training for running. But I should keep moving regularly as if my life depends on it. Because it does.
Florida is humid, no matter how pretty. Most of the race the weather was pretty hot, even for December
Before my Mom and Dad's recent health issues, I had signed up for a half-marathon months ago, thinking I had enough time to be ready, lose some weight, and generally speaking get more active and healthy. But unlike one of my friends who is the epitome of routine dedication to physical effort, I am less consistent. Of late I had the excuse of too much going on in family life. Still, I decided I would do my best to be ready, walk a lot, and show up to race day. That's most of the work right there anyway. Showing up.
The race was hard to be sure. There were many points where turning back seemed easier. But I had to walk my talk; I have been telling my kids that when having to make a choice between two things the right choice is usually the harder one. Especially where physical effort or a sacrifice from us is involved.
I was planning to mostly walk the race. There was a pacer for the 3 hour finish group. This is a half marathon; my best time ever was 2 hours 20 minutes. So 3 hours seemed doable. I tagged along with that group. Somehow the race organizers found all the dunes and up and down roads in Florida and plopped them on the race course. The pacer was doing 90/60 splits. Eventually I fell behind the 3 hour group and finished in just under three and half hours. Quitting came to mind at the beginning, around 4 miles, and 10 miles. But each time I persuaded myself into "2 more miles and we'll see".
At the end, I did finish. I got a towel and a T-shirt to remind me of the day. Then I went home with a few lessons:
Finishing, no matter how unglamorous, feels amazingly better than quitting. When things get tough, we can coach ourselves into giving a bit more. When faced with adversity, the best question to ask yourself is: what are you making mean? If we see the situation as an obstacle, we are dejected. But if we can find our way to seeing it as an opportunity then the mind settles down and lets you attend to the task.
Preparing for any big task be it a race, a new entrepreneurial venture, or a talk at an upcoming meeting can seem tough. But planned well it can break down into small, doable bits. All you need to bring is periodic focus and consistency. I wasn't as consistent this time, and I paid the price for it on race day.
Experience matters. Nearly a decade ago I spent a year training for a marathon, which taught me a lot of lessons about heart rate, running stride, hydration, mindset, etc. Since then I have done a few long mountain hikes and a couple more half marathons. Every time, the prep is a good indication of the outcome. The same is true for really anything we do in personal and professional life. And when we are falling short, we can often lean on experience to get us through. It has a huge effect on mindset, above all, giving you belief that you can make it.
Start where you are. The one thing that I was able to solidify between miles 9 and 11 is that while this race was a near disaster, it is not impossible to recover from a nadir. The key is to understand where we are, focus on a goal, and get going. The old cliche about a journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step; well, the first step demands that a second follow. When I finished the race, my knees were not hurting. My feet and right calf were a different story but the knees and back held. So even as I finished and sat in the recovery area I knew that the only way to salvage myself is to not stop moving. Since that day I have been active every day in some capacity, be it walking, pilates, or body weight exercises. Now I just have to keep showing up daily. Next half marathon, sigh I know there will eventually be a next, will find me better prepared.
As I finish this note it is the morning of the 25th. My girls were up late watching TV. We just finished an hour plus gift opening session and everyone seems happy. Going for a walk now, our present to the dog. Will bring some cookies for the firefighters who are around the corner.
Last question: Can we pretend that I meant to send this post on Christmas Day all along?
I am working on three posts simultaneously so we will have to see which one finishes next. Wish you and yours all the merry and bright cheer and may darkness be gone from your lives in the coming days.
P.S. All my posts now live on www.jeevun.com/blog