On 3rd September 2020, I ran 100KM. In one day, one attempt. So What?
I received a good number of congratulatory messages, but there were many questions and some skeptics. “So what”, followed by… Are you sure it was 100KM? Did you run that whole distance in one day, or over a week? How much of it did you walk? I know there are people that have done 100 milers and multi-day running? What’s this virtual ultra, is it even running?
Does this take away what I have done or made my accomplishment less measurable? As in life, there will always be naysayers and dubiety. Who then can wear the crown of success? Is it only the pointed overachievers, the elite go-getters and not mere mortals that can work towards seemingly unattainable goals? The question here is; is it even required that these “so what” questions are to be answered? – the point is, success has many units of measurement.
April 2020, threw quite a few challenges my way – both on personal and professional levels. Apart from these setbacks, I still had my values intact, family and friends that mattered, and many other things to be grateful for … getting me to the question; “What Else is Possible?” I realized whatever goals created at the beginning of 2020, were now a blur.
My primary goal changed to being sane and getting career back on track, but as one Hiring Manager said; “…during the current times, I do not know if my door is opening inwards or outwards”. What could I do to channel my energy and time towards, rather than begrudging the current economic situation? Taking on Project Management, leadership/management, and related courses, getting certified as a “Solution-Based Coach” did provide an outlet, but on a whim, I had to take on the gigantic, nearly impossible goal that in future years,
I could look back and say; “2020…well, things happened but I accomplished a Daringly ambitious, seemingly-Unattainable, Monstrously Big (DUMB) goal”. That goal was to complete a 100KM run before the end of Autumn (@Thanksgiving Day) 2020 (of course in a single attempt). Here the words of David Goggins in totality reflect on my mentality; “The sole reason I work out like I do isn’t to prepare for and win ultra-races. I don’t have an athletic motive at all. It’s to prepare my mind for life itself. Life will always be the most grueling endurance sport, and when you train hard, get uncomfortable, and callous your mind, you will become a more versatile competitor, trained to find a way forward no matter what. Because there will be times when the sh*t life throws at you isn’t minor at all. Sometimes life hits you dead in the &#%#* heart.” David Goggins – #canthurtme #talentnotrequired
It is said; “failing to attain a ridiculous dream is better than living a simple existence!”, this audacious goal is also known as the beauty of the impossible or unknown unknowns, the motivation factor apart from putting action onto an intention, firing up from within & pushing boundaries, was also as a mentor and a coach, to inspire, motivate others what we can accomplish if we set our minds to something and refuse to give up, throwing ourselves to into a larger sphere. DREAM BIG!
To me as in parallels to life, there are no short cuts – 100K is 100K. I consider myself a recreational runner. I had done a number of marathons and a few 50KM ultras but the time during which I was undergoing a huge traumatic personal loss, recovering from a serious leg injury, and running double the distance provoked a BIG fear of failure. Largely ignorant of the physical and mental repercussions and setting a goal based on a few past smaller successes, I decided not to let the fear of failure concur.
As my initial plan was 100KM by Autumn, once I realized I could overcome my biggest fears of no boundaries, I realized I had the power to overcome anything that ever comes my way. It made me mentally stronger and saw the thrill-ride worth taking, deciding in mid-August to bump my goal date up by one month. Having self-belief is good, but having someone else believe it’s possible makes the challenge amazing, for which I am ever thankful to my wife for her core belief, incredible support, and trust, it’s possible.
So here I had a goal set up, what else did I have apart from experience running half my goal distance as a slow long-distance runner and an inerrant passion for Life to make it as a realization? I do trust the process and believed in the possibilities of my dreams as my values resonate with high energy, a sense of commitment, accountability, positivity & optimism, resilience, patience, being kind (to self & others), and endurance. The first aspect of setting this goal into action was faith and attitude: enjoy the journey, the process, know the goal.
But there are moments when it’s not about the journey or the destination, it’s also the company that matters, as the African proverb mentions “If you want to run fast, run alone. If you want to run far, run together”. I do long solitary runs but time and again there have been smaller groups that I join to do a distance. The biggest support apart from my wife came from my run partner @LeanneNovak that had the confidence I could do it. Working together made this journey worthwhile. It’s the relationships that help us to move ahead. No matter who we are, or what we do, I realized we are dependent on the talent, time, wisdom, care, love, encouragement, and perspective of others to succeed.
As my self-training continued, the philosophy was to shoot for better than your best, maintain your own standards, and be always ready with flexibility or change in case of unavoidable factors. I started my training slow and gradually increased my mileage. In the five months leading up to September, I completed four full marathons, two ultras (45K & 56K), and several half marathons leading up to the final long run. Here, I realized there are attributes of SMART goals that come into play when working towards DUMB goals. Failures have been a part of this journey, but there was nothing to stop me from getting up, dusting myself off, and lacing up for another run.
I finished my run 14+ hours after I started. There were no cheering crowds, no accolades, no medals, but I was rewarded with a sense of euphoria, accomplishment – and of course, a very sore body!
It is said when you make DUMB goals it can be exciting but if you add a caveat of accountability it gets more interesting. So, my next goal: As October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, maybe having a goal to run five full marathons over five weekends and raise money for a cause. SO WHAT????
