Finishing The Race

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Standing at the starting line I could feel the hot desert breeze move around me. The sun in that southern Nevada desert felt like it was searing into my inner being. I could hear the murmur from the crowd of people excited to watch the 1-mile cross country race.

Thoughts of self-doubt crept into my mind with each beat of my heart. A team mate would ridicule me in our daily training for even trying. Why bother? You’re not good enough to win. You should quit now she would frequently say. Can I do it? Did I train enough? Am I ready? The self-doubt thoughts taunted me.

I shook my head, took a deep breath, and shifted my thoughts to three key lessons our coach taught us.

Know when to pace yourself. Know when to sprint.

A mile doesn’t seem far if driving. But when running a mile in the dessert, it is a difficult feat. If you pace yourself, you can preserve energy. When you reach the last minute or two of the race, sprint for all you’ve got. In doing so you may very well pass up those whose energy was spent early on in the race.

Any challenge we face in our life or career, is like running a cross country race. It’s about endurance and not necessarily speed or strength. It’s also about what we experience and learn, not about the challenge itself. It’s about what we overcome, and not about what others think.

2. You will feel pain. Accept it.

For anyone who runs knows about the pain in the side, also called painful side stitches. When running, rapid breathing causes the lungs to expand and presses down on the diaphragm. When pinched, it gets less blood flow and results in a painful spasm.

Pain is normal. Accept it. Work past it. Our coach would say repeatedly. He also said when the pain comes don’t focus your mind on it. Instead focus your thoughts on something else. Think about what makes you happy, what you look forward to, or what brings you peace. When the pain comes, shift your thoughts and focus your mind and thoughts on those positive things.

The coach wanted us to be ready and prepared to deal with challenges when it and if comes. There is no doubt we can very much do the same in life and our careers. Learn to focus on the positive things in life.

3. Self-care.

It was critical to stay hydrated out in the heat of desert. Too much exertion without hydration could have very well resulted in heat stroke or worse. The coach would tell us this is no time to get distracted or be a hero, grab water from the hydration table as you run by it. Studies are indicating that drinking water during long races enhances performance. People are able to run for longer periods of time at moderate intensity when supplied with water compared to those who don’t drink any water.

The same concept applies to our lives and careers too. I’ll admit this is a hard part for me too. Taking time for ourselves becomes difficult when we are crazy busy and tethered to our electronic devices. Much like drinking water is important out in the heat of desert, so is applying self-care in general. Sleep, healthy eating, exercise, occasionally turning off those electronic devices, taking walks, and doing things that you enjoy, are all a part of a great way to start a good self-care path to long term endurance.

I came in third place in the race that day.

Looking back forty years later I remember the lessons learned from my coach as if he were here now. Applying those lessons are just as relevant today as they were running in the desert that day so long ago.

Tell me, is there anything you’ll do a little differently to help you finish the race?

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Tresha Moreland

Tresha Moreland is a 30-year organizational effectiveness and strategic workforce planning expert. She partners with business leaders to develop workplace strategies that achieve best-in-class results. She has held key organizational leadership roles in multiple industries such as manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality, and healthcare. Tresha is the founder and principal consultant of HR C-Suite, LLC (www.hrcsuite.com). HR C-Suite is a results-based HR strategy resource dedicated to connecting HR with business results. She has received a master’s degree in human resource management (MS) and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA). She has also earned a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Six Sigma Black Belt Professional (SSBBP) Certification. She is also recognized as a Fellow with the American College Healthcare Executives with a FACHE designation.