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The Tortoise Won the RaceThe tortoise won the race.
That was my mantra when I first started running. I was slow, but darn it, I was going to finish. And it became my mantra again a number of years later as I began training for, and running, ultramarathons (a race that covers over 26.2 miles).
Slow and steady is a pretty effective strategy for me.
Endurance is key to completing a long run. Instead of hitting the proverbial wall at mile 20 in a marathon, you can expect to hit numerous walls throughout the course. My longest distance (so far) is 50 miles and there were a number of times I just wanted to stop. But if you keep putting one foot in front of the other (even if it’s only a centimeter) it counts. You’re still moving in the right direction.
Staying aware of your body and its needs is essential. You’re stressing your body in new and often weird ways. It is essential to know when you need to slow down (or sit under a tree for a moment); when you’re able to keep pushing (even if you don’t want to); and to fuel your body at the right times with the right stuff (even if the last thing you want to taste is yet another gooey gel shot).
And finally, keeping your vision and ultimate goal in mind throughout the process (while still enjoying the moments in between) can help you stay motivated and focused. Visualizing that finish line during the tough parts is often really helpful for me.
Building a New Website
Eight months ago I started the process of updating and redesigning this website. It started out as a “small” and “easy” change. In fact, it was a lot like my thought as a beginning runner that running a 5K was the furthest distance I’d ever want to (or be able to) run.
But, as these things often go, it’s turned out to be much bigger (and better) than the original plan.
As I look back over these past eight months, my progress has not only mirrored the slow and steady tortoise pretty accurately, but the skills I learned and honed for ultra running really came in handy as well.
- It’s been slow. Painfully and frustratingly slow at times. I’ve done my fair share of berating myself for exactly how slow it’s been. Did I get stuck in analysis paralysis? Did I allow my fear that it’s not good enough to slow me down? Or did I get too caught up in over-tweaking it to the point that I stalled it? Perhaps. Probably all of those at some point in the process. But the most important thing I have done is keep going. However small the step felt at the time, in hindsight I can see that every step has helped move me further along.
- Despite feeling like it’s taken way too long, it’s been a steady progress forward. The baby steps combined with mulling things over internally have not always felt like I’ve been moving forward, but looking back, much like you do when you’re trudging up a mountain and stop to turn around, I really have accomplished a lot.
- My endurance kicked in (looking a lot like patience and perseverance). I didn’t want to let the project go and give up. And as I got further into it and realized how complicated it was (and how much I had to learn), I was able to accept that it was going to take longer than anticipated (not without a few tears and choice expletives, mind you).
- And as I learned more about the technology and the design process, I also learned more about myself and my own process. I like taking my time. I am not a sprinter. I do not make a lot of rash decisions. I prefer to jump after my net is built. And so I adjusted my expectations accordingly, pushing when it felt good to push and backing off when I needed the mental break (despite the slower pace).
- And it’s just about ready. I can see the finish line. My vision has shifted, but it’s so much better than I had originally planned.
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Sneak peek into the new look for Expand Outdoors!All the time, the tears, the work and the learning that I’ve put into the site has absolutely been a labor of love.
The patience. The perseverance. The ability to handle (and sometimes embrace) monotony over a long distance and period of time has been crucial to maintaining my sanity. Perhaps that’s why I prefer ultra running over shorter distances. I like honing my patience and endurance, and it complements my need to take things slow.
I’ve struggled with wanting to be faster. To learn faster, to be able to move and execute faster as a runner, a business owner, a surfer—you name it. But I’ve come to realize and embrace the advantages and beauty of moving a bit slower.
Slow and steady won the race, right?
I hope you’ll come help me celebrate when the new site launches (soon—I promise!), and in the meantime, I encourage you to take a new look at your own processes for change and growth. Are you more of a tortoise like me? Or do you prefer to jump and build your net on the way down?
welcome
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Other posts you might enjoy:
- How Progressing Through Change is Like Skiing Down a Mountain
- How to Tell If You’re a Runner
- Achieving Your Goals: The Small Steps Totally Count
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