I am going to be running my 1st marathon in 40 days. Feels somewhat anticlimactic. Predominately because I have been pushing myself so hard that running a simple 26.2 mile road race with aid stations and live music playing along the way feels like a vacation from my training. Truth be told, I am really not training for a marathon, I have just made a lifetime commitment and running a marathon felt like a milestone that I had to achieve. These are the lies I tell myself, anyway. The more I convince myself that race day is just another step in the path, the easier it will be. The more I puke in practice, the more I will be ready to take on whatever challenge comes my way.
Puke in practice. Interesting new phrase I have just coined. When I was a child, I had the opportunity to attend a trial with my grandfather. He was a litigation attorney and had a good reputation as a winner in the courtroom. The courthouse we were in was old school, equipped with wooden benches even. It was quite nostalgic. The proceeding began as you might imagine, and before long an oral argument by opposing counsel started. Within a few minutes, there was an objection and my grandfather proceeded to inform the judge of a particular nuance that made the argument of the other counsel trivial and really not worth anyone’s time to even listen to. Court was adjourned, everyone shook hands. My grandfather invited the judge to dinner later that week and we all packed up and went home. My grandfather then taught me a lesson that I have never forgot. Effectively it was this, all cases are won before trial. When you walk into the room, you should already know the outcome and be over prepared. So prepared that the conclusion is inevitable. There you have it, the secret from a wise old litigation attorney.
You win in preparation. The more prepared you are, the better your results when it counts. That other attorney was unprepared, did not do his homework. My grandfather was so over prepared that the poor guy could not even get 2 minutes into his argument before the case was over. He did not even understand what was going on. Always bet on the person who prepared. They always win.
So in all aspects of life, how are we preparing. The time to puke is not on the day when you need to perform. You need to be so ready, that all possible mishaps have already occurred. You have already been through it. We are amazed at people that participate in an iron man, or run 100 or more miles. The reality is that they have already gone through hell, several times, and what you are witnessing is a person that is actually escaping from misery. That is why they look so prepared, energetic and happy. This is why a little rain or wind does not stop them. This is why they can seemingly go forever. The have already done it, over and over and over again.
Beyond athleticism, everything in life is worth an ounce or more of preparation. I would daresay that every hour of performance requires some multiplier of practice hours. Behind every great performance, is hundreds, thousands of hours of practice. Even if you have natural talent at something, if you are not prepared, you will never even get close to the person that has spent their life preparing. Preparation is the hard work. It is the hard part. The actual performance, the actual delivery, the day you win is just a trivial matter, a forgone conclusion. This is because in your preparation you have already done what it takes to win.
If you have a goal you are trying to achieve, such as a weight loss goal, a self improvement initiative, a financial goal, a work related or sales target. Any goal should always be prefaced by thousands of hours of practice and preparation. We should probably spend more time worrying about how to prepare, then actually worrying about the goal itself. Somewhere along the way during your preparation you will get to the level of the needed performance. So in a manner of allusion, or actual reality, you need to get out there this morning and work so hard you puke, so that when the day come you need to perform you will be ready.
Final note – We had another 365 Member complete 365 days of following the basic formula everyday. Congrats to Ayden Reams – another 365 Alumni.
Guy Reams
365 Alumni
40 Days Left to 1st Marathon
