SOMETIMES MISSING A GOAL CAN BE YOUR WAY TO GREATNESS
My goal was to double down
I have a simple philosophy in life. When I want to improve, I always set my mind to double down. What does that mean? If I want to increase my revenue, I want to double down my revenue. It forces me to really think strategically and tactically on how to get there. It is the same in my personal life; what would it take to double down my joy or my passion in my relationship?
When the pandemic started and we were in lockdown, I couldn’t go to my favorite yoga studio. I needed to find an alternative way to stay fit and energized. What was left were my running shoes and a road bike in the attic. So, I decided to run more. In January and February, I ran an average of 50 miles a month. So, why not double down in March and run 100 miles? Why not run a half-marathon every weekend? I planned and executed it successfully.
Now, what could I do in April? Double down! I planned to run many half marathons. I decided to finish by the 29th of April with the grand finale; a full-marathon. I knew I was pushing the limits… but it was feasible. What happened next was a lesson learned I would never forget.
My last two runs and marathon
My plan was to run the last 100 miles in the last 10 days of April, running every second day. The 25th and 27th should have been 15 miles and the 29th the marathon. On the 25th, a friend joined me for the first 8 miles. I had to change my usual course to make sure she will be back to the starting point after 8 miles. We did so. When I went to finish the last 7 mile loop, I miscalculated the distance. I ended up running a total of 20 miles. I made it, barely. I ran out of water.
The 27th I ran only 13 miles because I already had the extra miles from the previous run. It was good to have a shorter run before the grand finale, the marathon. But something unexpected happened half a mile before arriving home. I felt a sharp pain in my right knee, just under the knee cap. But it went away when I slowed down. I finished it but I knew something was wrong. No inflammation, no pain when I walked but I couldn’t put the extra pressure on it when I ran. Every running step was giving me pain. My medial meniscus probably had a tear. I thought it would be okay after one day of rest. I just needed to execute my last run to double down my goal for March. I was committed to finishing it.
April 29th
On ApriL 28, I rested my knee. It was fine. I was still planning to do my run the day after. I was committed. In the evening, I tried to run in front of my house. Guess what… it didn’t go well. I had to give up. But did I really…. NO, I decided to wait another day. I still had the 30th of April, my reserve day (always plan a reserve in whatever you do!). On the 29th, I was confused. My mind told me: “you can do it, you were a fighter pilot, you can suck it up and go for it”.
My intuition, on the other hand, told me: “don’t run, you will injure yourself more”. For you, it might have been “no brainer”. But for me, being in the action, I really wanted to make this run. It was my goal. In the evening, I set my alarm clock for 3 am (yes I had to run it mostly at night to avoid the heat of the sun). I went to bed and visualized my knee healed when I would wake up.
On the 30th, my knee was neither better nor worse. I put my shoes on, put my double camel bags with water and electrolyte on my back, put on my headlamp and stepped out of my house. Then, I heard the two opposite voices: “you can do it, suck it up“ and “don’t do it, it is not worth an injury”.
Then, I had a breakthrough. I came to the realization that what my mind was telling me was the reflection of the “old” me, the fighter pilot, the person who needed to prove something, the achiever, and the short term goal thinker. My intuition was the “new” me, the one who thinks long term, the one who sees health over the years, the one who has no ego, nothing to prove, the one who wants to achieve long term gratification instead of short term satisfaction. When I came to that realization, I laughed my head off.
Running a marathon was easy at that point. Not running was my struggle. I went back to my house and thought about how I could still honor this 26.2 mile with a grand finale. Why not doing this nice course on the bike. No shock on the knee and not much pressure on the meniscus. I went in the attic, prepared the bike I hadn’t used for years, changed my outfit and my shoes and went for a beautiful 26.2 mile bike ride during the sunrise. It was the most beautiful and spectacular ride. I was so happy to have faced this challenge and not reach my initial goal but get a more meaningful goal, one closer to my True Self.
Lessons learned
Sometimes missing your goal can be more valuable than reaching it if you stay in the present moment, keeping yourself in tune with your True Self, let the ego go. I had nothing to prove to anyone. It was just my own goal to reach 200 miles. Choosing long term gratification is more important than short term satisfaction. This last “marathon” was the best lesson learned this year. I am so grateful for the experience.
P.S. Hey guys, Hubert here!
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