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Week 45: Accidental Epiphanies, Litmus Tests & Witnessing the Growth of Courage

Leadership

A good friend called last week while I was on the phone with my boss. Needless to say, I didn’t pick up at the time, instead texting back that I would call when starting my long run on Saturday morning.

A couple days later, I rang my amigo back as I started the run.

Over the next few miles, we caught up and chatted about work, old colleagues, and new possibilities.

And as it usually happens, an innocuous comment knocked something loose in my brain. All of a sudden, the answer to a vexing problem was clear.

And with it, an opportunity I’d previously overlooked.

We do a lot of texting these days, which is a useful tool. However, I would argue that we lose the exchange of ideas in real time. It might just be the exchange of ideas that brings everything together.

Call your friends.

You never know when they might make you smarter.

As for me, time to get back in the lab.

Couch to Ultramarathon…And Beyond

This week turns out to be a litmus test kind of week.

My coach added a trail half-marathon on Saturday to gauge our progress so far.  

We are now halfway through the training cycle and things are shaping up.

I’ve had 12 straight weeks of building without a down-cycle week, and have no injuries, no nagging issues, and no burnout.

It’s almost going too well.

And I’m thinking that it’s because of the coaching. I’m being pushed in a way I wouldn’t otherwise, and it’s paying dividends. 3 months of building without a drawback week is abnormal however, and it’s been encouraging that I’ve been able to handle it well.

So this weekend, we see what’s what.

No rest for the wicked.

Philosophical Dad Stuff

My oldest son had his first swim meet a couple weeks ago, and he was a nervous wreck for it.

As he climbed up the starting block he was shaking with anxiety. I felt so bad for him as his coach tried to calm him down.

Then the starting horn sounded and he jumped in the water and starting swimming. I think his adrenaline was working overtime as he then finished first in his heat. Go figure.

Later that night, he told me about how he was so scared before the race. But then he said once he jumped in the water, he felt better and it was okay.

I told him I knew exactly what I meant.

I explained how I got scared before my races. I told him how fear wasn’t always a bad thing. I talked about how being scared or nervous can signify what’s important to us, that it means something. That it MATTERS.

Oftentimes as parents, we wonder whether something lands or gets through to our children. Most of the time, we’ll never know.

This time around however, I could see that my words hit home for him.

And a week later, we got confirmation.

He got up on the starting block a different version of the kid that did it a week before.

And when the starting horn went off, he launched himself into the water, full send.

His time and place mattered nothing in that moment, what mattered is that I saw that little man become braver, more mature, and more capable right before my eyes.

But as usual, a picture is worth a great many words.

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” - Andre Gide

Live triumphantly. See you next week.