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Ten Miles, The Dip and a Little Help From My Friends
By Mark Fallon
This year, I turned 45. Not an age that most of us approach with much interest. Feelings of excitement or dread are normally reserved for ages that end with a "0", like "30", "40" or "50".
Turning 45 made me think about what happened in 1987 the year I turned 25. Over the course of a few months, I received my Master's in Public Administration degree, got married and reported for active duty at the Infantry Officer Basic Course at Ft. Benning, Georgia. It was quite a year.
What do I do for an encore 20 years later? My business education now takes place outside the classroom through overcoming challenges in running a business, supplemented with a healthy reading program. To celebrate our 20th anniversary, my wife and I went to Paris. We had a wonderful time, and I learned a valuable lesson in getting what you expect.
To pay tribute to my military service, I decided to run the Army Ten-Miler Road Race in Washington, DC, on October 7. The course would start at the Pentagon, with a loop along the Mall, past the Capitol and back. Sounded fantastic.
There was one minor issue. I was in terrible physical shape. On April 2, the day after I signed up for the race, I barely completed two miles. And that took over 25 minutes. Finishing 10 miles was going to be a challenge.
In my Summer Reading List, I recommended Seth Godin's The Dip. In the book, Godin identifies the Dip as the challenge people and companies face after the initial excitement about starting a project wears off. For some people, they can't see beyond the Dip, and quit. Others work through the Dip and achieve success. I wanted to be successful.
From my experience, I knew that the Dip would probably occur when I hit the 4-mile mark. After that distance, my body would become more aware of the compounded effects of past injuries and the additional weight I was carrying. But recognizing a Dip is only half the battle. I needed a way to make it past the Dip.
In almost every presentation, I remind my audience that you never have to tackle problems on your own. It's a good idea to seek out assistance for tough issues. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness it's a sign of intelligence.
Taking my own advice, I reached out to two friends, Brian Hayes and Ken Benway. Brian and I were cadets together in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at Suffolk University, and Ken was our instructor. I knew that these two men would support me and help me achieve my goal. Although somewhat differently.
I emailed my weekly progress and received immediate feedback. I could hear the "Hooah!" in Brian's voice when he wrote back. Each email began with him calling me "Hero", and ended with "Congrats Amigo!" He also added phrases like "kinder and gentler gets you fatter and slower". Equally supportive, Ken's email included cautionary advice with reminders to stretch and to not over-train. Also, there were descriptions of his personal training program and links to websites with information on nutrition and physical conditioning.
I also relied on the encouragement of other people in my life. My wife, Dolores, supported my goal from Day One and planned on flying down to Washington to be with me on Race Day. Barbara Knight, my business partner, asked for updates and shared my goal with some of our clients. I responded to a blog posted by Valeria Maltoni about her experience running a 10-miler in Philadelphia. She then sent me a great email that further boosted my morale.
Soon the "4-Mile Dip" turned into a "blip". I was hitting my 6-mile, 8-mile and 10-mile training targets weeks ahead of schedule. My goals changed as well. I no longer wanted to just finish the Ten-Miler, but finish with a respectable time.
And I did. On October 7, 2007, I finished the Army Ten-Miler with a time of 1:25:01, an average of 8 minutes and 30 seconds per mile.
I was never alone during those 10 miles. Not just because there were 26,000 other people in the race. Or, because Dolores was at the 5-mile mark to take photos and cheer me on. I also had Brian and Ken in my head, continuing to encourage me and remind me that I could accomplish my goal.
We all have goals. And, as Seth points out, we'll all encounter Dips. But remember, you never have to face the Dip alone. Be smart, and ask for a little help from your friends.
WAIT THERE'S MORE
In almost all of Seth's books, he stresses the importance of being "remarkable". The Dip starts with "Being Best in the World is Seriously Underrated."
That's one of the reasons why I reached out to Brian and Ken for help. These men are remarkable. Both are retired Special Forces officers the best of the best. After retiring, Brian volunteered to return to active duty to serve in Iraq. Not once, but twice. And Ken couldn't join me at the race in Washington, because on the same weekend, at age 61, he was completing his first triathlon.
In one of his emails, Ken suggested how I could achieve something remarkable. With the progress I was making, he felt that I could turn the Army Ten-Miler into a training run for a marathon. Brian agreed. So I signed up for the Jacksonville Bank Marathon on December 16th. Now my long runs aren't 10 miles, but 15, 18 and 20 miles.
Seth Godin is remarkable because, in addition to being an entrepreneur, author and speaker, he's a philanthropist. He created Squidoo.com to help people use the Web to raise money for charities. And, he gives "scholarships" to people from non-profits to attend his seminars.
With Seth, Brian and Ken as my inspiration, I've turned my marathon into a fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project. The Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit organization that raises the awareness and enlists the public's aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, to help severely injured service members aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.
With turning 45 still on my mind, my goal is to raise $4,500, and to run the marathon in less than 4 hours and 5 minutes.
I have support for the running goal, and now I need your help for the Wounded Warrior Project. Please consider donating $5 or $45 to a group that does so much to help our veterans. Additionally, The Berkshire Company will donate 10 cents for every dollar raised.
You can donate online at "Mark Fallon Runs Jacksonville Marathon."
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