#27: Race day
Lessons from my first half-marathon
Hey friends,
I’ve already bored you for the last few months with my plans to run the half-marathon, so I guess I’ll need to stop now.
Because I’ve run the race today. And it was awesome.
So stick with me, as it’s going to be the last time I’ll bore you with these half-marathon details (next time maybe it will be a marathon, or a run in the mountains, or a Spartan, we’ll see).
Look, I was pretty nervous before the race, for several reasons.
The first reason was that my recovery had been s..t for the past weeks. I use an app called Athlytic that calculates my recovery and strain each day based on several measurements coming from my Apple Watch. It’s basically heart rate during sleep and HRV.
Anyway, since Bali, these metrics have been off the charts. In a negative way. I don’t know what happened, but I had VERY low recovery scores from the 17th of September until the beginning of this week. And this got me worried a bit; it was probably the jet lag, maybe the extra couple of beers in Bali. Maybe the stress of coming back to work…
All in all, my recovery started to go up again this week, and I also felt better, so I had an all-green recovery this week, mostly at 100%.
(Lower resting heart rate is usually a very good indicator of fitness.)
So I was really confident about this when I checked my recovery this morning, and it was 100% (I love these apps).
The second thing I was nervous about was the pace at which I would try to run this race. You know how it goes; you set certain goals, then you become more confident and increase your expectations.
I don’t know if I told you the story, but I had no intention of running any races. At the end of July, we were at the seaside with our friends, Marta and Pete. We figured out that it would be nice to go running every other day since we couldn’t train otherwise. I was running every other Sunday, and I started to like it.
Marta suggested training for the half-marathon in October, and I said, Why not? Let’s do it.
Now, mind me, I’ve never run a race before in my life, not even a 10K one. I had never run more than 10K, actually, 2 years before, in a park in Amsterdam.
So I started training, and my initial goal was to finish the bloody race. Then my goal was to finish it in 2:10. Then, I was thinking about it all week: should I try and finish it in 2 hours?
That meant keeping a fast pace for the whole time. Now, I don’t want to sound like a coward, but I don’t really have the typical runner’s body. And I’m also not a teenager.
I’ll be 38 in two months. I have almost 95 kilos and hated running until a couple of months ago. (I actually started running a bit two years ago, but that’s a different story.)
So, I was struggling to set up the right goal when I met a really good friend yesterday, and he said he would also run the 21K race today but wanted to run at a much faster pace than I had planned.
I won’t bore you more with the details, but my ego got the best of me again, and I said to myself, Maybe I can do that!
I had a good night's sleep and woke up both energized and anxious. I wrote some thoughts in my daily journal, drank coffee, and went to the race.
Again, long story short, because there’s a lot to say about the race, I felt really good and I pushed myself, so I had a very good result. I mean, good for me, since my goal was to finish, then to finish under 2 hours, then under 1:56, and eventually I finished in 1:51:34 (official time).
Marathons are fun. There are so many people at the starting line, so many people cheering, running through different parts of the city, which you usually don’t have access to unless you’re by car.
It was one of my favorite days ever, since I met several friends at the start line, ran with some, and met more at the finish line. It was a lovely experience, and I am glad so many thousands of people joined us. I think we are just starting to understand the benefits of exercising.
I was talking to my wife before the race about how many people would have participated in a marathon 20 years ago, and she told me there were a few hundred in the first edition, which was 14 years ago.
And there were more than 15,000 people running today.
Fitness is one of the cornerstones of a healthy society, and I’m glad this is getting more and more traction in Romania too.
I don’t know what I’m going to do next—maybe run another half-marathon or train for a full one? Or just focus on strength training.
We’ll see where life takes me :)
What I do know is that exercising is a part of my identity; it has been for a while, and I will keep on doing it until I'm unable to do it physically. And not even then, probably.
PS: Another thing worth mentioning about my week is that we had to babysit our friend’s dog, Tara, the loveliest, well-behaving Labrador. And we loved that. But more on the dog thing in next week’s edition.
From the running race to the career race
Completing my first half-marathon was an incredible feeling of accomplishment.
As I raced through the streets, pushed my limits, and crossed the finish line, I realized the experience offered meaningful parallels for approaching career growth.
Here are some key lessons from the experience that apply to people who want to grow their careers:
Set Ambitious Goals
When I first started training, my only aim was to finish. But I got bolder and soon had my sights set on specific time targets that seemed crazy months earlier. Treat your career the same: set big stretch goals for where you want to be in 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years.
I know this sounds like HR BS, but it’s not if you’re smart about it. Have plans, adapt them based on your current situation, and always look ahead.
Monitor Your Recovery
I tracked my sleep, heart rate variability, and other biomarkers to optimize training.
Are you managing your energy across work and life to maximize career stamina?
Watch for chronic stress and make time for recovery.
Feed Off the Energy of Others
Running with friends and people who were cheering for us gave me adrenaline highs.
At work, align yourself with colleagues and mentors who inspire you, share advice, and cheer you on.
Maintain Focus on Progress Over Perfection
On race day, I blocked out self-doubt and just concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.
In your career, stay focused on consistent growth rather than comparing yourself to others.
Trust Your Training
This is one of my favorite quotes, and it applies to every aspect of our lives:
“We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.”
My preparation gave me the confidence I needed to handle the race's physical demands.
The race only takes 2 hours; I trained for 12 weeks and a total of 24 hours for it. It’s time that matters.
Have faith that you have amassed the skills and experiences to meet new professional challenges.
Keep Pushing Your Limits
I was tempted to play it safe but went for a faster time goal at the last minute.
Continue setting stretch targets that force you outside your comfort zone and accelerate your growth.
The “imposter syndrome” is very powerful. We must fight the voice in our head that tells us:
“you can’t do it.”
“you’re not good enough.”
“they’re going to see you’re a fraud.”
Make your own rules. Don’t let other people or the nagging voices in your head tell you what you can or can’t do.
"Don’t trust everything you think”
Crossing the finish line filled me with a sense of pride in what I could accomplish through dedicated training and the right mindset.
Bring these same lessons to your career; with the right preparation, support team, and tenacity, you can finish whatever race you set your sights on.
What "personal record" do you want to achieve next?
Movie recommendation: Reptile, on Netflix
I’ve been a big fan of Benicio del Toro ever since I saw “21 Grams”, in 2003. That’s why I try to see every movie he’s in.
"Reptile" is a 2023 American crime thriller directed by Grant Singer in his feature-film directorial debut.
Benicio del Toro is leading an ensemble that features actors like Alicia Silverstone and Justin Timberlake, among others. While also being one of the screenplay writers.
The story follows a hardened New England detective named Tom Nichols, portrayed by Benicio del Toro, as he delves into a complex case following the brutal murder of a young real estate agent.
As Nichols digs deeper, he begins to dismantle the illusions in his own life, uncovering a web of deception that challenges him to seek the truth amidst a scenario where nothing is as it seems.
The premise is set in Scarborough, Maine, where the murder occurs, and sets the narrative in motion.
Critics have acknowledged the solid acting and engaging mystery in "Reptile", although some have pointed out its slow pacing and potentially overly complicated plot as drawbacks.
I didn’t find it that complicated, to be honest, and the acting is very good. It’s also a classical "whodunit” that keeps you glued to your screen.
So, if you liked murder mysteries like “Zodiac”, “Fractured” or “Gone Baby Gone”, give this movie a try.
Thank you for reading, and let me know if you liked something in particular in this newsletter.
Until next time,
Leo
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P.S. 2: If you want to take your productivity to the next level, check out my extensive Productivity course that can accelerate your career.