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Funny, but true training story

Below is a real live email exchange between members of our triathlon club in Champaign, IL.  Names have been withheld to protect the innocent so to speak.  What I can say is that several members of our club are also police officers which I will call Cop #1, and Cop #2.  We will call the athlete in the email exchange Triathlete #1. 

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Triathlete #1
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 17:42:30 -0600
To: Triathlon Group
Subject: kirby

I was out for an afternoon run, enjoying the weather and doing my usual
10 mile loop around Kirby/mattis/prospect/Duncan/Windsor/etc. finishing
up running down Kirby towards mattis and I see a man in the sidewalk
yelling into a cell-phone, brandishing a gun.  I quickly crossed the
street flagged a motorist to call 911 and then called 911 myself when I
got to Panera.  By the time I ran home, the police were at my house,
they had caught they guy and wanted to ask some questions.  I always
felt skittish running down that section of Kirby, and this time my
irrational instincts were made rational.  Just a head’s up.

Triathlete #1

 

 ----- Original Message -----

From: Cop #1
To: Triathlon Group
Sent: Sun Nov 01 17:53:26 2009
Subject: Re:  kirby

I saw you out today, little did I know you were "working!".  Job well
done, glad no one got hurt.

Cop #1

----- Original Message -----
From: Cop #1
To: Triathlon Group
Sent: Mon Nov 02 18:07:56 2009
Subject: RE: Re:  kirby

Triathlete #1,

I spoke to the officer that handled this call yesterday.  I am not sure
this will make you feel any better but apparently the individual you saw
yelling into the phone  was holding an airsoft pistol.  These neat
little 'toy' guns shoot little plastic pellets.  They look just like the
real thing so you had reason to be alarmed.  In fact, the officer
thought it looked real as well, so this fine citizen was ordered to the
ground at gun point.  Thankfully he complied without incident (we really
don't want to shoot people).

I think your route is safe, however, I would be alert around the house
where this individual lives.  He is obviously not the brightest person
in that block.  Really, you have to be pretty stupid to stand on Kirby
Ave., screaming into a phone, waving a gun around while you have weed in
your pocket.

Thanks for calling!

Ultramarathon Unvieled Start-up Lessons

I completed my first 50 mile ultra marathon at the Madison, Northface Challenge a few weeks ago.  I ran the race with my brother who had completed one prior.  I asked him, so what is our strategy in completing one of these things and he said, easy....we will not be overly aggressive for the first 25 miles and we will just keep moving forward at all cost. 

This is the same advice I have given start-up companies over the last year and a half as they have struggled to make it through the recession.  It is critical for start-ups to know the right time to kick it into another gear.  I have seen many companies fail because they try and scale before they fully understand their business model and how it works.  Start-ups often think they need to run with the competition even though it may not be their time.  At the beginning of the race many guys passed us who I knew we could beat.  My tendency was to pick up the pace when they ran by, but Gus held me back assuring me we would see them again later in the race.  Sure enough, we passed everyone that passed us in the first 10 miles of the race in the last 10 miles.  We knew the right time to pick up the pace. 

Second, is that as a start-up you need to push through your darkest hours, or as we say in the running world is pushing through the wall - it is always better on the other side.  Resiliency is an extremely important start-up characteristic.  Live to fight another day we always say.  You can't compete if you are not in the game.