A new Lens!

Discipline, perseverance, work-ethic, passion - all words that describe things that you cannot buy at the corner market, your on-line e-store, even in the mega-stores that have taken over America. These things all people are exposed to throughout life. Some pick them up early, some later and still some - well it just never sticks. For me - by God's grace alone I picked up these character traits in my late teens and they have been growing ever sense. I know this because of my best friend and wife and her continual affirmation over the last 18 (almost 19) years. There are many contributing factors to this, but for this writing, I am focusing on Endurance Sports. I have included an article that was written by Oliver Blanchard and I give him full credit for his work. You can go directly to his article here http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com/2009/02/21/why-runners-usually-make-great-employees/

I immediately connected with his message and his thoughts. But for me it fell a bit short! And I think that is because of the lens that I have for achievement. I have a deep rooted conviction that it is only by God's grace that we can really do anything. From being a 'good' husband or father to being an effective employee or endurance athlete. All benefit from God's grace or what is called 'common grace'. Humanity was created in God's image and people that claim not to know him still benefit from this common grace. Oliver make several great points about how endurance athletes develop discipline that crosses over to work. I know that is his point and he makes it well. But it all starts with the people doing the work! My point is that we would not be even attempting the work, if there was not something inherent to us that would make us want to achieve. There is a common tread here to why some many people get stuck in a more religious view of the world and not a 'Gospel' view of the world. You may be thinking - hold up here, aren't religion and gospel the same? NO they are not, it is night and day, but most people have been lulled to thinking they are the same. Religion is all about rules and laws and about doing more and more and more. The Gospel is all about Christ, doing all the work and empowering his people/believers/disciples to do 'good' even as sinful people. So it is really not the 'endurance sports' that are doing the hard work of change, it is God working in us so that he would get the glory.

All of this coming from a regular, sinful man, that loves Jesus and prays daily for a deeper sense of faith and repentance. For many years as I pursed Ironman Triathlon dreams (I raced in 14) it was mostly about me. But God was working in me the entire time. It did have a huge impact on my work in corporate America and had left an imprint in me for life. Even over the last 10 years of endurance coaching and running my own coaching business, I benefit from all those experiences. But the Glory is to God. From the Ironman PR to the DNF at mile 20 of and Ironman in 2003! He was training and teaching things into me that I could not buy! I pray that this helps you process how you interact with the idea of achievement in sport and in life!

Coach Kevin

I was forwarded this message from a buddy of mine that thought I would pass this on

Why runners usually make great employees.

February 21, 2009 by Olivier Blanchard
When you have a goal that is as huge as the marathon-it will “keep you honest.” It’s not like a smaller goal that you can announce and then put off or fake your way through. Once you sign up, commit months to training, and take your first step on race day-you better have done your homework.

The beauty of this is that it goes against 99% of the natural tendencies of our culture that favors gratification without effort or devotion. But is that kind of achievement ever as satisfying? Linda Hill once told me she loved the quote, “There is no glory in training, but there is no glory without training.” In no way is this more true than in running.

And business.

One thing I’ve found over the years is that many of the folks I train with (and race against) are for the most part as devoted to their jobs (if not more) as they are to running or cycling or triathlon.

Unlike participation in say, golf or softball or basketball - no offense to club/league sports - the type of determination, discipline and emotional focus that comes with training day in, day out for extremely challenging endurance events (often by yourself) tends to bleed over into people’s 9-5’s.

Whether you’re training for a marathon, a century or the Ironman triathlon, one thing you quickly find out is that there’s no room for bullshit out there on the pavement. You either do the work or you’re screwed. Politics won’t get you to the finish line. It doesn’t matter who you know or how well you can work the system. When you’re out there, every weakness bubbles up to the surface and stares you in the eye. Lack of preparation, lack of motivation, lack of dedication will all come back to bite you in the ass. there’s nowhere to hide. They will all find you and jump up on your back to stop you dead in your tracks. The choice becomes this: Do you let them stop you, or do you accept them and keep going?

You learn a lot about yourself, training for that type of event.

You learn a lot about how to break thresholds and get past your own little ego, training for events like these. When you’re tired and sore and hungry but you still have four miles to go, guess what? You still have four miles to go. How you get through these last four miles is entirely up to you. Nobody cares whether you walk those last four miles or run, or hail a cab. Nobody made you set 26.2 miles as a goal. Or 100 miles. Or 144+.

Once you’ve broken past your lack of will and learned to keep going, you are transformed. A similar thing happens to Marines during training. At some point, who you used to be before you went beyond what you thought your limitations were, before you kissed excuses goodbye, before you left all of the bullshit that stood in your mind’s way ceases to exist. You become someone else.

That someone else, the marathoner, the long distance cyclist, the triathlete, the Ironman, he or she walks into your place of work with you every morning.

We all work with two types of people: Partisans of the least amount of effort, and dedicated professionals.

The latter aren’t all marathoners or triathletes, but I have yet to meet an Ironman or marathoner who didn’t take his or her intensity and dedication to their job.

Not that there’s anything wrong with drinking a case of beer and watching sports on TV all weekend, but who you are outside of your work does have parallels with who you are when you are at work.

Something to think about.