Twice I’ve run the entire Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. It is a beautiful, scenic, challenging, technical, single-track, 70.5-mile trail with about 12,000 feet of vertical gain that goes from Ohiopyle, PA, to Johnstown, PA. LHHT is unique in that it has permanent markers at every mile.
When people learn I run ultramarathons, the first thing most do is shake their head and say, “I don’t even like to drive that far.” It’s clear at that point that they’re trying to grasp the whole 70.5 miles in one serving. Trying to tackle the whole distance at once can be overwhelming and is a big reason many people fail.
There is a rather remarkable parallel between ultra-running and our workplace performance. All too often, we try to focus on an entire project (distance) at once, then stress takes over and we become paralyzed, often accomplishing very little or giving up. Ultra-running reminds us to break down projects into manageable segments so we perform at our peak to the very end and celebrate successes along the way.
Dale Carnegie suggests we live in “day-tight compartments” or, if you will, to run the mile we’re in. Don’t dwell on the previous mile – we can’t change it – and don’t look too far ahead. That’s when we trip on roots and rocks. Same goes for our projects at work. By living and working in “day-tight compartments,” we can hone all our energy, motivation, and skills into promptly accomplishing tasks while utilizing our abilities optimally.
Please message me to let me know how it goes.