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Running Fast(er) vs. Running Slow(er)

This year I did my first Turkey Trot, I think ever but there’s a chance growing up we did one. In Columbus there was this run called “The Dam Run” (Hoover Dam) and we did it a few times as a family but don’t recall if it was on Thanksgiving. And, no, I don’t want to Google it to find out–I want it to remain a mystery. It was lots of fun and I loved the ability to pseudo-swear and say Dam in front of my parents as a kid.

In fact, I still do. Dam. Dam. Dam. Damdada, DamdeDa DamdadadaeedededDAM!

Moving on…

In the last month I’ve “run”  in two races in over 20-years. On Sunday December 2nd, I’m running the Sacramento Marathon. It’s my third attempt to finish a marathon, the other two I trained (and paid! :)) for, but a really nagging Achilles and Patellar tendonitis prevented me from even making it to race day on either. So these two runs in the last month were part of my training regimen for the Sac Marathon, and I wanted to shake out some of my nerves.

On on this Thanksgiving race, I had this really cool physical manifestation about how running with certain groups can be such a great comparison for teams of people.

Two weeks ago I ran a half marathon, and I paced myself moderately well and finished running the 13.2 miles @ an 8:50 pace per mile. This is probably an average-ish pace. As I’m running the last mile I’m probably at a 7:30 pace and passing tons of people. No big deal, and I wasn’t trying to pass tons of people, I just was trying to finish at a better clip. But I was in a crowd of decent runners who were really starting to stagger towards the end. And there were few group dynamics to push through to the end. Just my own dynamics. Which was/is fine.

So this Thursday, I’m running a 10k (6.2 miles) and I decided to try to pick it up a bit and run with more aggressive runners and try to finish at a sub 7:30 pace. I started at a 7:38 pace, and ended the race by averaging a 7:20 pace for the full 10k. And once again, if you’re a runner, this still isn’t fast. The last mile I felt pretty solid and picked it up to run about a 6:45 pace. But here’s the funny thing, though I’d really picked it up the last mile as I’d done in the prior race, in this one I could barely pass anyone…because I was now among better runners. And they’re all pushing hard, and each other, and it caused our entire pack to speed up. It sounds silly, but at a certain point there was this group energy that just carried our informal pod of runners that were clumped together. Which also made it more difficult to slow down.

And as I’m running, it really dawns on me that this is such a physical manifestation of the difference between teams of people in business. In the really good teams, the group dynamics make the individual performance better. And the irony is, that the individual performance also gets easier, because there’s this group-dyanmic-force-shield-of-sorts that helps each person out as well. Nothing profound here, but I wanted to capture it on a blog post for myself if nothing else. (as an aside: for anyone reading this who is a walker or runner, this isn’t about whether you should run faster or slower, or if you’re in XYZ pace or whatever. I think all fitness goals are personal–do what works. And keep doing it).

So in the last mile of the race, four things are going through my head: man, I’m tired, I love this Mos Def power song, this last mile is an interesting business metaphor let me dissect the ways, and I really hope I can finish the Sacramento marathon. Regarding that last one, one week from tomorrow I’ll know.

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your doc. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all time. What is the most significant information you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good soundness, it’s doubtless great for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft — can kill the mood in bedroom.

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I Learn the Damnedest Lessons…

From the most bizarre or seemingly normal situations. Maybe I have an overactive imagination. Or perhaps try to find cause/effect and meaning in things for which maybe not so much meaning exists. Like here. Here. Here. Or even here. See the pattern? I could list ten more…

But today I got the greatest little life lesson from a guy who cleaned my car. Yeah, I already get that this doesn’t sound like it’s going to be interesting, but it’s rare that I have an experience and write about it on the same day, which I’ve done. So just hang tight. Or read fast.

This morning I set up for my car to be detailed by Antonio with Home Detailing Auto Service while I worked from home. Found him online, read a ton of reviews. Everybody raved about him. Everybody. I. Mean. Everybody. 

So he shows up, and I was going to be on a business call at the and just hand him the keys but I decided that’d be a) slightly rude, b) I’m a bit intrigued that everybody raves about this guy and want to meet him, and finally c) that I’m still too obsessive compulsive particular about giving instructions on what needs to be done with the car–yeah even though it’s a Prius. Yes, he’s an expert auto detailer. But so am I. I have Googled it.

Really, I am quite particular–ask anyone who has ever eaten at a restaurant with me, I am convinced I can take whatever is on the menu and make it better with about five adjustments. So I go outside, and he’s smiling and within 30 seconds he’s waving his hands around, and speaking with the most adorable accent, and Latin passion, explaining to me that my paint is starving…

“My friend, my friend” he says to me, with his hands waving wildly (as one, I love “moderately expressive” people), “look at the tree over there. You see that tree? You think it just comes up and blossoms? No. You must water it, my friend. Your car is suffocating. You must wash it monthly after I detail it. Promise me, my friend, you will wash it and your paint, we can bring it back.”

I’m nodding, in love with his enthusiasm (and he’s also very knowledgeable–clearly I’m not doing his depth of knowledge justice just trust me–this guy knows his stuff), and my non verbal response I can see encourages Antonio to share another analogy.

“Do you work out, my friend? You work out, Si? You body, you need the nutrients. You need the nutrients and the water. Otherwise you will be drinking coffee in the morning and not working so well. You need the vitamins to do the working in your body. You need the aqua. Your paint, your paint is the same way. We can fix the paint on your car my friend, we can breathe new life into it, but you need to promise me you will wash it.” Then he goes on to diagram on my dusty window what’s happening with my paint and why it’s being fatigued by the elements. (seriously).

Now I’m smiling, hugely, and still nodding. I love this guy. Which I’m sure he can tell, and my facial expressions are likely begging for more stories. And the ultimate irony to all of this is that all I really want is my interior to smell good. If I found a homeless man peeing on the paint of my car one morning, I think the most excitement it would elicit out of me is a “c’mon dude, is that really necessary?” I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. But the more Antonio talks, the more I’m starting to care about my paint.

Three more analogies later (true) he’s ready to go to work. But now I’m not.

Intrigued, I ask him about his philosophy on business. And he looks at me, smiling, arms waving wildly, saying, “My friend, let me tell you something. I have been doing this for over 20-years. I look at you, and I don’t see money. I see a customer, someone that I need to serve. And who wants to have a great experience. I want to make you happy. That is all. I want to make your car look beautiful. You and your beautiful car. If you have beautiful looking car, then anything is possible for you, no? And I want to make you happy for a long time. Other detailers, they like this cheap wax. Why? Because you come back every three months. Not me. If I use cheap wax, I think in three months you not happy. I want you happy, very happy, for a long time. My friend, just wash your car for me every month. It will look good for one year. You will be happy. You will Yelp me. You will tell friends how happy you are with Antonio. And, that, my friend, is why I am so busy and have been in business so long. If I make you happy, that is all I need to do.”

Sometimes you have these experiences, simple experiences, that are so full of insights, simple learnings, and beautiful people. Today was one of them. And, as he was finishing up, I told him I wanted to take a picture of him and my car.

He said “Yes, yes, that’s fine my friend. But please, please my friend, make sure you park your car one week facing the garage and one week facing away from the garage. It is better for your paint, and the suns rays will be scattered across it more evenly.”

 

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your physician. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all time. What is the most significant information you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, it’s doubtless significant for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft — can kill the mood in bedroom.

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10 Seconds ’till Chaos

On Tuesday I was in San Francisco for a meeting at One Market Plaza, followed by others in the area then back to One Market.

As I arrived the in city (lower case, always always lower case–only NYC should get the capitalization) the place was chaos. Pre San Francisco Giants parade prep and antics, I figured. So I parked, started walking to One Market Plaza, and saw that it had effectively been quarantined. There were police everywhere and the whole building evacuated and roped off.

Cops were turning everyone away saying it was a “private police matter” but I found an undercover (I think FBI) agent and we started chatting. After a while he told me it was a bomb scare, probably nothing and that I’d be able to get into the building within thirty minutes–in time for my meeting.

An hour later still no change. So I rebooked my meeting at Peet’s Coffee (best Vegan scones, but I’m off the carbs for now) in the Ferry building which is pretty close by. Another half hour later as I was walking to my meeting the perimeter expanded and I could tell the energy level had increased a bit. Suddenly, it felt like it was a much bigger deal going on.

As I was walking to Ferry something happened about ten feet away from me. A bunch of people were asleep and hanging out on the lawn (some homeless, some not). There were a dozen police around, and suddenly, one of the policemen started yelling at a guy to wake up as they were trying to clear the area since the quarantine perimeter expanded, as he got closer the sleeper his dog started barking at the policeman and lunged after him.

Within ten seconds, chaos erupted.

The policeman started yelling as he’s directly to my left and quickly unleashed his handgun pointed it at the dog. Then bystanders started screaming, the guy formerly-known-as-sleeping-beauty-who-probably-crapped-his-pants-as-he-awoke-t0-a-handgun-in-his-and-his-dogs-face is trying to restrain his dog, which starts looking rabid (the dog, not the guy), so instantaneously, a few more policemen pull guns out of their holsters and they’re alternating aim between the dog and the formerly-asleep-guy who is yelling whilst trying to contain and protect his dog. Bystanders are starting to freak (and yell at the police as well), guns are still pointed, screaming by all parties ensues, and the stuff is hitting the fan.

And as I’m standing there watching this, I’m amazed. Not at the chaos (that too). But at how quickly the chaos happened. Ten seconds. Literally, that’s all it took to go from controlled to uncontrolled. Clearly, there was a lot of stress to the situation and the point of this has nothing to do with how either the police or the civilians handled the situation. I don’t even have an opinion even though I watched it unfold, who knows all the dynamics that were really going on and ultimately I’m sure the bomb scare made the situation all the more acute.

What dawned on me is how many times that’s happened in other areas of life (and not nearly as stressful as this was an extreme situation, which eventually became controlled).

Think about it. How many times in our life have things escalated to chaos within ten seconds? Probably too many. And, unfortunately, ten seconds is sometimes all it takes.

 

No doubts, take Lasix only as prescribed by your physician. Levitra is one of the best-known medications of all time. What is the most significant info you must study about levitra vs cialis? Most doctors say the effectiveness of Levitra is well documented. Absolutely, a sexual problem refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual life. Whilst sex is not vital for good health, it’s doubtless important for anyone. Why it happen? What kinds of professionals treat sexual diseases in men? A common class of antidepressants, which include Zoloft — can kill the mood in bedroom.