By The Non Numbers
Seven weeks ago, I was well prepared to run a strong 26.2 miles at the Barcelona Marathon. Just a few days before the marathon, the event was postponed until autumn.
Leading up to the Barcelona Marathon, I had carried out an ambitious three month training program which included five or six running sessions per week.
But, there was another important element to my training program…
Nothing would be measured.
There would be no timing devices, tools, or apps. Not for a single training session.
The only information to be streamed to me would be my thoughts, feelings, and responses.
The simple question behind the experiment was this:
What do you notice when you stop noticing what gets measured?
My intentions to run a strong marathon still required thoughtful training concepts and mindsets.
Without metrics of any kind, I had to feel my way into “steady” running paces. For higher intensity speed work, I would arbitrarily run hard to a tree or fence post off in the distance.
And for “long training runs,” a staple of preparation for my previous 11 marathons, I just cleared my head and started to run…. or started to run and then my head cleared. When I was ready to stop, I stopped.
Like so many life pursuits, training for a marathon can be an anxious endeavor. There is a lot of time to doubt — not to doubt a few things but to doubt everything.
Metrics can sometimes temper our doubts. But the application of these metrics reinforce the doubts… which produce more doubts.
So, what gets noticed when the metrics are eliminated from an activity that is almost exclusively based on metrics?
I notice:
The inner voice.
Fundamentals and techniques.
Beautiful sunrises over the Pyrenees.
I notice that metrics are not necessary to run well.
This experiment reminds me of times in my life when the incoming stream of metrics covered up the simple joy and essence of an activity.
When we let go of the metrics, we are free to just move — at speeds, rhythms, and distances of our choice.
After seven weeks of Spanish government mandated quarantine, letting go of metrics has been a core strategy of my pursuit of better health, creativity, and connection…
Which makes the beginning of Spain’s gradual process to loosen its previous rule of no exercise outside of the home a little sweeter…
Yesterday, for the first time since March 13, I went for run….
For the enjoyment of the steps…
And maybe the first step towards a new marathon in the autumn.
With gratitude,
-Joe
Connect with Joe:
5 With Joe Performance Coaching
I coach established and experienced professionals, who feel stuck in place, to thrive in transition and bring focus to what matters most without compromising their lives.
I position my experiences winning an Olympic Gold Medal, serving as CEO of a national sports organization, and my current “Simple, Slower, and Less” lifestyle in the Catalan Pyrenees to form accountable and transformative collaborations that see my clients create their next and most impactful chapter.
