Thriving on Paranoia

"You only get out of the valley of death," he says in his book, "by outrunning the people who are after you. And you can only outrun them if you commit yourself to a particular direction and go as fast as you can. Hedging is expensive and dilutes commitment. Without exquisite focus, the resources and energy of the organization will be spread a mile wide -  and they will be an inch deep." ~ ANDY GROVE, CEO, INTEL


The founder of Intel, Andy Grove wrote this book ‘Only the Paranoid Survive’ (1996). Usually associated with abnormal psychology, paranoia is about an unfounded fear about people, places and events.


I did a short session of running intervals at midday, not the best time to do it, but a useful mental strengthener when you complete it. The relevant thing about running on the path at noon is that, runners have an aversion for the intense heat and risk of sunburn. I was mindful to run within a semblance of shade, as I was not wearing the gooey sunscreen – it does overheat my body and clogs up my sweat pores. It was a hard session, and I was glad I did it. My Coach, Fox is spot-on when it comes to training in the trenches; smart, hard, training reaps dividends at the most challenging times.

This evening, I decided to go for a ride. I haven’t ridden my pearly-white, custom-fitted, Orbea Vitesse for a few weeks, so decided to check out the condition of my ride muscles. I bumped into my friend Michael (who just finished his sets of 1.5km intervals), who I trained with and ran at the Sundown Ultra-marathon. I asked him if his legs were exhibiting symptoms of injuries about a month after the race, but not before. He agreed, and we chatted about my observation and his experience with injuries in his first ultra-marathon in 2008. Michael believed that prolonged rest (i.e. away from hard running) was imminent or else injuries could become chronic. I was assured that my rehabilitative exercises were helping me so far.

As I rode solo, which is pretty much de rigueur for me, I noticed that the heavy-laden construction trucks were, occasionally, very close to me. I trust my riding skills and compliance to road-rules, yet I could not say the same for the hurried drivers. Having assumed a sense of paranoia for the duration of my ride on the long stretch of tar road, I think I kept myself safe from any distractions and potential risks. The pockmarked and scabrous road surface made my ride bumpy and irritable at times, however I focused on the road ahead and respected it by slowing down when I suspected something troublesome. In a way, it was akin to a road less travelled by me. I did three loops of the 10km route, which I am familiar for its strong headwinds during the monsoon season.

This session was a follow-up to my earlier piece about split sessions. Train twice a day, however, reduce the session time but increase its intensity. This approach can also be applied to workplace tasks, projects and meetings. Marathon meetings are, unarguably, painful and unpleasant; split them, keep them focused and meaningful, and assess the difference. Decide and determine what works best for you and your team.

Run, not hide. Ride, with paranoia.

Do we need to avoid caffeine? The verdict is out-side the box.