When You Need Help, Seek The Experts

‘Who you gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!’ ~ Theme song

We don’t have all the answers, thus we ask questions. Questions give us focus and a sense of purpose. Open-ended questions allow us to comprehend. Close-ended questions allow us to verify, validate and consolidate. We may not fully understand many things, although we say we do. What does understanding something mean to you? Does having the head knowledge mean you understand? When you say you know, does that mean you also understand? If you know, can you apply your knowledge (as skills) confidently?

These questions may be vexing, yet we ask them to comprehend, appreciate, learn, and understand matters. Our curiosity underlies our ability to examine, investigate, check, research, discover, learn, ponder, and consider. Adventurers are driven by a sense of curiosity and the need to discover. Our maritime forefathers demonstrated that when they set sail for the New World with some getting utterly lost and disorientated. Some were purported to have sailed off the edge of the world!

Experts have more than knowledge. They also possess tacit experience and tacit wisdom. They are regarded as experts because they know more, have expertise, and can make recommendations based on their area of specialty and passion. Experts can help us think and do outside the box. Thus, the roles of coach and mentor have their relevance in both the corporate world as it does with our community, family and our friends.

How open and broad-minded are you to professional advice? How well do you take feedback? When was the last time you sought an expert? Do you have a coach for your endurance sport? Learn and lead. Learn to lead. 

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Yesterday evening, I decided to go for an easy run, as the sky dimmed prematurely with looming grey clouds. It was raining predictably for a few consecutive evenings. I ran two sets with a 5-minute break between them: 11K at 4:35 pace, and 10K for 4:55 pace. It was faster than I expected; I almost had a PB in training for my 11K, however missed out slightly. Nevertheless, I will aim to hold my 21K at about 4:30 pace, consistently for a PB at the Singapore 70.3 in March. That’s the plan, man!

I was running with another runner, and we kept each other company for about 8K. I overtook him twice, and he overtook me once when I took a drink at the 17K mark. Whoever he is, thanks buddy for the race-like conditions. My Facebook posting of my training session drew many useful comments – thank you, my friends! With my new age group, my qualifying time for the Boston Marathon will be 3:30. Looks like my goal is several minutes within reach (3:37:06 at Berlin in September on a cold and rainy day), although I would love to still achieve a 3:20 within a year. I will surround myself with experts, and back to planning my performance goals with my Coach! The Hong Kong Marathon awaits me after Chinese New Year.

Valuing Time with Your Coaches

This evening, despite a PSI of about 90 (unhealthy range), I decided to go for an easy run. Shod in my Vibram VFF, I did an hour of running and walking, and spewed random, un-neighborly, mutterings into the direction of the dreaded Haze. This bad air – born from pyromania caused by shifting cultivation - will affect those of us preparing for Ironman Western Australia. It makes me appreciate good air conditions; seems like indoor-riding on a trainer may be the way to chalking up mundane mileage required for a sustainable 180K road ride.

I spent four valuable days with my Australian teacher/coach. It was part of my annual upgrading for a licensed program I facilitate. My associate from Shanghai joined us in Singapore, and we appreciated [from Coach] new perspectives and potentials on how we could manage our personal values and energy. I learnt more about my leadership personal space and energy, such as activating my leadership charisma.

I don’t see my coaches and mentors often, but I fully immerse myself in our learning experience together. It is important to be fully in the moment, and observe astutely and acutely points of association, and departure. Learning to disagree requires courage and an optimistic composure. Admitting that we don’t know is part of the process of progressing and evolving. Ignorance is merely a starting point, a springboard for future possibilities. I felt energized, invigorated, and renewed in these four days – and the 15K run (and decent results) on Sunday did not dampen my spirits and added to my collective value.

Value your time with your coaches! They can add much value to what we are already doing.