You Are Just Another Hit In The Wall!

 Once, at the end of a race, I mentioned to a friend about ‘hitting the wall’. A passing emergency services staff overhead my remark, and asked with concern where on my body I hit the wall. It was a hilarious moment for us runners.

The Wall is that dreaded myth or reality that marathoners face at around the 30K mark. That is the point where the relatively untrained body, unfamiliar with the distance and its impact on the body, becomes fatigued. Runners who ‘bonk’ may give up, physically and mentally, and decide to walk. Others at Ironman triathlons end up crawling to the finish line, or wobble uncontrollably, or become delirious.

Rest assured that such dramatic finishes are mostly confined to serious age-groupers who outpace themselves. Walking is not a sign of defeat, unless you defect into the coffee shop for a well-earned cold beverage. You can still recover by refueling with energy gels, some fruit or a sports drink. There is time for damage control, and recovery from a temporary setback. Frequent training close to race distance and pace can help us ward off the perceived ‘wall’. We avoid the ‘wall’ as best as we can by sticking to our perceived limits and monitoring our progress throughout the race. If you can still smile or have a conversation at junctures of the race, you are still running within your limits.

Leadership Lessons: Where has your running led you recently? What are the walls, at work, that you run up to? You can run, but you can’t hide from your responsibilities. How do you manage ‘run-ups’ with colleagues, customers and clients?

I recommend reading Bart Yasso ‘My Life On the Run’ (2008). The stories from a runner who run about 1,000 marathons in seven continents is worth it. Strongly recommended.

Photo credit: Dennis Quek (The infamous Wall of Beer as a popular, post-race recovery technique. This photograph was part of our post-Race, t-shirt night).

Fear of Redundancy

Redundancy: a word that may strike fear in the hearts of performing staff. When the company undergoes massive transformation, it may relinquish staff in order to re-engineer its value. It can be demoralizing and depressing to be asked to leave a company that you served for many years. It can be crippling and painful to be ripped from the corporate umbilical cord of the company you felt that you served loyally. Retrenchment is the corporation’s answer to excess baggage while it undergoes corporate restructuring, down-sizing, right-sizing and re-engineering.

Pacers at marathons and half-marathons may be made redundant if their pacing deviates too much. If they run too slowly, they may disappoint runners aiming for a personal best time. Runners appreciate them when they stick to their intended pace, and even encourage the first-timers through their toughest moments. Pacers are leaders, who decided to lead others to their goals instead of their own; in a way, they are sacrificial lambs, but in a positive way.

It may pay to underplay your ambitions. If you had a bad day or year, your perceived value may be lessened. Think long-term and strategic in your career. Go far. Go long. Enhance your personal effectiveness and value. Upgrade and update your potential through improving and enhancing your skills, knowledge, mindset, attitude, competencies, experiences, exposure, expertise, relationships, values, beliefs, thinking, and more. Make yourself contemporary (instead of just traditional) and relevant!

Leadership Lessons: How do you enhance the value of your team? How do you manage redundancy? How can you assist your staff keep their jobs? How do you shift from redundancy to relevancy?

Currency But Not Current

This evening, after dinner I decided to go for a stroll. I took a wrong turn and ended up at a supermarket instead of the mall. A pedestrian gave me wrong directions; perhaps she misunderstood me, or my language and accent (or relative lack of it). Instead of sighing away in annoyance (with myself), I decided to take a browse and buy a box of masala (spiced) tea.

When I got to my wallet at check-out, I realised to my horror that I did not have the correct currency. It looked similar but was not exact. A kind lady shopper offered to assist, including exchanging currency with me. I declined politely and opted to buy the box of tea with whatever amount I had in my wallet, and returned my muffins and the other box of organic tea.

Currency is used for transactions; it is a medium that facilitates exchanges. How energy flows from one person to another is described as dynamics. There is dynamic energy instead of passive energy when you engage in discourse and conversation. When you have rapport, your energy and exchanges become automatic and intuitive. 

How do you keep current with news, technology and relationships? Which kinds of transactions have you made recently? How fast do you keep up with progress and changes?

The Ultra-Race

Any distance beyond the standard, 42.195K or 26.1 miles is considered an ultra-distance marathon. I am now reading Bart Yasso’s ‘My Life On The Run’ and his many adventures over seven continents running tough and challenging races.  He was instrumental in co-designing the horrendously hot Badwater 135 Race (it was originally 146 miles, but no permit was gotten to reach the summit).

I have only completed three ultra-marathons, one of which was the Sundown 84K challenge I attempted last year. I have no strong intention to do one anytime soon. I got injured a month after completing it (more about this in a later post). Here are some thoughts for doing an ultra-race such as the NorthFace 100, Sundown 100K and MR25’s annual Ultramarathon:

1)      The build-up is important and you will need to do up to 4-6 hours of continuous running in your training session. For an 84K or 100K race, this translates into a maximum of about 60K as your longest run. You can break this up into a 21K race followed by another marathon on the same day. Every kilometre adds up onto your total mileage.

2)      Nutrition is a key to your completion. You need to eat and drink regularly. You need to drink if you do not want to suffer physically and mentally. Recovery is enhanced with nutritional support on the run.

3)      You will need huge amounts of sleep prior to the race. You need to fully recuperate from each long training session, so take naps or longer, uninterrupted sleep.

4)      Sleep deprivation may be a useful part of your training strategy (Kua Harn Wei and the seasoned ultramarathoners include this as part of their training).

5)      A change of clothes at the halfway point may be useful (if you are toatll soaked and are experiencing abrasions). I changed my socks after my first marathon, had some nutritional support, stretched a bit, and was on my way for the second marathon.

6)      You need to be mentally prepared for bodily discomfort. Gastro-intestinal (GI) issues may be a high possibility. I vomited at the 55K mark, after ‘cleverly’ drinking a cold, tall cup of sugar-cane juice. I chucked a stomach’s worth of mixed juices, and about $10 worth of Power-Gels. The latter caused me more grief than the natural stomach pumping. Stick to trhe familiar!

7)      Train at the exact time of race. Humidity is highest at night, and you run a risk of heat exhaustion. Sweat does not evaporate so easily in high humidity. It just wicks away.

8)      Above all, pace yourself. I was a bit too ambitious on my first lap, clocking 4:12 with my inspirational friends like Mika Kume, Victor Chan and Lieu. They overtook me on the second lap, and I missed my podium by three spots. However, these three earned top-10 placing and I was happy for them. Another day…

Have a safe and eventful race! You will recall all your long races.

Methodical Monday

Sunday’s intended morning ride was a total washout, as it rained. Parts of the island flooded and caused massive inconvenience. The canals could not cope with the sudden burst of water and it overflowed. I welcomed the rain as my excuse to sleep in, as I had to fly to India to conduct a four-day leadership workshop. After four short, hard running sessions this week my legs enjoyed the rest and recuperation.

Congratulations Teo Hui Koon for completing Challenge Cairns 2011. He did it in a commendable time, considering it was a hard ride. 2-time Ironman World Champion, Macca won. Rebeccah Keats won in the female category.

I chalked in a few new runs, since I will be giving up my slot for Ironman Canada. The timing is not suitable and the costs are punitive. This will allow me to participate in smaller races, and allow me to focus on my swim and riding speed. My first open-water swim is this Saturday and I look forward to reviewing my technical skills. I then do a 10K race which includes some hilly terrain on Sunday. I hope that this race measures my readiness for a second BQ at the Gold Coast Marathon on 3 July.

Requests have been coming in to help runners run properly after injury. My physiotherapist friend asked that I speak to his patient who is recovering from injury; mainly, it is helping his patient run more naturally, than on his heels. It takes time to learn, and our body is highly intelligent. Just make sure it learns the right things. Proper techniques have their relevance.

Leadership Lessons: Stay true to your course. Be disciplined. Test your mettle. Be meticulous and methodical.

That’s Tee-rific!

Race finisher’s t-shirts are like badges of honour. In recent days, I have seen a plethora of people wearing the Sundown Marathon tees. It is common to see races that are a few years old still worn by their earners. Some of who have lost their glory-day fitness much like the faded colours of their tees. Other has successfully maintained their fitness or even enhanced it. They are evidence of sporting longevity, and not a faddist.

Here is a sample of races and t-shirts my triathlon buddies wore that evening.

The Sundown Marathon 2011.

The Tri-Factor series’ t-shirt.

Sin Guan’s Kapas Marang 6.5K Swim tee (he did it in an enviable 1:50 considering he comes from a runner’s background).

Finally, my specially ordered race-tee from my 11^th Ironman finish in Lanzarote, Canary Islands.

Good luck to Teo Hui Koon on his Challenge Cairns today! He has spent many months preparing for it.

Photographs courtesy of Dennis Quek

Have a Great Day!

One of the surprises I got from Ironman Lanzarote was discovering that 6-time Ironman World Champion, Natascha Badmann was taking part. She placed a high and respectable second in the women’s category. She has a firm reputation for her enduring smile (while racing) and making a bad day better! She leaves an indelible mark for me of being a gracious competitor and being appreciative to volunteers and spectators.

This evening, our open-water swim group met for Happy Hours and exchanged war stories. Everyone who completed a recent race had to wear the race tee or suffer a mild penalty; I suppose it was the buying of drinks, fried chicken wings and pizza – high-calorie, tasty, punishment. Several had completed their first 6.5K open-water swim, first night marathon, and even Ng Lap Huan who completed a back-to-back 21K and marathon on the same evening, a week ago; he will making his personal assault on his first ultra-distance of 100K. Big shout out goes to Le Giang (a 3:55 marathoner) and Winston for being generous pacers at the Sundown Marathon last Saturday. Without pacers, less runners would have crossed the line, and others meet their personal best times. Thank you, Pacers!

When I arrived, the enthusiastic (and barely inebriated) team noticed that my participant t-shirt for Lanzarote had the names of all the 1,500 competitors on it. Predictably, a camera zoomed in for a close-up of my name. I had difficulty recalling where my name was in the confusing scatter of names. Not my fastest race, but certainly memorable for being the very first in my country to do it – not just once – but twice in four years. There is word that one of our triathlon buddies may break his personal achievement of ‘most Ironman finishers ever by a single athlete in Singapore’. As tempting as it is, I will reserve my energies for other mountains of my mind.

We will resume our open-water swim at Sentosa Lagoon next Saturday, as there are residual jellyfish and an abundance of sea-lice. We have avoided the bad case of the itchy for a few weeks. I will be off to Bangalore, India on Sunday and look forward to next Sunday’s 10K Mount Faber Run – my third attempt for a PB and, possibly, nearer a podium finish.

Off to a 21K tempo run in a few hours’ time, and watch a friend finish her 5K run. Hopefully, I make the cutoff time.

Video courtesy of TheTriathlonCoach.com

The Significance of Your Company Culture

Company culture is the spirit, attitude and character of its people put together. Although products or services are the backbone of business, the working culture of staff and its management matter. A happy staff is a productive staff.

America’s Continental Airlines moved from ‘worst to first’ after its CEO, Gordon Bethune re-invented the way his staff was treated, and how they treated their customers. Within one year, the ailing airline recovered from a loss of $100 million per year to a profit of $100 million. Bethune goes about his day thanking his staff, customers and even assisting with a bag or two at the baggage handling section. His management style is mainly by charisma and management by walking around (MBWA). Once embarrassed staff who removed their company badges when lunching, now wear their uniforms proudly and deliver top-notch customer service.

Singapore’s executive search and temp agency, Business Trends (now absorbed by Kelly Services) had staff ring a bell when they rang in a sale. Staff would recognize a colleague’s sales closure with high-fives!

A leading Australian management consulting company’s working philosophy includes: ‘We will end up better mates at the end of each project.’

Elite Bicycles, based in Philadelphia and Singapore, is a boutique customized bike-fitting company. Their attention to details and personalized service is impeccable. A comprehensive bike fitting session takes about 3-4 hours, with initial focus on physical diagnostics, muscle strength testing, core stability exercises, limb measurements, and the actual fitting. Their strong and shared culture of attentiveness and patience to each client creates brand building and customer loyalty. Much of their business is based on positive word of mouth.

Your company’s culture is unique. It defines the way your business is run. It reflects on the products and services that we present for the benefit of our customers.

An unspoken culture of this website is ‘to share fully of our experiences’. I hope that you are enjoying and benefitting from each author’s wisdom and sharing. Enjoy building your business!

Leading with Good Business Goals

Why would you start a business? Would it be because you get to print name-cards that read important titles like ‘Managing Director’, ‘CEO’, ‘Business Owner’ or ‘Entrepreneur’? During the Dot Com (or Dot Bomb) era, young would-be entrepreneurs had job titles that read ‘CEO’, ‘CFO’, ‘CIO’ and ‘Evangelist’.

Having established your business, how long do you intend to operate it? Established large companies have elaborate goals described as Mission and Vision statements. They may include Core Values that describe their philosophies behind their business.

It is necessary to set goals, or expected outcomes for your business. Goals create impetus and motivation to be fulfilled. Well-designed goals provide business-owners with clarity and a sense of relevance about their business. Annual revisions to these goals create a sense of progression and renewed purpose.

What could be useful goals for business?

1)    My business has to be meaningful to me and to others.

2)    My products and services that I provide can benefit others.

3)    I like to build a business that I can pass on to my staff.

4)    I like to be profitable so that I can assist greatly my philanthropic goals.

5)    I like to realize my potential as a creator, entrepreneur, and self-starter.

6)    I want to live behind a legacy that others may be inspired by, and resume my goals when I expire.

7)    I want to scale up to the next level of significance.

8)    I want to promote our brand so that it deserves a wider audience.

9)    I want to make my company attractive enough to be considered for purchase.

10) I want develop rich relationships and experiences of worth with my business partners and alliances.

Leadership Lessons: Take the time to review your goals: evaluate their achievability, relevance, meaningfulness, and if they are contemporary. This helps us reset our compass and bearings if results do not appear as expected.

His Name Is Earl: Making Good on Your Word

In the popular television series, My Name is Earl the reformed protagonist focuses on ticking off his karma list. His list, formed after a near-fatal accident, was born of having disappointed or bullied people in his life form his past and present. Only when he has satisfactorily achieved his goal of righting his wrong, does he then scratch the goal off his list. Eliminate then erase.

Do you have a karma list? Are there things in your life you would like to enhance or improve on? Is there a relationship that you thought long and hard about renewing? Have you gotten things off your chest lest you develop regret later?

In business, we may have disappointed our customers and clients. How do you make amends? Before it escalates into something beyond our control, how can you provide service recovery? Small gestures of kindness and generosity can make a difference, however small. Give without consideration for receiving. Appreciate what it feels like to give instead of taking. Not everything that we do has to be conditional, or have a catch.

Go out of your way to delight a friend. Create surprises. Help a person feel good about themselves. Catch your staff doing right. Praise. Give recognition. Offer useful feedback. Make a recommendation. Project good and positive energies into the universe. What goes around, might come around.

Leadership Lessons: What will you do better tomorrow? What will you seek to correct in your relationships? Which practices will you shift from worst to good? Which have you identified as your best practices in your company?