While I was working on my doctorate in educational leadership, I began exercising as a stress reliever and to help clear my mind. Full disclosure, I was never considered a star athlete. Ok, ok...I was a mediocre athlete. Heck, I was a terrible athlete. I could write about those experiences for ages but will focus on my most recent athletic journey. In the summer of 2010, I took up running. I was fat, out of shape, and had high blood pressure. Running required no skill. I mean everyone knew how to run, right? Cavemen could run. Al Roker had started running. I could do this. I could be a runner...if you loosely defined the term “runner”.
After a few months of plodding around my neighborhood, I grew to see the benefits of this new hobby. My stress levels were down and my waistline was shrinking. I felt like a new man. This is when I started thinking about expanding my running and considered long distance running and eventually triathlon. Realizing I was never going to the fastest guy in a race, I chose races that would play to my benefit. That being, I’m hard-headed. I knew I couldn’t be faster than a lot of guys but I knew could I keep going. I was the turtle and everyone else was the hare.
Endurance has become my sport. I love the idea of grinding out miles. I don’t care if I’m running, biking, or swimming. I love the idea of stupid distances and races that seem just out of reach to complete. This ten year journey has led me to understand more about myself and in doing so more about my leadership style. Long distances give you plenty of time to think and work through stuff mentally. I have come up with several great ideas and even more terrible ones on long bike rides or runs. This will be the focus of my first series of blogs. I will look at how endurance is a key skill to leaders and some of the pitfalls of trying to sprint through changes in your school.
I hope you enjoy,
Stay Sharp!!!