When the Company Goes Public

First, let me say this post is not, in any way, about me. Yes, even when it inevitably turns back to me....it is still about this....

Awesome job Shawn...way to go buddy.

I had a B-L-A-S-T being part of the Thunder Road marathon this weekend. I ran to help pace my friend Shawn towards a sub-4:00 finish. I've since learned people get PASSIONATE about "bandits". For what it is worth, I just drank water, didn't listen to people cheering, and tried to get hit by cars as to not take advantage of the traffic control. Beyond all of that, I just wanted to see Shawn break 4. I ran miles 5-to-the-finish with him, and he ran a patient when needed, and gutsy when called for, race. I tried to inspire him with tales of Ghost Jazz in my spot-on Bruce Springsteen accent, but the strength was all Shawn. Cramps, hills, and the sound of my voice were all obstacles he was able to overcome on his way to the finish. Seriously...congrads Shawn.

Shawn was very straightforward about his marathon goals. "Just want to break 4...." was his rehearsed company-line. I never heard him saying anything else...and he put in the work before and on race day to bring that goal home. It was a bold public goal, and a strong execution of that goal.

Most people (including myself...all the time) have secret goals, or layers of goals in addition to the public goal, that if someone was being transparent....conversations would play out like this...

"Hey, what's your goal for the Generic Marathon next weekend?"

"Well, I'm hoping for 3:45. I've been training around 3:35 pace, so that would be possible, and it would be great if I could get under 3:30. My Boston time is 3:25, so that would be amazing, but really getting under 4 hours would be fine. To answer your question, I just want to finish."

After Theoden made his summer Boston proclamation, and Shawn had his steadfast sub-4 goal, I was thinking I needed...or rather wanted...to make a public goal for Charleston.

Because as The New Pornographers remind us, when the company goes public....






..... you've got to learn to love what you are.

Once that public goal is out there, you really lose the ability to orchestrate the revisionist history that is possible with the secret goal. Tell everyone you are going to break 4, and you miss, there might be a bit of damage to the pride....tell everyone you just want to finish, with the top-secret goal of breaking 4....then you either meet or exceed your goal.

I admire the folks that can make those bold statements, but I am not really sure where I fit in. I'd love to qualify for Boston someday, but I'd like to someday break 3 hours even more. Not simply because that means I'm running faster....I've just always been drawn to round #'s as goals, more than a race standard.

So.....I can GO PUBLIC (I will never apologize for continuing to tie back to some sort of musical theme....) and state that I'm hoping to run 3:25 at Charleston. I can say that, hoping to be 100% honest....but there is still some sort of internal deal making behind the scenes. I can elaborate and say....I've been training at a goal pace faster than 3:25, but my PR is 3:36, and a sub 3:30 finish is nothing I'd be too upset about. Then there is the simple historical fact that I've typically been 10-15 minutes slower on the 2nd half of EVERY marathon I've ever run. I could go on....so.....

I'm going to say 3:25. knowing full well there are so many mutations of that goal that exist inside my head. Not sharing those mutations is not meant as trying to sandbag or play things too close to the vest, but rather because I myself don't know what those other goals are. Will 3:34 feel great since it is a PR, or disappointing since I've trained for something much faster? Will 3:29 still feel awesome if it is part of a late-race blow-out and another 2nd half fade? Who knows. Sure as hell not me.

3:25 it is.