The Business of Running the Peachtree: Breaking Through

Martin Fleischmann

July 1, 2008

Last week, I talked about how I learned to equate running the Peachtree Road Race to starting a business, and then how my desire developed to run it more successfully. This week I'll focus on three more business-like lessons learned from starting to run it competitively.

Lesson #4: The next level doesn't get easier: Prepare the same way, get the same results.
After my efforts to get faster and earn a timing chip with a certified time, I feel like I'm in the inner circle in 2002. With the chip secured to my shoelace and a low number around 12,000, I cruised into my place in front of the Ritz Carlton at 7:15 with all the other runners in Group 1A. There's still a swarm of people, but you can see that they are all serious runners. I get to stand not far from the big flag and all the announcers on their platforms, and feel like a rookie making it into the big leagues.

I enjoy some good running banter with a couple people around me as we're stretching and waiting, and strike up a conversation with a faster runner about my age who's somewhat injured. Though I'm in better shape this year, I'm also seriously sleep-deprived as my wife had our second child only five days before (she was fine and gave me the OK to run) and I'm on two hours of sleep. We informally stay together as we start, supportively chatting and jointly deciding to keep the pace mellow at the start. It only takes about one minute to cross the start, right after the Elite (two digit), Seeded (three digit), and sub-seeded (four digit) runners.

Though it's just as crowded, the start pace is a little better and after some jockeying things open up about a half mile in. I find that I'm a little less aware of all the goings on around me as I try to find my pace, and I've got far less people I can pass after that first half mile. My new friend and I end up running most of the race together, taking the first half pretty easy and pushing each other the second half. So while I'm a full minute slower the first three miles, I make all that up and a bit more the second half. I also get to do more running before the sun gets intense, and end up finishing before the last people have even started. However, the hill feels just as hard as ever, the second half of the race is still difficult, and I still end up with a 49-minute time. Given my sleep situation though, I was pretty happy to stay level that year.

2003, I miss the race due to a wedding, 2004 is nothing special as MostChoice is growing and moving offices and I don't have time to train much, so once again I end up the exact same 49-flat. Getting back into it in 2005, I want to break 49, but deal early on with some knee issues and training further than four miles particularly is difficult. So in the race I again frustratingly fade in the second half much more than I'd like. I finally realize on the top of that Piedmont hill that I need to prepare a new and different way or I'll never get to 48 minutes. I vow that I will build more endurance the coming year to be ready to really conquer the hill and the whole second half.

Lesson #5: Adapt and evolve: Work both smarter and harder.
So I had a new resolve to take training more seriously and start training further ahead the Spring of 2006. I began running twice a week by April, stretched more, went longer than four miles earlier, began running three times a week by May, and used routes with nice hills to climb in the second half. I also bought better running shoes that really felt good and made me want to run more - always splurge on those core business tools! I ran the four-mile Harris Jacobs Dream Run at the Marcus JCC in early June as a tune up and felt good, and started doing harder 6-7 mile runs for stamina. This time my lungs and legs would be ready.

Even more importantly, I had a new mindset - the 2006 race was all about the second half. I told myself the real race was to begin at the foot of the hill. Following my strategy on race day, I went out steady and relaxed but kept some energy in reserve. Surprisingly, I found my first three miles went by 30 seconds faster overall due to the conditioning, yet when I got to the bottom of the hill I was ready and powered my way up, pausing only briefly at the top for a quick drink and a few breaths. To reach my goal of 48 minutes flat, I had figured what time to shoot for each mile, and I found myself ahead of plan after the fourth mile. Just as in business, intermediate targets are a must.

I pushed myself on through the last few miles and felt like I had enough gas in my tank for a stronger than normal sprint at the end. Ah, sweet victory as I ran those final steps and heard my chip beep as I went over the finish pad with my watch showing 47:42! I whooped and raised my fist as my spirit soared; I had overcome the years of stagnation to reach the next performance level at last.

Lesson #6: Expand a working model: Success can breed more success.
I enjoyed my personal victory that afternoon, but by night the inevitable thought hit me: How was I going to beat this new time in 2007? The answer was easy: Keep doing more of the training that worked before. Or in business terms, replicate, refine and ramp up a successful model. I kept in better running shape through the year, toying once again (as I've done for years) with the thought of running the Thanksgiving half marathon. I started doing longer runs earlier and got used to doing more hills near my home deep into a run. I ran the early June JCC race again to measure my progress and improved a full two minutes from the previous year, so I felt very confident I was on the right track. Physically, I tried to get a little more sleep than normal the week before the race, and ate more that morning before the race to have enough energy. And maybe most important, we were all luck that July 4th, 2007 was a nice cool morning.

I went out and kept up even a little better pace the first three miles than in 2006, but this year I motored up the hill without stopping at all on top. I grabbed a water cup from an outstretched hand, regained my rhythm and kept up a much better pace in the fifth mile. As I entered that sixth mile, I realized that I was not only going to get lower in the 47's, it was in my power to burn through it entirely! With just that last quarter mile to go, I decided to not sprint at the end to keep some room for improvement, and to my astonishment crossed over the pad at 46:17 net! A second year of major improvement - dropping 1:25 is huge once, let alone twice - was something I didn't even hope for going in. But looking back I realized that once I knew the model and worked the plan, success was inevitable.

Can I break 46 minutes this year? I hope so and have trained enough to try for it, but I did start a little later than I intended and who knows how the weather will turn out. The goal is even harder to hit as it should be. Getting into the 45's will take a large and sustained effort, but I'm confident that I'll give it a good shot. I know that I wouldn't have dreamed even three years ago that I could be at this level, yet now I'm planning what it would take to break 45 and get into the 44's. I don't think getting all the way down to a 42 minute 10K for a sub-seeded slot is ever in the cards for me, but now I know that if I'm prepared to follow the right plan and pay the sweat equity, almost anything is possible. I'll let you know next week how it turned out.

I hope everyone who's doing the Peachtree this year has a great time, and that if you are a casual runner who's never tried the Peachtree before, at least take the time to watch it. You may see someone you know in the middle of those 55,000 sweaty bodies, and perhaps be inspired to try it yourself next year. Happy July 4th!

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The Business of Running the Peachtree: Breaking Through

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Martin Fleischmann

July 1, 2008