And by the way, there was a “spare” pace car waiting in the wings in case the first one broke down. This is right out of the Navy SEALs playbook of “two is one, one is none” that podcast guest David Sears shared with me.
Business corollary: company culture. Your culture is the environment that envelops your business. It’s the norms, the expectations, the atmosphere that either supports or detracts from your mission. So ask yourself, does the culture of your company support the results you’re trying to achieve? Kipchoge had his V-shaped group of pacesetters who were kept on track by following a laser line shot from a pace car. What’s the laser-line equivalent for your culture?
3. Training. With the goal of the sub-two-hour marathon locked in, all training was focused on achieving that singular accomplishment. Kipchoge had a personalized training plan that included running about 124–140 miles per week, at altitude, with a variety of workouts including tempo runs, fartlek (alternating faster and slower running while not stopping), intense track work, plus strength work to increase core stability. And like Rocky punching carcasses in the meat locker, Kipchoge, “continues to spend six days a week at his somewhat austere training camp in the forest of Kaptagat, where he swaps domestic chores with fellow athletes and washes using water from a well.” In other words, scrap the cushy workout environment and instead, be humble and stay hungry.
Business corollary: lifelong learning. It’s become popular to say, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” I’d change that to say, “If you’re not learning, you’re dying.” If you don’t learn more than you forget, you become stupider every day. Follow your curiosity and ramp up the skills that are needed to deliver greater value to your clients. Set a goal to increase your net new learning. I have a personal goal to learn something new every day and it’s not hard to do because I’m always curious and I’m always asking people questions. Maybe that’s why I host three different interview-based podcasts and record six episodes a month! The three podcasts are, Between Now and Success, On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow and Keen on Retirement.
4. Nutrition and hydration. Runners need the right nutrition and hydration before and during the race to ensure they don’t bonk and hit the dreaded “wall.” During a race, the bulk of a runner’s energy comes from carbohydrates and if this store of carbs gets depleted, your body will start burning fat. It’s this shift from carb burning to fat burning that initiates the bonk. Hydration, of course, is just as critical. During training, Kipchoge experimented with determining the right mix of carbs and the form (liquid or gel) that would give him the most energy for the longest period.
Business corollary: health and fitness. By doing all you can to stay fit, you’ll have the energy and capacity to persevere and accomplish big things over time. I set a goal every year to workout at least 8 days out of 10. I track it on a spreadsheet, by day, and I can tell you every workout I’ve done going back to 2003. And before that, I wrote everything in a running log book. My diet is good, but lagging a bit compared to my physical exercise. How well are you taking care of your health? Have you created an environment at the office that encourages healthy habits?
5. Equipment. Seeking every advantage, Nike engineers designed a sleek new shoe, “stuffed with a spongy but responsive foam and a carbon-fiber plate, called the Vaporfly 4%, which laboratory testing suggested could increase efficiency by four percent over the next best Nike racing shoe,” said The New Yorker. Kipchoge wore this shoe for his first attempt at the world record and an improved version of it, called the ZoomX Vaporfly Next%, for his second and successful attempt. This improved shoe boosts Kipchoge’s, “running economy by an extra one percent over the Vaporfly 4%,” according to Runner’s World. Mathematically, “Kipchoge only needs to run 0.36% faster to break the record.”
Business corollary: right technology. The best technology stack is the one that is right for your firm. It doesn’t mean you have to be on the bleeding edge of AI or you have to implement every new piece of automation that comes out. Instead, focus on the technology that either makes your business more efficient or improves your client experience. You’d be shocked how many multi-billion dollar advisory firms have mediocre tech stacks. Technology is important, but it’s not THE reason why your firm will flourish or fail.
Mental And Physical Barrier
Kipchoge’s feat ranks right up there with other barrier breakers including Bannister’s sub-four minute mile, Hillary and Norgay’s first summit of Mt. Everest, Chamberlain’s 100-point NBA basketball game and Honnold’s free solo of El Capitan.