Running, the Agile Way
Sometimes I see people on my regular runs that I’ve never seen before. They wear a full running gear: specialized running clothes, shoes and even drinking bottles.
I see them maybe one more time, then never again. They remind me of how some people start projects. They see how other people run. They like the idea of themselves running and they want it, too — without knowing the work behind it. The first thing they do is a high up-front investment in running gear: shoes, clothes and accessories. They plan for a first run by looking on Google Maps. They wait for the right weather to come: not too cold, not too hot, not too windy and not rainy. When the moment comes and the motivation is right, they finally start just to see that they do not have the stamina like other runners and that it’s no fun at all.
Most people then quit. They don’t become runners.
I remember how I started running. I sucked at running. In my school days I was good at sprinting: 50 meters, 100 meters, 200 meters. When I ran 400 meters, I got side stitches. I hated it. After I graduated, I looked for a sport to get over a breakup with a girlfriend. Somehow I ended up running, got good at it and lost 10 kilos over just a few months.
I didn’t think about buying expensive running gear. I did not plan out my first run. I just took the sport shoes, some shirt and shorts I already had. The first run was awfully slow, I had to take a lot of breaks. In my mind, the other people — especially my neighbors — were watching me and laughing about my poor performance.
Somehow I did not stop. After that first run, I kept going. I ran regularly regardless of the weather or my mood (my mood was grim anyway after that breakup and it was some kind of catharsis). There was no special running track, just some track. With practice, that track got longer and longer.
After some time, I ended up being a runner. Not by the idea of being a runner, but by running.
Today I think that is the “agile” way to start running:
- Have a real purpose and drive to start that project
- Start pragmatically with the things you already have without huge up-front investments
- Don’t plan too much ahead. See where it takes you.
- Keep showing up, even if you suck at first
- Be satisfied that you are making small progress and no miracles are happening
When I see new people on my runs who don’t look like runners, especially on rainy days, I know they have a greater chance of actually becoming runners.
