I took my off-day yesterday since we were driving back from New York all day. I really need to get this presentation done. So, no off-day race report this week.
Any project manager who's not a complete rookie knows that some contingency needs to be built in to any project plan. That's not really what we're talking about here. The setbacks in long projects are of a much different nature and the response to them is crucial.
In a short race, if things start going wrong, the best strategy is to look for ways to limit the losses and hope you get to the finish before the wheels come off. A side stitch or calf cramp will probably not go away, but you may be able to run through it without losing too much time. If you realize you've taken a race out too fast and are starting to fade, there's nothing to be done but steel yourself for a few unpleasant miles and get them done as fast as you can.
Likewise, in shorter efforts, setbacks are generally easy to quantify and essentially permanent. By the time you fix them, the project is almost over. If the setback is serious, it may kill the success of the project (however that is defined). Most of the time, it merely messes up the schedule and project is delivered either late, over budget, or with reduced scope (or possibly all three).
In an ultra, setbacks are part of the race. The exact time and form may be unknown, but the fact that they will occur is not. It is a surety. There comes a point in every long ultra (we'll arbitrarily use 100K as the boundary between "long" and "short" ultras) where you can no longer keep food down. This usually coincides with having to take an extended walk break. If this was to happen in a race even as long as 50K, it would be disastrous. You might finish, but you won't finish well. In a 100 mile event, it's fully expected and, here's the important part: it gets better.
That's the difference between ultra setbacks and those in shorter races. It's not a one-way street. You have time to fix things. It's not at all common to see runners who were emptying their stomachs at 60 miles striding easily from 80 to 100. I've given a name to this phenomenon: The Abyss. It's the point at which your race starts to go badly, descending to a point at which you either quit or make the adjustment to turn things around. Then there's the long grind up the other side. However, once across, you are racing again; often quite well. While there is a physiological component to this, it mostly a fight with despair. It goes far beyond tenacity, it is the ability to see beyond the darkness one finds oneself in and envision a better path ahead.
Likewise in long projects there are painful moments when it looks like the project is going to grind to a halt. If the Steering Committee sees it that way as well, you may be in trouble. But, if you can buy some time and NOT try to simply push through it, but rather figure out what's really wrong and how to fix it, there is hope that the project goals will be met, and met well.
Obviously, this is much easier to do if the first six rules have been followed. A realistic plan has time built in for corrections. Regular walk breaks set a pattern of self-assessment that is useful in determining what's going wrong. Having the discipline to find a way to keep making forward progress helps get at least some work done while the issue is being sorted out. And, you certainly are going to need to run fast once you do have it sorted out. That's not going to happen unless your team is motivated and they won't be if you've already been whipping them with no time given to replenish.
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