Hunting for Bambi? Giving Thanks? Splitting firewood for the winter? No, not any of those items but rather it's the time of year when I start to look back over the past year and plan ahead for the next. I do this now rather than the end of the calendar year because November represents the end of my running year and allows me time to thoroughly assess not only my running but the business too.
I enjoyed a great deal of success this past year as both a runner and an architect. In my new role this year as the Director of Architecture at a very well respected engineering and architectural firm I was not able to get out and run as often as I would have liked during a typical work week, but I was able to remain very competitive against other runners in my 60-64 yr.age group. I can say I won two half marathons, two 5Ks, and finished among the top leaders in the other races too. I did not do to well in the Crim this year but I did have one of my best experiences at the Crim. I also did not finish too high in my age group for a 10K either finishing 8th. However this 10K was the USATF National Championship for Master Runners and the fellow who finished 9th was Bill Rogers!
So as I look back at the past and into the future I plan certain changes. Nothing too specific, to start, I plan to run different races and to travel to a different race or two too. In a few weeks I intend to enter a lottery in hopes of being selected to run the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington DC this April. I also look to run a different half marathon in NC in the year ahead too. Then there are a couple of races where I have not run in recent years and 2013 may be the year to return. Heading this list is the Detroit International Half Marathon. Then there are two races that have become a custom to me too. It would not be a complete race year if I did not run the Crim 10 Miler and The Brooksie Way Half Marathon. Finally, this is the year I also look very much to return to run the Dexter Ann Arbor Half Marathon as this will be the 40th anniversary of the DxAA!
So what does identifying a list of races have to do with my business planning? Plenty! runners understand how to establish goals and more importantly how to attain goals no matter how extreme. Between now and December 5th I will be planning goals for the Architectural group at DiClemente Siegel Design. The goals I intend to present during a presentation to the firm's leadership will be meaningless unless there is process or plan to achieve these goals too. So in the same manner I plan a race schedule, I will plan a business schedule that includes a "game plan" to mark, measure, and ultimately achieve. I do my best thinking while running so, time to think hard during the next 8 -10 miles this morning!
Thanks for reading and Run Happy :)
Lee
