The Consistency to Endure

Spoiler Summary: "Long term consistency trumps short term intensity" - Bruce Lee

I have a special place in my heart for endurance sports and the achievement that comes with them. It could definitely be due to the fact that growing up I watched my Dad, a self-proclaimed non-athlete, train and complete the local marathon more than a few times. I've always been inspired by the fact that after many attempts (and some heartbreaks along the way) he didn't give up. No matter the setback, he would dust himself off, start again and somehow find a way to achieve his long term goal, in this particular case, by less than 1 second....but that's really the smallest part of the story.  The proverbial "moment in the sun" is truly only a moment.  Standing by itself, it's not really that big of a deal....but in the context of the hours of dedicated training, of the focus and consistency required despite life's many distractions, of the time spent working through discomfort and setback, of the search (and ultimate "find") of new and deeper wells of strength....in that context, that moment in the sun, as short as it might be, is more like the cover of a great book, it only provides a glimpse of the amazing story that comes with it.

After having several conversations over the last few weeks with people at various work-sites who are training for these types of events (best luck BTW to a solid group of 1/2 marathoners this weekend, a few first-time marathoners in 2 weeks and an accomplished spartan-racer who is trying to set new records for himself this year), I was once again reminded how closely these stories parallel with the health and safety journey we are all on and how achieving safety and health so often requires the ability to ENDURE. 

Both are working toward a lofty goal: One might be to run 13.1 miles (or more). The other might be to get through a full year (or more) without getting injured.  

Both have moments of doubt: One might be in the midst of a training run when something starts to hurt more than it should and (miles from home) being forced to decide whether it's "just" pain or truly injury. The other might be on a day when something (seemingly out of personal control) just happens and we wonder if it's not all just random or luck.

Both have a common enemy in distraction: One, instead of sticking to the training plan and making incremental improvements, might be tempted to try some new "too good to be true" concept that promises to be more effective than time-tested approaches known to work; or worse, might the result of a decision not respect the limits of the body and have to pay the price for pushing too hard. The other might be in a moment of straying from the fundamentals and instead cutting corners in favor of something that promises a quick-fix; or worse, forgetting, even if only for a second, how dangerous work can be.

And the list goes on...

Safety and health are games of endurance - because the winners are not always the individuals and groups who can move the fastest or do it in the flashiest way, but those who can maintain focus and keep moving forward day in and day out, for years if need be.

If you take the time to speak with someone who was willing to apply consistent effort to a proven approach they will often share (in looking back) that it wasn't as hard as they thought it would be and that they actually enjoyed the effort.  They will tell you, (with a certain humility in knowing the job isn't done)  that there's still room to improve but everyday they get another chance to learn and grow is a good day. They will explain, in their own words, that with consistency, something that seemed almost insurmountable at first, became possible and then doable and then done.....until the next challenge. 

Is "high quality of life" on your priority list? If so, aren't safety and health important prerequisites? 

Is there something you believe you can do every single day to improve your odds of long term success? Is there something (anything!), no matter how small a step it might seem at first, that you know you can stick with?

  

If the answer to any of those questions is yes, I hope you'll start today.  You might just find yourself enjoying the effort and adventure.....and armed with a few more moments in the sun.