A few years ago, I had what I call "My best time wander year"—when everything went right for me! I met the love of my life, I was doing well at work, and I ran the best times ever, even qualifying for the Boston Marathon which I ran in 2019. And then Covid hit.
I got an injury from running around the same car park, my speed completely dropped, and I faced the worst marathon times of my life. There is a moment in every serious life where there is a fear of not replicating your peak. Because it's impossible to stay at peak performance all the time.
If you're a leader, you've had that moment. When the quarter following the best quarter becomes the worst quarter, or when your Personal Best (PB) turns into your Personal Worst (PW). That's your Kilometer 70.
- Diagnose: Name the breaking point. It's the moment your long-term trajectory is threatened.
- Stability: I didn't catastrophise. I assessed the damage and calculated the cost of stopping marathons when I wasn't performing vs continuing. Stability over bravado.
- Reframe: High performers ask: "What actions can make me bounce back?" I was protecting a narrative of a marathon career.
Will you navigate the valley carefully and get back up the mountain? Or will you call it a day and think the best time is over for you?
Lara Kaplan
Kilometer 70 Blog™
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