I must admit I caught up with running very late in my life. I am still a casual runner and for that matter not very health conscious. However nudged and motivated by friends I participated in a local marathon last year for a 5 KM run. Since then I have warmed up to the idea of running most days of the week as possible. With no intention to win a marathon anytime soon the idea was to put a practice in place to run and test yourself in these events.
As I have ran on and off for close to to two years the way you prepare and practice for these runs had lessons for me in my profession the way you run your business or projects. Shared below are conclusions I have drawn
A plan is necessary
Before my first official run I was very much underprepared and was subscribed to a false impression that given my active schedule in and around office a 5 Km distance would be a cake walk. It was not. As is true with delivering any software product or project, planning for it is very important. Given a deadline working backwards to today should help understand what effort you and your team needs to put in. Just as you may need good running shoes you may need resources and infrastructure to be put in place to achieve the goal.
You need to sweat it out
As they say there are no short cuts to success. One must run till the last mile to reach the finish line and its not possible without toiling your way through it. In my professional world building software, there are often multiple ways of meeting the requirements. The one that sustains scrutiny of both the customer and the competitors is when the offering has demonstrated that someone has spent time to think this through. To make something look easy or intuitive needs a lot of hard work behind it.
Pace yourself
When I started running initially and probably what most of us did when they started was sprint. In no time I would get exhausted and give up half way. Of course the right thing is to pace your run so that you can complete it as well as have enough juice in you to maneuver the ups and downs on your path. Successful businesses I believe do the same. Start steady, get comfortable with your core domain and then scale in a way that shows consistent growth. This approach also enables you to absorb the misses and losses that is bound to be part of your business cycle. Burning out too soon will leave you behind or out of business when market is not in your favor.
Enjoy the rewards
Although one should not rest on your laurels it is important to take the victory lap when it comes along. Completing the first 5 KM run served as a huge motivation to do the next one better. It also pushed me to target 10 KM next time. A successful project or a launch should be celebrated with the team. Just as failure teaches you a lot success makes you realize your strengths and set more higher goals.
Be open to learning from your peers
Although running a marathon is not a team sport, I have often found fellow runners encouraging each other. It may be just motivating you to push harder or small tips and tricks on how to get the best mileage out of your run. The best part is it can come to to you from any one irrespective of age, gender or their social status. They go a long way in improving your strength and stamina. Building a successful company is possible only when you have your fellow team mates encourage each other and while each one grows individually. Only if you are open to learning best practices or skills from your peers irrespective of their designation and the role they play will you succeed as a company. Re-skilling from your fellow employees not only benefits the company but enhances your profile.
Probably none of this is new or something unheard off. However just experiencing it, reinforces the belief in these simple traits and its benefits.
Happy running!
jorahulsblog 
Very well written! Makes sense!