World, meet Hung. A pillar Tribe member of November Project Orlando (outfitting Wednesday mornings with lights/yoga mats/exercise gadgets), we are honored to have him carry the Positivity Award this past month and share his story. Thank you, Hung, for showing up! Here we go:
Positivity doesn’t seem to match my personality. I may have a positive outlook but I am more of a defensive pessimist. I prep for obstacles and contingencies while continuing to move forward. (Ask me offline for examples of my just-in-case planning). I am working on being more equanimous — enjoying the highs and embracing the lows but not dwelling on either.
Like many good things in life, I met Allison serendipitously when she showed up one time for a Tues night Track Shack 5k workout. We found common ground with ultramarathons and government work. She handed out handmade circular flyers for the Orlando Fit Project. Not one to join a group of strangers, I recruited a friend to go with me. I prefer a safety-in-numbers approach with new experiences, as when I joined a local animal shelter’s Let the Dogs Out run/walk event! My approach? Just show up, albeit with your posse/entourage!
I didn’t realize at the time I attended my first Orlando Fit that I was joining part of larger “cult.” I was never into yelling and cheering at spectator sports. Yet I find myself bouncing, chanting, hugging strangers and hi-five-ing every Wed morning. When my alarm goes off at 5:35 a.m., I would rather go back to sleep, but thru weekly repetition, a new habit has formed and I get up. I am always happier for going. Having a workout in the middle of the week makes it harder to have an excuse not to go.
However, the 5:45am pre-workout run, hasn’t become a habit because of a hard track workout every Tues night. The once a week, core workout, complements the speedwork I do to train for 5Ks, marathons and 100 milers. Since the workout and theme is different each week, it also challenges my short-term memory. I don’t multi-task well, so instead of counting reps, I move onto the next exercise relative to where everyone else is.
After a couple of sets, the desire to play kicks in — let’s try a triple stacked plank instead of a partner plank, or do the exercise alongside my workout partners instead of taking turns tagging out each other. It is great to see members pause and take in the beauty of the morning sunrise.
Inspired by the time and energy that Allison and Travis put into prepping and leading the workout, I repeatedly offered to help — with supplies and with recruiting more members. I continue to look for ways to give back or pay it forward.
While the workouts directly improve our own physical and mental health, there are 2nd order effects as we spread the word and inspire others. I hope that as the movement grows, we can spin off efforts at community engagement. Volunteering with the Pet Alliance (Humane Society) is a good start. As for myself, I believe the workouts are improving my posture, helped me run my fastest 100 miler and earned me a spot on the top 100 fastest times at that distance for 2016. I have given up on trying to qualify for a spot on the USATF 24 hour national team, but would like hit a top 25 performance for the 24 hour race in 2017. Three years ago, I said to my friends that I would take up triathlons when I stopped getting faster. Maybe it’ll be this year, maybe not. I see November Project helping me extend my longevity in running. Feel free to ask me about training for marathons (I’ve run 143 marathons and 52 ultras), or about my adventures in running 135 miles starting in Death Valley in July or across 180 miles across FL.
I am fascinated by the weak links in our social networks — both as opportunities for serendipity and seeing our interconnectedness by a couple of degrees of separation without going through Kevin Bacon. Do we know some of the same people through one other person or two? Here are a few of my links, tell me where we connect. Work: Arctic Domain Awareness Center, DARPA, Center for Asymmetric Warfare, Freeland (counter wildlife trafficking), US Border Patrol, Space and Naval Warfare, Joint Special Operations Task Force, USAID, University of Liverpool Institute of Infection and Global Health, Swiss Re, Freddie Mac, Ernst&Young, Monitor (Michael Porter), Time Magazine, People, Sports Illustrated. School: Rollins MBA, MIT SB Political Science, Wellesley, Hunter.
In these divisive times, let’s engage each other in a broader conversation. In my running groups, I often say “tell me your issues before I bring up mine” or “tell me something I don’t know about you” rather than what is your next race. I am beginning to think that we have a responsibility for one another. We have more influence on each other than we realize. By being positive influences on each other, the small effects ripple and spiral, changing the world.
I hope writing this encourages all types of personalities to just show up.
Stay connected, keep improving, and, oh yeah, be positive, even if it is just the result of defensive pessimism!
The Tribe is strong. Definitely not slothful.
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