If you didn’t already know – I ran my first half-marathon the other week.

I cannot say it was an enjoyable jolly jog, but more like a stressfull obstacle course jumping around kids wanting a fist-bump or someones nan trying to feed you an orange segment as you fly by before getting drenched by someones back garden hosepipe.

However – what the hell has that got to do with running a business?

You spend hours putting work in nobody sees

You run for hours every single week, in the rain, in the snow, but all anyone (that doesn’t follow you on Strava) sees is the finish-line picture. For the record – this is mine:

A lot of people only see the glamorous side, the awards, the fancy new bag I treated myself to after hitting a goal but not the late nights fuelled by energy drinks rotting my insides, surrounded by crisp packets.

Kit matters

Your shit laptop/camera/website/social profiles will hold you back just as much as shit trainers will hold you back from a race time you’re proud of.

Invest, invest, invest.

Nobody but you actually cares about the timing

Took you 5 years to build the courage to ditch your old boss and start a company or 6 months to 6 figures?

Nobody but you is actually tied up in how long it takes, 2 hours or 3, you got over the line, it happened, points to everyone, it’s still a success.

Both have ended up in tears

I have been so tired and overworked I have actually made cry running (crunning™) into a sport at one point. But these soon turn to happy tears at a big win, a big break or actually crossing the line without wanting to die.

You will definitely not feel like it each day

Just like your legs are sore, working for yourself isn’t going to be rainbows and joy every bloody day. It’s hard and sometimes I don’t want to leave bed but if you just keep putting one foot in front of the other, you’ll keep everything moving.

It’s fine to ask for help

I have never in my life run with another person, at the same pace, talking. However, a month out I started to panic and enlisted a good friend and PT to write me a plan to help me get over that line without doing it crunning™.

Just like setting up and running my whole business has been completely on my own, burned out, nearly folded the whole thing and then I got help from AD:Venture, a consultant and enlisted some QUALITY design, VA and dev contractors.

I’d probably do it again

Both run a half-marathon and start another business, just not anytime in 2021.