All Heroes Need Pacemakers.
“41 world-class athletes agreed to come and support me on this journey.” Eliud Kipchoge
So, who is Kipchoge? And why should we care?
He is a world Champion. He is the world’s best marathoner. Also, he broke a world record and said no man is limited.
Eliud Kipchoge ran a 42km Marathon on October 12th, 2019 in an attempt to break the 2-hour marathon barrier. He did it. And the world celebrated. He got my attention too, especially with the concept of pacemakers. I mean, Kipchoge had a team of 41 Pacemakers.
Their role?
Their role was to shield Kipchoge from the wind and ensure he maintains the right pace throughout the marathon. He didn’t have to think about the energy he had to use or how fast he needed to go. His pacemakers were doing that. His pacemakers ensured he wasn’t distracted. Wow!
But who were they?
The 41 pacemakers were all elite athletes, world champions whose sole purpose what to propel this one man to break new ground.
Think about that for a while.
commitment
Challenge
Support
Encouragement
Selflessness
Imagine world-class heroes setting the pace for you; ensuring you do not fall off track. Ensuring you succeed.
How I would love that. Wouldn’t you?
Here are a few things I believe you should look out for when identifying your pacemakers. Yes, let us take this matter in our hands even though Ineos set up Kichoge’s team.
Do they love you?
This is key. Some of Kipchoge’s pacemakers were guys he trained with on his home team in Kenya. They loved him enough to be on his team, some even did more than one round in the rotations because, “we understand him and his needs” they said.
Are they proud of you?
What I actually want to say is, do they find you inspirational? Are you a badass or rockstar or superhero in their eyes? I listened to some of Kipchoge’s pacemakers and oh wow. They were in awe of him. One even said, “Kipchoge is so cool and in charge and majestic” okay maybe not in those exact words but you get it. Consider people who make you feel so much more than you believe you are. We need encouragement and praise in this “tough” world.
Do they challenge you?
The training process leading up to the marathon was rigorous and Kipchoge says the guys challenged him to keep up, they stretched him. They were good for him.
And the Bonus, Kipchoge had a coach.
It is quite romantic actually. Little boy walks up to this runner in his neighborhood because … “I wanted to be like him and run in world championships”. Peter Sang didn’t know the boy but for a couple of months, he handed him routines to improve his running ability. Each time Kipchoge reported back to him and got more routines. Of course, Patrick got interested and took him on fully. It has been 19years and Eliud says, “I have no vocabulary to describe Peter Sang. He is more than a coach, more than a life coach. He means the world….” okay not in those words either but you should see Kipchoge saying that.
Kipchoge had a support system, intentionally built to give him the best chance at succeeding.
Who are your pacemakers?
He is the “world’s greatest Marathoner,” they said.
“I wanted to prove to the world that no man is limited” Kipchoge Said
“Together, we can touch the sky,” I say!
Of course, there are other factors at play, like the years of training that positioned Kipchoge for this important assignment.
Are we working hard to become worthy of the dreams we desire or are we just wishing them into place?
In one of the interviews, Kipchoge says,
“I knew I was going to beat the record when I started the race”.
I believe him.
Sometimes, you just know what you are capable of especially when you have put in the work.
To borrow from the words of Jim Collins in Good to Great, Kipchoge’s statement “…. had none of the tiresome, irritating blasts of mindless bravado …. it was stated as the recognition of a fact, no more startling than observing that the sky is blue, or the grass is green.”
When you know, you know. The confidence and conviction is so normal and natural because you have done the work.
Let us go do the work. We have a “marathon” to win people!
#getpacemakers
#challengeyourself
#self-discipline
