I had purposed to share my experience at half the finish line, but events unfolded fast and before I knew it – my team officially completed the so-dubbed walkathon challenge two days after what would have been the half-way point of the journey. Sounds hard to believe but YES – We DID IT in nearly half the time! Well, some team members put in more effort that others make us finish second just a day after the winning team crossed the finish line.
An early finish sounds like a good reward, right? I am not too sure about that because all along my mind had been set to do about 80 days of constant pushing. To be declared done at day 42 was a little confusing. But I will not hide the sigh of relief that came with the realization that I no longer had to meet a daily target or super exceed it in the spirit of team effort. If you read part one of this chronology series, then you know that at the time of sharing it I was at day 21 of the challenge. Hence you can imagine how fast the clock moved in subsequent days leading to the half time which was day 40. I can tell you for sure that in the last days towards the 40th, I had worked nearly triple as hard to exceed the pronounced individual daily target. And if you think I outdid myself, you are wrong – because within the team were individuals who over outdid themselves to constantly record up to seven times the required daily target. Friends, things were that tough! The race that was supposed to be all fun as we kept fit was slowly turning into the bittersweet challenge where the focus now seemed to be nothing else other than winning.
Hence, having ‘sacrificed the daily personal fitness mark’ to wreck in extra points just for the team, I was more than overjoyed when news broke that we had hit the challenge finish line at day 42. Our team was home and dry, and individuals could now continue to pace daily for the fun and health of it as the rest of the contesting teams continued to battle it out to reach the finish line. It has been about three days since my team called it a wrap. And lie not, I have not done a single step with the objective to record at the back of my mind. I soo needed this break! A part of me couldn’t help but enjoy the beauty of finishing early, does it always feel this good? If life were to allow us to finish everything early and simply sit back, relax, and enjoy, wouldn’t it be such a beautiful experience worth every sacrifice today to enjoy pressure-free moments tomorrow?
Anyway, before I lose my train of thought, allow me to wrap up on the most useful lesson I learnt through out this experience. It could be a repetition from a previous post – sorry if you don’t enjoy re-reading stuff like me! Seriously, I never take pleasure in re-doing a book unless necessary.
In my walkathon challenge experience, I learnt that enduring tough of times can be rewarding at the end. There were days when I was too busy that I felt I would not have the time to do a single step. But my conscious would never allow me to skip a day. I would think about the team and the fact that I signed up knowing too well that I had to commit to at least meet the set daily target. In the last week leading to our early finish, the daily target more than doubled technically – so in essence, you were not doing too well if all you achieved was the daily target. You had to shoot higher and aim for the stars. Looking back, I see how the effort paid off eventually.
To keep fit and healthy, I will continue a modified version of fitness walking, perhaps not daily but with weekly targets which gives the flexibility to skip some days – something I did not have the luxury to do during the walkathon – unless I was out to intentionally sabotage the team effort. I also learnt that you should stick to the team spirit through the thick and thin. Which means no giving up once you decide to work with or in a team. Some instructions or twists along the way might not suit you – but hey, that is the whole point of team effort – blend the good and the bad to achieve a greater purpose – the ultimate price. Or so I think.
As I embark on a wild hunt for the next challenge, here’s to those who are constantly out to tackle and overcome new challenges, your effort will pay off sooner or later.
