"Project Ironman." How to prepare for the "Iron Man" for 500 hours, using the skills of PM
Hi, Habr. With you, Vladimir Razuvaev. At Softline, I manage the business consulting department and I dedicate almost all my free time to sports. In this post I will tell you about my experience in preparing for Ironman competitions. In the process I was greatly helped by project management skills. Thanks to them, I spread the seemingly unattainable super goal into tasks, found a coach and became a customer and a performer for him, completely reconfigured my life for a future sporting achievement, while not left without a family, but completely failed that part of the training that was associated with the budget. If for you it sounds quite dramatic - I ask for cat.
I'll start a little from afar. A few years ago, I decided to start a healthy lifestyle. Not since Monday or January 1st. One day I was shod to go to work, and straightened with a purple face and terrifying shortness of breath. I imagined how pathetic this scene is from the outside. In the evening of the same day, I bought sneakers and the next morning I went to my first short race. The first six months of the healthy lifestyle were a complete overcoming: I got used to the loads, collected a whole collection of injuries, but after six months I finished in my first marathon. I felt an explosion of emotions, decided to continue the races for the sake of better results, to see the world and meet interesting people - marathons are held in different countries and on different continents, and among the runners there are a lot of really outstanding personalities. But with each new finish, the emotions dulled. I needed a new challenge. A colorful Ironman motivating video came across on YouTube. I reviewed it several times and realized that “Iron Man” is quite suitable as the next personal goal.
')
The next morning, when I “slept” with the thought of the Ironman, my inspiration diminished significantly. I realized what a large-scale goal is in front of me and how meager is the set of tools to achieve it. For more than 10 years of a career in Softline, an equally high goal, the means for achieving which was not quite clear, was put before me only once: within the framework of one large project I had to take control of software development. It was 10 years ago, I was young then, did not attach importance to the specifics of the project and agreed to implement it. And why not take it, because the toolkit of the project manager, as I thought at the time, would give it a ride for the area where you don’t even have basic knowledge. As a result, the project of my fault was almost a fiasco. Thanks to the colleagues who were on time in the background and dealt with this topic with much greater success.
What is it for me? And the fact that the idea with the Ironman could well become a way of rehabilitation for a long-time fakap. I brushed off the dust from the PM Body of Knowledge weighty volume, refreshed a number of very important recommendations from this book and decided to go to the “Ironman project” with the intention this time to do everything right and in addition to sports goals to close the gestalt of 10 years ago.
For one evening, I sketched the project charter, and tried to do it as close as possible to what is written in the “bible of all PMs”. The charter became my main document for the implementation of the “Ironman project”.
The agreement of the improvised charter went smoothly - it was a sin not to agree with himself.
Since before the start of the “Ironman project,” I made a promise not to repeat mistakes, for the next stage - drawing up a work plan - I decided to hire an external contractor. They became an experienced "iron man" - the actual triathlete, who finished in the full Ironman more than 60 times. Whether my instructor also had a background in project management (there are many existing and former "tops" of different companies among triathletes), or there is no other way to achieve good results in a triathlon, but my consultant started the dialogue with the right questions. The first thing the trainer asked me about was, why did I even finish in Iron Man? The answer was his, and we moved on to more specific things.
The external consultant then proceeded to review available resources. He was delighted when he learned that my first Ironman would take place in nine months, and that I was ready to devote enough time to training. Triathletes have a rule of thumb: to fit into the 17 hours set by the Ironman regulations for all three stages of the competition, 500 hours of net training time should be spent preparing for the competitions. Since we have a little less than 300 days at our disposal, these 500 hours can be quite comfortably distributed throughout the entire period; per day will get about two hours of sports. The coach praised my running experience, and recorded two other triathlon disciplines — cycling and swimming — in shortcomings. I never rode a road bike, I swam so-so for my 33 years - I could barely swim across the 25-meter pool. I had to install the pedaling technique and learn how to swim in open water with the involvement of "subcontractors".
Next, the coach proposed a communication plan. We decided on the frequency of contacts and channels of interaction: on high-level issues, it was suggested to use e-mail, for prompt communication - various of the available instant messengers. For example, in messengers, I can send him training reports based on data from Garmin devices, which I have been using for several years. The instructor analyzes the collected information, ensures that I progress according to the schedule, and gives recommendations on what to do if something goes wrong.
The most important for me as a performer is a document - a training card - the coach made up himself. For this, he used the service TrainingPeaks. At first, the plan was formed with rather large strokes. After the trainer first sent me a plan, I saw only four major stages of preparation - the base period, the construction period, the peak form and the pre-competition period. With the start of classes, when the trainer approximately understood what can be expected of me, the plan became overgrown with details, but my consultant still didn’t look too far. Planning a specific set of classes for the week is carried out with a horizon of 7-10 days, and this is normal. Such an approach helps to allocate the resource, which is the main resource in my conditions — time — to specific types of activities with virtually no errors.
The triathlete training plan is a very flexible and “live” thing. My consultant made changes to the plan almost daily, explained what caused them, and coordinated them with me. My work schedule, as well as plans to spend time with my family, also made adjustments to the training process. The control points in the plan were tied to the so-called trial starts or tests, the dates of which could move forward or backward on the timeline, and made it possible to determine with high precision from where and how you can throw off the “extra” minutes and seconds of the distance. Let's say that I fit in with the control time in running and cycling, but I am far behind in terms of swimming. After analyzing the situation in my schedule for a week, one or two “extra” classes in the pool or in open water appear.
When the peak of the form is reached, it is time for final testing. It shows with an accuracy of 90% what kind of result it will be possible to count on if there are no different kinds of incidents and surprises at a distance.
In my case, the distribution of training activity (excluding classes with iron and OFP in the hall) was as follows:
40% - swimming
30% - bicycle
30% - running
And this is how the trainer and I planned out all the activities in preparation for the Ironman as a whole.
Seeing my progress, the coach controls the phases of the project. I, in turn, based on the same parameters, control the work of the coach, who acts as a project manager.
Even “ashore”, before the commencement of commercial relations, the coach raised the question of his possible incompatibility as an external consultant and me as a project customer. This has put me on my guard. But then the instructor explained: if the coach is bad, if the progress in classes under his leadership stops for a long time, even if there is a subjective rejection of the chosen technique by the athlete, the services of such a coach should be immediately denied. A consultant who does not suit the triathlete as a customer may cause the failure of the entire project.
As in IT projects, I would call time in the “Ironman project” one of the main resources. Even at the stage of the formation of the project charter, I understood perfectly well that the time for training is not formed by itself, and that it will need to be taken somewhere. For almost a year, I had to substantially redraw the schedule of my own life and instead of work / life balance, invent work / life / sport balance.
I’ll say right away that under the onslaught of work / life / sport balance, the first meetings were with friends over a beer, long and unnecessary trips to traffic jams and lying on the sofa in front of the TV. For me, triathlon is a hobby with a very high priority, so I don’t regret the fact that there is no such kind of leisure in my life anymore.
Since it is unrealistic to carve out two hours in a row on weekdays, I decided to divide the training time into two fragments. For the first workout, I get up at five in the morning, spend it, have breakfast, check work mail, go to the office or meet with customers or vendors. In the evening I return home, spend the second workout, talk with my family and go to bed. I lay 7-8 hours for sleep - this is the necessary minimum to be able to recover. For the weekend I plan long trainings lasting 3-4 hours.
It is foolish to deny that such a way of life does not conflict with the working schedule at all. Lining happens during long trips - from two days - to business trips, but over time I learned to see this as a special charm: for me, paving the route for an hour of running training in an unfamiliar city is an additional challenge. I try, however, to approach the issue from the position of common sense. Say, there are cities where I enthusiastically plan a route and then gladly run through an hour-long morning workout. But for a business trip to Brazilian São Paulo or to the Colombian capital Bogota (in Latin America, Softline has a powerful business) I’d better ask if you can stay in a hotel with a pool or gym: safety is first.
Softline founder Igor Borovikov is a demanding boss. He was used to having his orders taken to work immediately. It was extremely important to agree on new conditions of communication - in particular, that at a certain time every day I can not pick up the phone immediately and react to letters not within 15 minutes, but, say, an hour and a half. Fortunately, Borovikov himself knows perfectly well what sports and competition preparation are. For all the time I enjoy triathlon, there has not been a single episode when sport in some way prevented the solution of work issues.
I have a wonderful wife and four beautiful sons. I love my family very much, and it was important for me that my homework calmly treated my workouts, let me go to training camps without scandals (although, fortunately, today the situation is successful, and we go to camps for the whole family), when nothing happens (and this, believe me, happens quite often), and they supported me at a distance. They need to be involved. We all go to the competitions together, follow my progress, I organize the participation of sons in IronKids - short races, where they get symbolic gifts for their participation and finish. Yes, all these flights, hotels, events cost money, but for me this money is an investment in my strong family.
At the beginning of preparation for the triathlon, the coach asked if my family supported me in this endeavor. I did not attach any importance to this question, but over time I learned from him: almost half of the triathletes who prepare and participate in Ironman break up their families. These people chose the sport and did not think about involving their households in one way or another. If you intend to conquer the Ironman, do not repeat their mistake.
Perhaps the budget is the part of the project that I failed miserably simply because I could not predict the real costs. As a result, it greatly exceeded the amount fixed in the project charter. The hardest hit afford purchase equipment and equipment. Only a bicycle for triathlon, which differs from a usual road-raiser by a mass of important nuances, and cycle trainers to it for winter training indoors, cost space money. The rest of the expenses — several pairs of running sneakers, a diving suit for swimming in open water, a set of velor forms, a helmet, and other things — looked rather modest against this background. There are triathletes for whom the finish in Ironman is the pinnacle of their sports career. After a successful finish in competitions, they sell equipment and discourage part of the costs, but they still fail to recover the investment by 100%.
The second item of expenditure is the payment for the coach’s services. The services of an award-winning consultant who completely supervised the Ironman project cost me a total of $ 1,000. I also spent about $ 500 on additional classes with swimming and cycling coaches in Moscow.
Now about trips to the competitions themselves. I always try to make it so that the whole family flies with me - this is a worthwhile investment and a good opportunity to spend several days together. When everybody fails to fly, my spouse flies with me. We will not talk about the cost of tickets and hotels - everyone decides for himself whether he needs to fly in business class and live in a five-star hotel. But on what to save just will not work, so it is at the organizational fees. At Ironman competitions, they are rather big and make up $ 500-600. It is also necessary to add on such an unobvious waste as special food during the race, one portion of which costs 150 rubles. Portions for the entire route should be 10-15.
I was saved from a financial catastrophe only by the fact that I gradually pulled out money for versatile preparation for competitions. But on my own experience I was convinced that the Ironman is an extremely expensive event.
Almost a year's work on the “Ironman project” brought results - the route submitted to me the first time. In principle, the “general run” of the distance, which happened a couple of weeks before the official start, has already shown that I have achieved the goals of the project. This fact set me up for combat. I not only finished in 11 hours and 45 minutes - I still had the strength to hang out with other participants after completing the distance, quietly return to the hotel and have dinner with my family. The next day I devoted to passive rest, during which I was able to reflect on the results of the project.
What was unhappy about this was the budget overrun. In classical project management, money is one of the vertices of the “project triangle”. If I had led a regular project and almost doubled the costs, by all the rules of PM, the project should have been considered a failure. At the same time, I do not consider such an “Ironman project”. The fact is that the finish at the Ironman race is cool in principle. Still, the main component of this project - the sporting one - was fully implemented.
The coach was also generally satisfied with the result achieved. At the same time, he analyzed my distance track in Garmin and said that the next time I could go the route faster. So from his point of view, the “Ironman project” cannot be considered closed to me. Everything is just beginning - and this despite the fact that by the current moment I have already finished three times in this prestigious race and plan to do three more times this year.
I have already said that my family was the interested party. Of course, Ironman is a good example of achieving goals for my children, and the spouse also joined and began to run a little. At the very beginning of the training, no one from the family had any idea how to prepare and finish in one of the most difficult day competitions on the planet. However, the spouse and children saw the whole training process and were involved in it. For example, from the very beginning they knew perfectly well that I didn’t swim, and that I could ride a bike except along the paths of the park. Therefore, my possible finish in Ironman through the year was initially perceived by them as a miracle. But gradually they saw what this “miracle” consists of - from the “super goal” laid out in tasks, the strict observance of the training schedule, the pedantic analysis of each session and the search, from where and how you can remove the “extra” minutes and seconds.
Ironman, who at the very beginning scared me with the scale of the task, helped to substantially restructure the way of thinking. Now I know that with the right methodology and with proper implementation, even the most complex project is real - even personal, even professional. The main thing is that such a project contains a reasonable degree of risk. Every time when I, as the head of the department, are being “charged” with an ambitious sales plan for the next financial period, I mentally return a few years ago - by the time I got the idea to go through Ironman. And I begin to think about what opportunities there are for the implementation of the plan - what can I do myself and how can I help my team to make this plan complete. In my opinion, such professional deformation, which occurred under the influence of a personal goal, is definitely worth every drop of sweat, which my Ironman distance is watered on abundantly.
Start
I'll start a little from afar. A few years ago, I decided to start a healthy lifestyle. Not since Monday or January 1st. One day I was shod to go to work, and straightened with a purple face and terrifying shortness of breath. I imagined how pathetic this scene is from the outside. In the evening of the same day, I bought sneakers and the next morning I went to my first short race. The first six months of the healthy lifestyle were a complete overcoming: I got used to the loads, collected a whole collection of injuries, but after six months I finished in my first marathon. I felt an explosion of emotions, decided to continue the races for the sake of better results, to see the world and meet interesting people - marathons are held in different countries and on different continents, and among the runners there are a lot of really outstanding personalities. But with each new finish, the emotions dulled. I needed a new challenge. A colorful Ironman motivating video came across on YouTube. I reviewed it several times and realized that “Iron Man” is quite suitable as the next personal goal.
')
The next morning, when I “slept” with the thought of the Ironman, my inspiration diminished significantly. I realized what a large-scale goal is in front of me and how meager is the set of tools to achieve it. For more than 10 years of a career in Softline, an equally high goal, the means for achieving which was not quite clear, was put before me only once: within the framework of one large project I had to take control of software development. It was 10 years ago, I was young then, did not attach importance to the specifics of the project and agreed to implement it. And why not take it, because the toolkit of the project manager, as I thought at the time, would give it a ride for the area where you don’t even have basic knowledge. As a result, the project of my fault was almost a fiasco. Thanks to the colleagues who were on time in the background and dealt with this topic with much greater success.
What is it for me? And the fact that the idea with the Ironman could well become a way of rehabilitation for a long-time fakap. I brushed off the dust from the PM Body of Knowledge weighty volume, refreshed a number of very important recommendations from this book and decided to go to the “Ironman project” with the intention this time to do everything right and in addition to sports goals to close the gestalt of 10 years ago.
About the charter of the “Ironman project”
For one evening, I sketched the project charter, and tried to do it as close as possible to what is written in the “bible of all PMs”. The charter became my main document for the implementation of the “Ironman project”.
- Rationale for the Ironman project:
- Gain a new meaning of my sports life.
- Prove to yourself that the lesson from the debacle of 10 years ago is learned.
- Gain a new meaning of my sports life.
- Measurable project objectives and relevant success criteria:
- Complete the entire distance in no more than 17 hours.
- Lay all the training in nine months - that is how much remained before the competition, participation in which I outlined.
- End the competition in the condition it is in (not under the drip in the ambulance).
- Complete the entire distance in no more than 17 hours.
- High level requirements:
- To organize the direct involvement of my family in the process of training and recovery.
- Combine work with sports without prejudice to the performance of work tasks.
- To organize the direct involvement of my family in the process of training and recovery.
- Project Assumptions:
- Most likely, on the track of the first Ironman will be significantly warmer than in Moscow during the main phase of preparation for the competition.
- Remote work with a trainer may be ineffective, and I need somewhere to look for a real (not remote) mentor, whose searches can take a long time.
- Most likely, on the track of the first Ironman will be significantly warmer than in Moscow during the main phase of preparation for the competition.
- Project limitations:
- I have to temporarily rebuild my life so as to subordinate its rhythm to the goals of the project.
- Preparation time is nine months with 500 hours of net training time.
- The average amount of training time per day is 2 hours.
- The training budget is 500 thousand rubles, including all overhead costs directly related to the competition.
- Binding to a specific date: the start can not be postponed.
- I have to temporarily rebuild my life so as to subordinate its rhythm to the goals of the project.
- High-level risks:
- Risk of injury that will not allow further training.
- The circumstances of force majeure that may arise on the day of the competition. For example, a strong wind and large waves in open water, because of which the distance can be reduced, a strong wind on the cycle stage, a natural disaster, etc ...
- Risk of injury that will not allow further training.
- Requirements for project approval:
- The distance is less than 17 hours.
- After the finish I do not need medical assistance.
- Preparing for the finish in Ironman took 9 months.
- The distance is less than 17 hours.
The agreement of the improvised charter went smoothly - it was a sin not to agree with himself.
About external consultant
Since before the start of the “Ironman project,” I made a promise not to repeat mistakes, for the next stage - drawing up a work plan - I decided to hire an external contractor. They became an experienced "iron man" - the actual triathlete, who finished in the full Ironman more than 60 times. Whether my instructor also had a background in project management (there are many existing and former "tops" of different companies among triathletes), or there is no other way to achieve good results in a triathlon, but my consultant started the dialogue with the right questions. The first thing the trainer asked me about was, why did I even finish in Iron Man? The answer was his, and we moved on to more specific things.
The external consultant then proceeded to review available resources. He was delighted when he learned that my first Ironman would take place in nine months, and that I was ready to devote enough time to training. Triathletes have a rule of thumb: to fit into the 17 hours set by the Ironman regulations for all three stages of the competition, 500 hours of net training time should be spent preparing for the competitions. Since we have a little less than 300 days at our disposal, these 500 hours can be quite comfortably distributed throughout the entire period; per day will get about two hours of sports. The coach praised my running experience, and recorded two other triathlon disciplines — cycling and swimming — in shortcomings. I never rode a road bike, I swam so-so for my 33 years - I could barely swim across the 25-meter pool. I had to install the pedaling technique and learn how to swim in open water with the involvement of "subcontractors".
Next, the coach proposed a communication plan. We decided on the frequency of contacts and channels of interaction: on high-level issues, it was suggested to use e-mail, for prompt communication - various of the available instant messengers. For example, in messengers, I can send him training reports based on data from Garmin devices, which I have been using for several years. The instructor analyzes the collected information, ensures that I progress according to the schedule, and gives recommendations on what to do if something goes wrong.
The most important for me as a performer is a document - a training card - the coach made up himself. For this, he used the service TrainingPeaks. At first, the plan was formed with rather large strokes. After the trainer first sent me a plan, I saw only four major stages of preparation - the base period, the construction period, the peak form and the pre-competition period. With the start of classes, when the trainer approximately understood what can be expected of me, the plan became overgrown with details, but my consultant still didn’t look too far. Planning a specific set of classes for the week is carried out with a horizon of 7-10 days, and this is normal. Such an approach helps to allocate the resource, which is the main resource in my conditions — time — to specific types of activities with virtually no errors.
The triathlete training plan is a very flexible and “live” thing. My consultant made changes to the plan almost daily, explained what caused them, and coordinated them with me. My work schedule, as well as plans to spend time with my family, also made adjustments to the training process. The control points in the plan were tied to the so-called trial starts or tests, the dates of which could move forward or backward on the timeline, and made it possible to determine with high precision from where and how you can throw off the “extra” minutes and seconds of the distance. Let's say that I fit in with the control time in running and cycling, but I am far behind in terms of swimming. After analyzing the situation in my schedule for a week, one or two “extra” classes in the pool or in open water appear.
When the peak of the form is reached, it is time for final testing. It shows with an accuracy of 90% what kind of result it will be possible to count on if there are no different kinds of incidents and surprises at a distance.
In my case, the distribution of training activity (excluding classes with iron and OFP in the hall) was as follows:
40% - swimming
30% - bicycle
30% - running
And this is how the trainer and I planned out all the activities in preparation for the Ironman as a whole.
Seeing my progress, the coach controls the phases of the project. I, in turn, based on the same parameters, control the work of the coach, who acts as a project manager.
Even “ashore”, before the commencement of commercial relations, the coach raised the question of his possible incompatibility as an external consultant and me as a project customer. This has put me on my guard. But then the instructor explained: if the coach is bad, if the progress in classes under his leadership stops for a long time, even if there is a subjective rejection of the chosen technique by the athlete, the services of such a coach should be immediately denied. A consultant who does not suit the triathlete as a customer may cause the failure of the entire project.
Pro training time
As in IT projects, I would call time in the “Ironman project” one of the main resources. Even at the stage of the formation of the project charter, I understood perfectly well that the time for training is not formed by itself, and that it will need to be taken somewhere. For almost a year, I had to substantially redraw the schedule of my own life and instead of work / life balance, invent work / life / sport balance.
I’ll say right away that under the onslaught of work / life / sport balance, the first meetings were with friends over a beer, long and unnecessary trips to traffic jams and lying on the sofa in front of the TV. For me, triathlon is a hobby with a very high priority, so I don’t regret the fact that there is no such kind of leisure in my life anymore.
Since it is unrealistic to carve out two hours in a row on weekdays, I decided to divide the training time into two fragments. For the first workout, I get up at five in the morning, spend it, have breakfast, check work mail, go to the office or meet with customers or vendors. In the evening I return home, spend the second workout, talk with my family and go to bed. I lay 7-8 hours for sleep - this is the necessary minimum to be able to recover. For the weekend I plan long trainings lasting 3-4 hours.
It is foolish to deny that such a way of life does not conflict with the working schedule at all. Lining happens during long trips - from two days - to business trips, but over time I learned to see this as a special charm: for me, paving the route for an hour of running training in an unfamiliar city is an additional challenge. I try, however, to approach the issue from the position of common sense. Say, there are cities where I enthusiastically plan a route and then gladly run through an hour-long morning workout. But for a business trip to Brazilian São Paulo or to the Colombian capital Bogota (in Latin America, Softline has a powerful business) I’d better ask if you can stay in a hotel with a pool or gym: safety is first.
Softline founder Igor Borovikov is a demanding boss. He was used to having his orders taken to work immediately. It was extremely important to agree on new conditions of communication - in particular, that at a certain time every day I can not pick up the phone immediately and react to letters not within 15 minutes, but, say, an hour and a half. Fortunately, Borovikov himself knows perfectly well what sports and competition preparation are. For all the time I enjoy triathlon, there has not been a single episode when sport in some way prevented the solution of work issues.
About family
I have a wonderful wife and four beautiful sons. I love my family very much, and it was important for me that my homework calmly treated my workouts, let me go to training camps without scandals (although, fortunately, today the situation is successful, and we go to camps for the whole family), when nothing happens (and this, believe me, happens quite often), and they supported me at a distance. They need to be involved. We all go to the competitions together, follow my progress, I organize the participation of sons in IronKids - short races, where they get symbolic gifts for their participation and finish. Yes, all these flights, hotels, events cost money, but for me this money is an investment in my strong family.
At the beginning of preparation for the triathlon, the coach asked if my family supported me in this endeavor. I did not attach any importance to this question, but over time I learned from him: almost half of the triathletes who prepare and participate in Ironman break up their families. These people chose the sport and did not think about involving their households in one way or another. If you intend to conquer the Ironman, do not repeat their mistake.
About money
Perhaps the budget is the part of the project that I failed miserably simply because I could not predict the real costs. As a result, it greatly exceeded the amount fixed in the project charter. The hardest hit afford purchase equipment and equipment. Only a bicycle for triathlon, which differs from a usual road-raiser by a mass of important nuances, and cycle trainers to it for winter training indoors, cost space money. The rest of the expenses — several pairs of running sneakers, a diving suit for swimming in open water, a set of velor forms, a helmet, and other things — looked rather modest against this background. There are triathletes for whom the finish in Ironman is the pinnacle of their sports career. After a successful finish in competitions, they sell equipment and discourage part of the costs, but they still fail to recover the investment by 100%.
The second item of expenditure is the payment for the coach’s services. The services of an award-winning consultant who completely supervised the Ironman project cost me a total of $ 1,000. I also spent about $ 500 on additional classes with swimming and cycling coaches in Moscow.
Now about trips to the competitions themselves. I always try to make it so that the whole family flies with me - this is a worthwhile investment and a good opportunity to spend several days together. When everybody fails to fly, my spouse flies with me. We will not talk about the cost of tickets and hotels - everyone decides for himself whether he needs to fly in business class and live in a five-star hotel. But on what to save just will not work, so it is at the organizational fees. At Ironman competitions, they are rather big and make up $ 500-600. It is also necessary to add on such an unobvious waste as special food during the race, one portion of which costs 150 rubles. Portions for the entire route should be 10-15.
I was saved from a financial catastrophe only by the fact that I gradually pulled out money for versatile preparation for competitions. But on my own experience I was convinced that the Ironman is an extremely expensive event.
About the project results
Almost a year's work on the “Ironman project” brought results - the route submitted to me the first time. In principle, the “general run” of the distance, which happened a couple of weeks before the official start, has already shown that I have achieved the goals of the project. This fact set me up for combat. I not only finished in 11 hours and 45 minutes - I still had the strength to hang out with other participants after completing the distance, quietly return to the hotel and have dinner with my family. The next day I devoted to passive rest, during which I was able to reflect on the results of the project.
What was unhappy about this was the budget overrun. In classical project management, money is one of the vertices of the “project triangle”. If I had led a regular project and almost doubled the costs, by all the rules of PM, the project should have been considered a failure. At the same time, I do not consider such an “Ironman project”. The fact is that the finish at the Ironman race is cool in principle. Still, the main component of this project - the sporting one - was fully implemented.
The coach was also generally satisfied with the result achieved. At the same time, he analyzed my distance track in Garmin and said that the next time I could go the route faster. So from his point of view, the “Ironman project” cannot be considered closed to me. Everything is just beginning - and this despite the fact that by the current moment I have already finished three times in this prestigious race and plan to do three more times this year.
I have already said that my family was the interested party. Of course, Ironman is a good example of achieving goals for my children, and the spouse also joined and began to run a little. At the very beginning of the training, no one from the family had any idea how to prepare and finish in one of the most difficult day competitions on the planet. However, the spouse and children saw the whole training process and were involved in it. For example, from the very beginning they knew perfectly well that I didn’t swim, and that I could ride a bike except along the paths of the park. Therefore, my possible finish in Ironman through the year was initially perceived by them as a miracle. But gradually they saw what this “miracle” consists of - from the “super goal” laid out in tasks, the strict observance of the training schedule, the pedantic analysis of each session and the search, from where and how you can remove the “extra” minutes and seconds.
Ironman, who at the very beginning scared me with the scale of the task, helped to substantially restructure the way of thinking. Now I know that with the right methodology and with proper implementation, even the most complex project is real - even personal, even professional. The main thing is that such a project contains a reasonable degree of risk. Every time when I, as the head of the department, are being “charged” with an ambitious sales plan for the next financial period, I mentally return a few years ago - by the time I got the idea to go through Ironman. And I begin to think about what opportunities there are for the implementation of the plan - what can I do myself and how can I help my team to make this plan complete. In my opinion, such professional deformation, which occurred under the influence of a personal goal, is definitely worth every drop of sweat, which my Ironman distance is watered on abundantly.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/331806/
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