Inspiration For Your Radio Career From Miles Of Running

There’s always going to be someone more talented than you. That person may be at your station, at the station across town, or somewhere else in the format. That reality shouldn’t discourage you; it should become motivation. Let me explain.

Ten years ago, I wanted to lose weight and stumbled into running. Just like setting career goals, I also made running goals. Times to beat were accompanied by rigorous workouts. For five straight years, I was training for and competing in races year-round, striving to qualify for the Boston Marathon. In the midst of logging over one thousand miles a year, the amount of thoughts that swirled in my brain became endless. With each passing mile, running taught me things I’ll never forget.

RUN THE MILE YOU’RE IN

Run the mile you’re in became my mantra. There are so many factors out of your control when racing (weather, sleep, nutrition) that focusing on the present mile was always super helpful. With that mindset, I began to whittle down race times and got closer to achieving my running goals.

Experience, itself, is a great teacher. Lined up in the corral right behind Olympic runners, I admired their fortitude and presence while waiting for the race to start. During one race, I struggled at mile 9 and watched a speed walker strut right past me. At mile 18 of my last full marathon, I pulled up with two excruciating hamstring muscle cramps …yet still had to run the next 8.2 miles mentally and physically deflated.

Then, in 2016, a routine outpatient surgery accident nearly took my life on the operating table. That’s another story for another time. After recovering, I raced 2 more times before crossing the finish line, unknowingly, one last time. Sadly, through a series of life and health events, I stopped racing and never qualified for Boston.

HERE’S THE TAKEAWAY

Having transferred the lessons learned from running to my radio career, I accepted that there’ll always be someone more qualified, talented, or experienced. Weirdly, that became a blanket of grace and a fire of motivation within. So, in case you need a gentle nudge of inspiration; it doesn’t matter the size of your station or what time of day you’re on the air. Run the mile you’re in.

p.s. Even though I never qualified for Boston, I did lose 40 pounds, ran a 3-hour and 40-minute full marathon (10 minutes away from a Boston qualifying time), and a 1-hour and 31-minute half (that’s a 6:58 mile for 13.1 miles). No regrets.

After spending 25+ years in radio, Todd launched a coaching and consulting business, Beyond615.com, on March 15, 2021. There he strives to help others build confidence so that they can connect on a deeper level. He also serves as the Contemporary Christian Format Editor at AllAccess.com. He and his family live in the (615) area code, aka the heart of the CCM industry