Learning from ‘Spirit,’ Soaps and Surveys

There are many ways to learn. Growing up in a family of teachers, I have always known about ‘book learning.’ That was very helpful through college. But in the years since then, I have discovered the value of other types of learning. By making mistakes, for example.

Spirit

The formal education process teaches you not to make mistakes or your test scores or grades will be affected. In the world outside the school, it’s not so simple. No mistakes usually means you’re not trying anything too risky, which means you are missing out on an awful lot. I was thinking about those things last week while watching the movie 'Spirit of the Marathon.’

I ran my first marathon in 1981. Back then you had to register for Grandma’s Marathon the day the entry forms came out, because it filled immediately. I was a senior at Macalester College, but I knew that a marathon was the next step for me after the track season.

That year was a breakthrough year for me. I started as an injured cross country runner, and ended going to NAIA and NCAA Division III track nationals to run the 10,000 meters. I was running high mileage, 100-plus per week, but my longest runs were 18 mile Sunday runs. After my track season was over in late May, I took a short break, then started training again for the marathon. I knew that running a 20-miler was important, so I completed my first one six days before Grandma’s. [Note: I have gone on to lead many marathon training groups, and now recommend that your last long run be three weeks before your marathon. Hey, I was only 21!] My goal was to run six-minute pace for as long as I could, assuming that since my new 10K PR was five minutes/mile that six-minute pace would roll along. Easier said than done.

It turned out to be an unbelievable day for me. It was cool and cloudy, great running weather. I locked in with a group of runners going six-minute pace for the first five miles. Then the group broke up at a water stop, and I found myself running with a co-worker and another first time marathon Lane Wieker. The miles rolled along, and we passed people the rest of the way.

At about twenty mile, we passed eventual women’s winner Lorraine Moeller, running with then-husband Ron Daws. Finally with the finish line in sight, I could see the clock turning over to the next minute. Darn, I thought. I missed my chance to run under 2:30. As I crossed the finish line and saw the clock, I smiled. It had turned to 2:29, not 2:30, and I had completed my first marathon more than six minutes faster than I had hoped for. It took a while longer to realize that I could have easily looked at my own watch to see the time, but had become mesmerized by the finish line. Lane and I had run negative splits, 1:16/1:13, and were officially marathoners!

If I had played it ‘by the book,’ I would have never done my twenty mile training run, never dared to try running six-minute pace, and certainly never tried to pick it up. All these ‘mistakes’ lead to an experience that I will never forget.

That all came rushing back while I was watching ‘Spirit of the Marathon’ in its limited release last week. The producers have added a second date, February 21, and with the packed theaters around town I’m sure they’ll have great word of mouth reviews. If you have ever run or even thought of running a marathon, I recommend the movie. It deftly weaves the stories of marathoners from elites to first timers as they take on the challenge of Chicago Marathon (fortunately in 2005 not last year).

Soaps

Learning can come from unlikely sources as well. Recently, I have become exposed to the world of soap operas. As I understand it, this phenomenon has been going on for some time, but I was blissfully unaware.

Soap operas have their own logic and pace. It might take one week to tell of events that take less than an hour, and dead rarely means gone. Enemies become friends, and vice versa. Alliances are made and broken. Characters are introduced and tossed aside. Actors and actresses are replaceable, sometimes even in mid-scene. Being new to the genre, I was surprised that, as if an understudy were required for a Broadway production, an announcement is made that “Peter Potter is playing the part of John Smith today.” The show must go on!

After gaining my bearings in this strange land, I discovered that there was much I could learn. No one is too good to avoid mistakes, and no one too evil for some type of redemption. Like in ‘real’ life, it is easy to get distracted by false clues. And most important, these writers, actors and actresses work very hard to create their special worlds. They are constantly scrutinized by loyal fans, and are pushed to come up with better and more entertaining product. That sounds like event directing to me.

Surveys

Sometimes to learn, you have to ask questions. We did our first post-event survey following the Frigid 5, and found out that you had plenty to say. More than one-third of all participants filled out a survey, which is a phenomenal rate of return.

We were please to find that 93% were likely or very likely to return next year, 92% would recommend this event to a friend, and 96% were likely or very likely to participate in another TSL event. You like Running Bear, and had mixed reviews on the adhesive bib numbers. [Note: if we try it again, it will be with a different adhesive that doesn’t leave residue on your clothes!]

What really caught our attention were your comments:

• “Every event you sponsor has been a uplifting experience.”
• “I really like that the shirt/hat are optional as I do not need more shirts and hats and would like to reduce entry fees.”
• “I do a fair number of races throughout the year, and the best are ALWAYS those run by TSL! They do an awesome job and I’m excited to participate in more of the runs they organize!”
• “VERY well organized. Loved how the finish line was right by the doors-could watch for other finishers in the warmth!”
• “You guys do a great job as always, very organized and result the same day!!! That’s awesome.”
• “I loved being warm inside the Coliseum.”
• “All in all I had a great time and will come back next year and the year after that. I will try to get some of my running groups to come up also. Thank you for a memorable winter race.”

Wow. Thank you for those kind words. It challenges us to continue to live up to them!

Of course there were a few polite suggestions. We will see if we have any alternatives to the four-loop 10K. We’ll definitely add more music. The fresh paint in the Coliseum should be dry by next year. We’ll see about making the hats longer.

One comment that had me a little baffled was, “Since I am a back-of-the-pack runner, I’m convinced you don’t care about my comments/suggestions.” I thought that was a little odd on a survey that asked for feedback, but I want to assure the writer and everyone else that we do care. Most of the above positive comments were from back-of-the-packers, and we never prioritize the needs of the speedy over the needs of the rest. We are committed to evolving our events to fulfill our mission statement: “Connecting people to their passions through events that enrich life.”

And finally, to the person who wrote: “Would love to organize singles together for this event… put me in charge and I’ll do it!” The survey link from the web site was anonymous, so I don’t know who you are, but I’d love to take you up on your offer! Please send me E-mail and we’ll talk. It could be a way to take our ‘connecting people to passion’ mission to a whole new level!

Your Vote Counts

This is an election year. The campaigning has already reached an early crescendo, so it’s hard to avoid. You’ll be faced with some big choices, and most of you will take that responsibility seriously as you compare candidates and issues.

You may not realize that as a runner or walker, you are making choices that affect your sport every time you ‘vote’ with your entry fees. Do you take the time to study the issues and understand just what your votes mean? Probably not.

The Market Decides
In a true market economy, choice is generally viewed as good, and the wisdom of the market is applied as events come and go. Choice is dependent on informed consumers, and runners and walkers are just beginning to realize the power they wield.

Each time you pay your entry fees, you are making a choice. The question is: are you happy with that choice? As an event director, I want to know. And as an event promoter, I want to build my business around your choices. Below is a primer that may help educate you about your choices, and how you can have a major say in what running and walking events look like.

1. What type of experience are you looking for? You can find events that simply clear the road and point you in one direction, and others that certify the course, provide accurate timing and have volunteers at every turn. Both can be fun, but if you expect accurate times at a fun run, you will be disappointed. Choose the event that meets your needs.
2. How do you want to be treated? When is it okay to be treated like a steer in a cattle drive, and when do you want quicker or more personalized service? Remember, you are a customer and the event is providing a service. If all the procedures are based on what makes the event director’s life easier, remember that you have a choice. Find events that make your life easier.
3. What choices do you want? The Model T days of road racing should be long gone. If you register in advance, you have a right to the shirt size you requested, not whatever happens to be left. You may even want the choice not to pay for a T-shirt, or to choose from a selection of styles. Make sure the event you choose meets your need for choice, or that you are okay with what they offer.
4. What is a reasonable entry fee to pay? Costs continue to rise for event permits and other services. Entry fees tend to follow those increases. Technical shirts cost more and may (or may not) be worth it to you. Timing, food and other amenities all cost money. Are you happy with the value your entry fee provides?
5. Where does the money go? Most of the entry fees goes to pay for the event itself. Most profit (or contribution to charity) is possible due to sponsorship. When an event makes a tie to a non-profit or charity, it should be open about how much ends up with the non-profit. It may be a large amount or small, but you have a right to know, at least in general terms. For some non-profits, the visibility is as important as money, but if a cause is named on an event, most people logically conclude that the cause is receiving the money. If that isn’t the case, the event should fess up.
6. Do you have a voice? Ideally, all events would conduct post-event surveys and find out exactly what you think. Next best is to make it easy to find an E-mail address to follow up with your questions and comments. Worst is an event that disappears the day after, and will not answer questions or follow-up on problems.

TSL Events in 2008 and Beyond
In 2008, The Sporting Life will be initiating a number of changes to make TSL events more interactive and responsive to your needs. The key is that we will be focused on you as a customer, not a transaction. We want your experience at our events to compare favorably with the best customer experience you receive anywhere. We want to make registration easier, and make it a snap for you to track your results from all the events you do. We want your feedback on what you like (and don’t like) about our events.

To help us accomplish these goals, we are embarking on an ambitious effort to recruit more sponsors. That will allow us the funds to make improvements in our events without relying on entry fees. However, we don’t want to become NASCAR events, with logos plastered everywhere. We will ask how you relate to sponsors so we can create partnerships with sponsors that will benefit you and add to your enjoyment of our events, not take anything away.

These changes will gradually roll out, starting with post-event surveys after the Frigid 5. You’ll see some changes to the web site in the next few weeks.

One unfortunate casualty is that the Heart of St Paul event scheduled for Como Lake on February 10 has been cancelled. Planning some of these bigger picture changes pulled us away from our short-term sponsorship goals that would make the HSP financially viable. We made the decision to cancel the race for this year, and determine at a later date if it will return for 2009. That decision will be made with your feedback.

As always, I welcome your thoughts. This works best when we work together. You’ll be given the opportunity to fill out surveys and join ‘think tank’ sessions. You can also just send me E-mail.

Thank you for your support. This is one vote that does make a difference.