COMMUNITY: The Power of Partners

He was a teammate. The kind of teammate who makes you a better person. He was an amazingly fast distance runner who generously shared his smile.

Some days, we don’t really feel like getting out the door, whether we’re going to work, school, or something we do for fun. We need partners to remind us of what our goals are and what we really want to do, how to spend our time. And we need encouragement to achieve those goals.

I set the goal for myself; nobody else knew. “I am the best masters distance runner in the United States – wiser, faster.” I was nowhere near the best masters distance runner in the United States, or even in my state! Yet, I set the goal. I mumbled it to myself, not really believing it, and I trained hard. As I became faster, I had some successes – fast times (for an old fart!), and even a win or two. Slowly, without realizing it, I started to believe it: was I the best masters distance runner in the United States?

We finished a long run that sunny summer day, well over 20 miles. He and I stood tired-legged next to each other in a circle of runners chatting. He smiled and said to a mutual friend, “you know this guy,” as he pointed to me, “is the best masters distance runner in the world.”

It was awkward at least if not painful to hear. I had given myself permission to be what I had hoped I would be. I had never told him about repeating a similar phrase to myself. In fact, I was somewhat ashamed of even saying it, having been raised to be humble. And yet, here was someone I respected and admired as a human being and as an athlete, telling another person what he saw in me. It didn’t just give me permission to achieve my goal, but it demanded action – the action I aspired to take. His poignant words also affirmed I would achieve my goal.

Later that year, I raced a marathon that held the world age group championships – the Chicago Marathon. I wasn’t the fastest in the world for my age, but I was the 4th fastest in the “old man” group.

We need power partners – people who know us well, see our best, and pull for our success. Without knowing it - or maybe he did because that’s the kind of person he is - my power partner. He makes me better as a runner and a human being. Who are your power partners? Have you explicitly asked them to be your power partner, and asked for exactly what you want their help to achieve?

Go ByCycle is about community. The first C in the CYCLE stands for community. Its intentionally first because it matters the most. Each of us is more likely to Go ByCycle if we have a power partner who motivates us to be our best. Our world is filled with potential power partners. You are a power partner.

Where in your life would you benefit from having a power partner? For whom could you be a power partner? I invite you to ask someone today to be your power partner and be someone else’s power partner.

Go ByCycle!