Sprints & Marathons: What Project Management & Running Have in Common

Adunola is a project manager in Houston.

  Agile   Lessons Learned  

I have been running casually since I turned 10. I was introduced to marathons in Malaysia as part of a social running club. In the last 10 years, I have completed 17 full-distance marathons, and this annual sport has created quality head space for me to enjoy nature, meditate, strategize and simply “blank out.”

I was inspired by many other running articles, and the discipline it creates in both personal and professional life. I am happy to share my experience and perspective with you.

Continuous Improvement
Like many projects, training for and running a marathon is a considerable endeavor. To run the Houston marathon every January, my training starts in February of the previous year. From February until June, I am primarily maintaining running fitness, which is mostly comfortable. From July until December, I am building new fitness levels that become occasionally uncomfortable.

In project management, my running maintenance can be likened to continuous improvement projects or sustaining efforts. Building new fitness is likened to the start of a new project that involves new features or even a full-blown transformation project. In running, that could mean training to run the Boston Marathon.

The Triple Constraint
My training is tailored to my goals of overall improved performance while staying injury free. This consists of a mix of run types, including …

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