I did a blind folded marathon a month back. The format was to pair with a buddy, run 5km blindfolded and run remaining with the buddy blindfolded. Total 10 kms.
We thought a couple of practice sessions will be good. It should help us synchronize. We started the very first practice session and in 100 meters of run, we decided to hold hands and guide each other while running. 🙂
Let me confess, the overall experience (practice and actual run) was awesome. I and Andy knew each other for a couple of years as we played badminton together. Andy brings his astute sense of humor and his grit along. We were a good team on the court and will not accept defeat easily. He doesn’t hesitate to experiment and no wonder we partnered for this run.
Few amazing learnings I specifically wanted to share. Take a moment to read and re-read. I am holding them close to my heart forever.
– Learn to trust entirely – With my eyes closed and Andy’s open, logically it made sense that I keep full trust on him. It was difficult! Those who don’t believe, try running blindfolded with a partner.
– I compete with myself. I am not tracking who are ahead me. Neither I’m interested in knowing who are behind.
– My goal is to complete the run. Doesn’t matter how much time it takes. I am in it to experience.
– No direction is wrong. Imagine running on the very large ground. Running blindfolded was similar experience.
– Learn to let go fear. There were times when we ran independently with eyes closed. I will drift to either sides but that’s ok. As long as Andy remembers to run with me, I am safe! 🙂
– Don’t magnify issues. The smaller uneven surface on the road, can be run over. The more instructions I give to Andy, the more cautious he becomes. On the contrary, no instruction in case of insignificant unevenness, Andy was swiftly running over them. He wasn’t even realizing!
– Be someone’s eyes. With somebody dependent on you, can you be their eyes? How effectively can I do this job?
The humbling experience was humbling because of these learnings. _/\_
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