Hitting The Wall

During the first official day of classes our program director Tony Frost described the MBA experience as "a marathon, not a sprint."  The difference being, of course, that you must pace yourself, have extremely high endurance, be able to draw upon energy reserves, and above all, have the drive and determination to set aside pain and fatigue to finish the race.  For some, the objective is to win the race, whereas for others it is to simply finish.  My esteemed colleague Stephanie Storie noted that the dedication required to achieve academic and career excellence is the same as a runner's dedication to training.  I think that this metaphor resonates for me now more than ever.

We are in the midst of an extremely busy period of the program.  Our course load currently consists of marketing, operations, and information technology.  The volume of readings and cases is the highest we have experienced all year, and we face a multitude of group and individual assignments.  In addition, we are working hard on our Integrated Consulting Projects and New Venture Projects.  Due dates are less than two months away, and many groups feel like they are far behind.  Extracurricular duties add additional demands and obligations for our precious time.  Then, on top of all of this, those of us still without jobs are working hard at sending out resumes, networking with alumni, and conducting interviews, all in an economy that is going down the toilet.

I feel like I am hitting the wall - the point in the race, usually around 18 to 20 miles, when a runner's glycogen runs low and the body must burn stored fat for energy.  Because this is a slower process, the runner experiences extreme fatigue and must dig deep to keep going with nothing left.  It is the moment of truth; when everything is telling you to give up, do you have the constitution, the determination, the cojones to keep going?  OK, this is a dramatic comparison but I think it really captures the feeling I have right now (and I'm sure at least a few of my classmates feel the same way).  So far I have managed to keep up with everything, but there have been times when I've been tempted to say to hell with it, why am I subjecting myself to this punishment? 

Fortunately there is some relief in sight.  Those of us in the May cohort will be soon handing over our clubs and senator duties to the September cohort.  The current module will end in early March, followed by a well-deserved week off.  This will all pass soon.

I am training myself for the real world - for demanding jobs that require long hours and have little tolerance for failure.  This experience will help me to avoid hitting the wall in the future, as I will have raised my endurance higher than ever.  The finish line is within sight and is steadily getting closer.  I just need to keep going.