Activity vs Action by Mark Stone

July 2024. A couple of thoughts surfaced from recent reflections on being a mediocre distance runner. This is the first of these.

In the workplace we talk about the importance of action vs activity. Action is directed by purpose and intent, while activity is merely being busy. Action leads us to outcomes and impact, while activity risks being directionless. But what does this look like in practice?

In running, we call the equivalent of mere activity "junk miles" - running just to bank mileage, without clarity on why. For example: in 2015 I signed up for my first attempt at an ultra, the Gorge Waterfalls 50K in Oregon. My peak month of training for that event I ran 163 miles, and my peak week I ran 54 miles. For an aging, mediocre runner that's a lot, more than I'd run in preparation for any of my prior marathons. Yet I didn't have clear purpose to those miles. I had a vague sense that if I was going to cover 31 miles on race day, then I'd need a lot of training mileage to build stamina, but my thinking wasn't really more sophisticated than that.

Race day came, and I failed, dropping out at Mile 24 feeling both mentally and physically exhausted. Activity, not action, had left me over-trained and under-prepared.

Fast forward 9 years. Last month I completed my 7th 50K (Echo Valley, up in the North Cascades). My peak month of training I covered only 127 miles, and my peak week was only 39 miles. Now, though, I run more intentionally. I run 4 times a week, and each run has a purpose:

  • Treadmill day: I run 3 pairs of intervals, each pair consisting of 30 seconds of high intensity at a 5% incline, and 30 seconds of high intensity flat, with a couple of minutes of ramp up and cool down after each. This builds speed and muscle strength, and helps me prepare for the big elevation gains that ultra running requires.
  • Tempo run: Half the distance of whatever my weekly long run is, starting slow, but completing each mile at a higher heart rate than the previous. This also builds strength, as well as stamina at higher intensity.
  • Shakeout run: Slow, easy 4 mile run the day before my long run, just to loosen up the muscles and get the blood flowing. This kind of run actually helps reduce the build-up of inflammation.
  • Long run: Build overall stamina, and build hill climbing stamina. At the start of a training cycle my "long" run is 8 miles. At the peak there are several of 20+ miles with more than 2500' of elevation gain, taking at least 4-5 hours to complete.

My training journey has taught me to be mindful of my actions, and to make sure they are anchored to a clear outcome enabling me to have the impact I want on race day.

What if we applied this same mindfulness to work?

Are we in too many "junk" meetings? Do we take on side projects that distract? Does every email or every Slack notification really require quick response? Doing less, and choosing to guide our actions with intention, is the key to focused productivity.

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