On October 26, I will be making a very long run through the Arizona desert. The Javelina Jundred (pronounced “havelina hundred”) is an intense 100-mile race that takes place each October.
What makes this race a “race” is not that one runner competes against a group of other runners. Instead, each runner competes against the clock and with their ability to withstand physical and emotional pain. All participants are given 30 hours to complete the course, so at its core, this race is about finishing not winning.
Training for the race, support of family and friends
For the past year, I have been training for this race. I have worked one-on-one with a trainer. I have run five progressively more challenging races, tracked my food intake, and completed more night-time runs then I can count. I have every detail worked out, from what I will wear as I run through the desert at night to how much food I will consume at each aid station.
Most people don’t realize that ultrarunning is a team sport. When I am in Arizona, I will not be completing this race alone. My family and friends will be nearby supporting me, each playing an instrumental role in my run.
My friend, Jodi, will handle all the logistics. My son, Harrison, will be filming my running and my stops at the aid station and base camp. My son, Jackson Jr., and daughter, Julia, will be working at my base camp, ensuring my pace is neither too fast nor too slow and cooling me off in the 90-degree heat.
My wife, Kathleen, will be the crew chief in charge of everything under the tent. My long-time friend, Dave, will run with me from miles 60 to 80. And, my friend, Barth, will finish the last 20 miles by my side.
Each of my family members and friends who are participating with me at the Javelina Jundred is committed to seeing me complete this long run. Each will be instrumental in helping me achieve my goals. Each will coach me through some of the most intense physical and emotional pain that I will ever experience.
Most people also don’t understand that running 100 miles is not just a physical commitment but also an emotional one. The Javelina Jundred is as much a test of emotional endurance as it is a test of physical endurance. While I am running, I anticipate seeing runners in the throes of emotional intensity. Yet, in spite of the pain, they keep running. Their emotions drive them to achieve their goals.
Achieving our mission at Catholic Charities
What has ultrarunning taught me about leading Catholic Charities? For the past year, we have been exploring how we can better achieve our mission “for the long run.” We are committed to providing high-quality, culturally-sensitive programs for persons who are poor and vulnerable.
Just as my family will be rallying around me at the Javelina Jundred, Catholic Charities’ employees have been rallying around how we engage each other in achieving our organization’s mission. Across departments and programs, Catholic Charities’ employees have identified ways they can work together in the short run to bolster employee engagement in the long run.
At first sight, employee engagement seems like it is about keeping employees happy and satisfied. But what we have learned is that employee engagement is about emotions. Engaged employees make an emotional commitment to the organization in the long run.
Such employees are genuinely mission-driven and care about their work. They will go the extra mile (although I’m not sure I can say as much about myself when I’m in Arizona. I think 100 miles will be enough for me!).
Engaged employees remind me of my fellow runners on this long run. They are willing to endure rough terrain, uncertainty, and self-doubt to accomplish the goal.
Engaged employees also remind me of my family and friends who will be supporting me in this achievement. Just as each member of my family has a defined role in helping me finish this run, so do engaged employees. They each know their roles within the organization and how their work supports the mission.
So, I ask you on October 26, to please keep me and my friends and family in your thoughts and prayers, as we work together to help me accomplish our mission.
Please also keep Catholic Charities in your thoughts and prayers as we work together to boost employee engagement so that we might better meet the needs of persons who are poor and vulnerable in our community.
Jackson Fonder is president and CEO of Catholic Charities Madison.