November 08, 2024

BY Michael Wardian

I’m a professional marathon and ultramarathon runner. I’ve broken the world record for running seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, and I’ve completed a 3,234-mile run across America. But this? This is the biggest run I’ve completed and it’s been a dream of mine since I was 16.

My mission was to run 2,197 miles of the Appalachian trail from Maine to Georgia in just 50 days to celebrate my 50th birthday and raise money for clean water. Crossing 14 states, I would tackle an elevation change of 464,500 feet. That’s like climbing Mount Everest 16 times.

Many challenges came at me along the trail, including Hurricane Helene forcing me off, and startled bears prompting a scare. I also sacrificed a few toenails, eight pairs of shoes, seven pounds of muscle, and a broken finger. What’s more, I had to be away from my amazing wife and our two sons, the three most important people in my life.

One more challenge? I have a full-time job that I love, working as an international shipping broker overseeing humanitarian food aid cargo, and I wouldn’t be taking time off to do this. That translated into needing to take remote work to the next level. 

Since I’d be working during the run, I wouldn’t be chasing the fastest-known time. But I’d be chasing my biggest fundraising goal yet: helping to build a deep water well in Ethiopia with Christian humanitarian organization World Vision. For over 25 years, I’ve supported World Vision’s humanitarian efforts through my shipping work, helping deliver food to developing countries.

Remote work would help me accomplish these audacious goals, but I had to stay ready to dive back into my regular life at a moment’s notice.?

Here are three lessons I learned along the way about juggling work alongside such an all-encompassing undertaking:

Find your support network

On a big run it’s crucial to make sure you have good people who are willing to support you. For me, that’s my extraordinary colleagues at Potomac Maritime, LLC—who did an incredible job covering for me—and my outstanding crew chief, Sharon. Sharon was my everything on the road: chef, RV driver, hotel booker, medic, Wi-Fi finder, and more. She was my literal left hand (since I broke my finger falling during the run) and I couldn’t have done it without her support.

I started on August 1 in Maine during the busy season of our shipping work. It was hard at the beginning when I was still getting used to churning out huge miles every day. I was also trying to force down 8,000 calories a day and check email as my legs burned. As I got fitter and stronger, I want to say it got easier, but there weren’t any easy times running 40 or sometimes 70 miles a day on the Appalachian Trail while working full time.

When I’d hit a summit and a signal, all of a sudden I’d get 50 texts or emails. I’d queue up the next batch of responses in between cell reception. I had two phones and only used a laptop sparingly. Sometimes I’d stay in a hotel for the sole purpose of reliable internet. 

 

Know when it’s time to take a break

Around day 44, I had to get off the trail for five days to handle one of the biggest jobs my company has ever had. I had to be flexible. With big goals, you can’t put everything in your life on hold. You still have to manage your responsibilities. 

Hurricane Helene came barreling in at the same time work was getting crazy. When it hit, I was only 110 miles from finishing the trail at Springer Mountain in Georgia, but I was forced to shelter off the trail for two days in Franklin, North Carolina. The saddest part was witnessing the affected communities and knowing that the friends we made in the previous towns were suffering. 

In Franklin, we lost cell and internet service. I was working on a big report and found a local hardware store that still had Wi-Fi, so I was able to get the report out to the people who needed it.  

Returning to the run was difficult, since a lot of the national parks and national forest roads were closed. I’d never been on trails that were as rough, rugged, and untamed. The last 68 miles took me 26 straight hours. I finished at 5:18 a.m. on October 1, 60 days after I’d begun.  

My personal mantra was “Do it anyhow” 

There are so many reasons why this shouldn’t have worked out, whether it be from a demanding job or personal limitations. But there’s never going to be the right time, situation, or enough money. You can keep being productive while doing the things you love and helping people along the way. (I’m still working toward hitting my fundraising goal, by the way, if you’re motivated to help.)

When it comes to work-life balance, I learned that the right job is the one that encourages you to run after your dreams. Work can sometimes distract us from the best parts of life, but finding a team of people that can support you both in and out of the office can make all the difference. Finding a work-life harmony that allows you to live your life and accomplish your goals is a sweet spot.   

Thank you to my family, to everyone who donated, to Sharon, and to my team at Potomac Maritime, LLC. We actually had our two best months?of the year for our clients, so I couldn’t be happier with how it worked out. 

Remote work allowed me to accomplish a life-long dream, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that. My next goal? To row across the Atlantic in 2027 while working remotely.

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