by Ryan McKeen
This is the first of several posts on what I’ve learned about law through running.
The first and most important lesson is that someone starting out in law needs a sherpa.
Before I ran, I used to scoff at running books on the shelf. I thought who needs a book on running? It’s just a matter of moving your feet. This was when I’d run 5ks. My usual MO was to sign up for a spring race. Train by running as fast as I could. Get injured. Run the race. Then not run again for a year.
Late last spring, I decided to train for a 5K. I downloaded the Couch to 5K app for my iPod Touch. I loved it. It balanced running and walking. It preached gradual build ups and had a set program of when I should rest and when I should run.
A strange thing happened as I prepared for my 5k. I felt great. I wasn’t injured and I was looking forward to running. So much so that I toyed with the idea of signing up for the Hartford Half Marathon.
Then one day at Barnes and Noble, I found my running sherpa otherwise known as Jeff Galloway. I bought his book on running and I followed it all the way to the finish line.
I learned from Galloway (a Wesleyan grad) how to train injury free. Everything from how much to run, how to run, when to rest, what to think about while running and nutrition.
Starting out in the legal field is a lot like heading to the starting line of a marathon. It’s hard.
The learning curve in a lawyer’s first year of practice is very high.
Young lawyers need sherpas.
If you’re an associate in a firm then you need to seek out mentorship. If you’re going solo out of law school you need to seek out mentorship from other lawyers.
Lawyers like runners are usually very helpful and eager to teach.
If you’re starting out consider getting involved in your local bar association. Also consider checking out Solo Practice University.
Getting guidance from attorneys who have some miles on their shoes is vital to succeeding in the practice of law.
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A little aside. One day I’m talking with Bill Leone a partner at Leone, Throwe, Teller & Nagle about running. He was asking me about what I was doing to train for the Half Marathon. I told him I was following Jeff Galloway’s book. Bill smiles and says, “Jeff and I were classmates at Wesleyan.” A literal intersection of running and legal mentorship.