The Unexpected Gift of Being Knocked Down: How Stomach Flu Led to My Running Breakthrough

6:28 min per mile pace.

I stared at my watch, convinced it was broken. This was 30 seconds faster than I had ever run before—my first time breaking the sub-6:30 barrier I had been chasing for months.

Just yesterday, I was barely keeping water down. Four days of stomach flu had left me weak, frustrated, and completely disconnected from my usual routine. Yet here I was, having just achieved something that seemed impossible when I was healthy.

This unexpected breakthrough taught me five profound lessons about overcoming career setbacks, leadership resilience, and the surprising pathways to peak performance—whether you are training for a marathon or navigating a career transition.

Lesson 1: Strategic Rest Builds Peak Performance (Not Burnout)

For four days, my body made the choice for me: complete rest. No negotiations, no "pushing through," no guilt about missing workouts.

We live in a culture that glorifies hustle culture and constant productivity, but my forced recovery revealed something crucial: rest isn't the enemy of career growth—it's often the prerequisite for breakthrough performance.

How This Applies to Your Career Success:

When was the last time you truly rested? Not just took a vacation while checking emails, but genuinely disconnected to allow your mind and body to reset?

Career coaching insight: Sometimes the promotion, creative solution, or business breakthrough you are seeking requires stepping away from the very thing you are trying to improve. Leaders who understand strategic recovery consistently outperform those stuck in burnout cycles.

Lesson 2: Embrace Uncertainty as a Leadership Advantage

Walking into that HIIT class, I had no idea what the instructor had planned. No time to create anxiety, no opportunity to build limiting stories about what I "couldn't" do.

This uncertainty became my competitive advantage. Without preconceived notions about the workout's difficulty, I approached each interval with curiosity rather than fear.

Career Transition Strategy:

How often do you talk yourself out of career opportunities before you even try? That promotion, that presentation, that career pivot—maybe your fear of the unknown is actually protecting you from your own limiting beliefs.

Leadership development tip: The most successful leaders I coach learn to reframe uncertainty from threat to opportunity. Instead of asking "What if I fail?" they ask "What if this is exactly what I need?"

Lesson 3: Your Professional Foundation Is Stronger Than Current Circumstances

Here's what those four days of illness couldn't touch: the thousands of miles I had run over the past several years. The foundation of cardiovascular fitness, mental toughness, and muscle memory that I had built through consistent effort.

Your current circumstances—whether job loss, industry changes, or life chaos—cannot erase the cumulative professional strength you've built over time.

Building Career Resilience:

Every skill you have developed, every relationship you have nurtured, every challenge you have overcome has created a foundation that temporary setbacks cannot demolish.

Professional development insight: When clients come to me feeling like they're "starting over" after a career setback, we always begin by mapping their longitudinal strengths. You're never starting from zero—you're building from an existing foundation of experience and wisdom.

Lesson 4: Sustainable Career Growth Requires Intelligent Progression

Credit to instructor Mariana, who understood something crucial about human performance: you don't go from zero to expert in one leap. She started me at an easy pace, then gradually built intensity with strategic progression.

But here's the key insight: within each level, I chose to push gently upward rather than accepting the minimum. This wasn't about heroic sprints—it was about intelligent, sustained effort within appropriate boundaries.

Strategic Career Planning:

Are you trying to make quantum leaps in your career, or are you committed to consistent, intelligent escalation?

Executive coaching principle: The most successful professionals understand that sustainable career advancement looks like steady improvement over time, not dramatic overnight transformation. This approach prevents burnout while building genuine expertise.

Lesson 5: Great Coaching Accelerates Breakthrough Performance

Mariana had the perfect playlist—energizing dance tracks that kept me moving even when my energy flagged. She structured the class with gradual pace increases that challenged without overwhelming. Her infectious energy and expertise lifted the entire room.

Look at my final pace reading on the screen once I finished the class: infinity —because at that point, my mood and motivation felt limitless.

The Power of Professional Coaching:

Sometimes we need someone who sees our potential when we can't, who creates the right environment for growth, and who knows exactly when to push and when to support.

Leadership coaching insight: The most successful executives invest in coaching not because something's wrong, but because breakthrough performance often requires expert guidance at crucial moments. Just like elite athletes have coaches, peak-performing professionals understand the value of strategic support.

The Career Success Lesson: Setbacks Create Setup for Breakthrough

That 6:28 pace wasn't despite being sick—it was, in part, because of it. The forced rest, the absence of pressure, the lack of overthinking, and yes, the expert guidance all created optimal conditions for breakthrough performance.

Your career setbacks aren't evidence that you're off track—they might be exactly what's needed to prepare you for your next level of success.

Questions for Professional Reflection:

• Where in your career have you been pushing when you actually need strategic rest?

• What opportunity might be hiding behind your current uncertainty?

• What professional foundation have you built that current circumstances can't touch?

• How might your current career setback actually be setting you up for breakthrough success?

• Who could provide the expert guidance and support you need for your next level?

Ready to Transform Your Career Setbacks Into Breakthrough Performance?

Sometimes the fastest way forward in your career is to stop trying so hard to force outcomes and start working strategically with an expert guide.

If you're navigating a career transition, leading through uncertainty, or feeling like you need support to reach your next level of professional success, I specialize in helping leaders and professionals transform setbacks into competitive advantages.

Schedule a strategic consultation to explore how we can accelerate your career breakthrough