In March 2014, I ran my first marathon. I followed a structured training plan for four months, and by the end, I felt nervous but ready. Three weeks before race day, I completed 30K at a pace of 5:20/Km, feeling great. But on marathon day, we had an unexpectedly strong heat in mid-March in Barcelona. I tried to maintain my original pace. This was a big mistake. By 40K, I was near burnout. Why? Because I was pushing at an unsustainable pace, one I couldn’t hold for 42K.
This personal experience shows what often happens in project teams. During crunch times—major releases or special events—teams might be asked to go the extra mile, and that’s okay occasionally. But the team will burn out if that extra effort becomes the norm for extended periods.
One of the twelve Agile principles reminds us:
“The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.”
Sustainability is key to long-term success both in marathons and in projects.
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