22 May It’s a Marathon. Not a Sprint.
Three years ago, I decided to get serious about making healthy lifestyle changes. I started running with a friend’s support, and now it seems running and lawn care is all I do. After participating in several races, I felt inspired to take my passion to the next level. I wanted to run the Chicago Marathon.
At first it felt crazy. Could I run for four and a half hours? A whole 26.2 miles?
With the marathon only three weeks away, I decided to take a chance. If 45,000 other people could run this race, so could I.
Thank goodness my friends were there to stop me. They told me to slow down and make a plan. They helped me realize how crazy and unrealistic the idea of training for a marathon – all in three weeks – was.
I was in good shape, but running a marathon was not something I could accomplish without proper training. It just wasn’t feasible. The odds of me not finishing or injuring myself far outweighed the chances of my success.
As a landscape company owner, I couldn’t help myself from comparing my unrealistic marathon plans to client expectations in lawn care. Almost every year, about the same time, my phone starts ringing asking for lawn care. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I hear: “My lawn doesn’t look as good as my neighbors. I have a party in three weeks. Can you help?”
These calls always set me on edge. I get anxious and even lose a little sleep over them.
Anyone can provide a client a fast fix by rolling out sod to cover their entire lawn, but it is only an expensive, temporary patch. (To cover a 5,000 square foot lawn it typically costs upwards of $3,000.) A truly healthy lawn that will impress your friends isn’t something I, or any landscaping company, can provide in three weeks. I want to fix every lawn, but I need time to do the job right.
The Chicago Marathon is a little over 5 months away, and as I begin my training, I want to challenge you to start treating your lawn care as a marathon not a sprint. I intend to spend the next five months conditioning my body for the October run. As a lawn owner, you can start conditioning your lawn to be the envy of the neighborhood too.
Our monthly maintenance plan subscriptions are a great option if you don’t have the time to invest in training your landscape to be the best it can be. But remember, a great lawn takes time. It can take up to a season or more to transform your lawn. These are two of our most popular options:
I hope to see you at the finish line October 8, 2017, and as always if you need a trainer call Sun Valley Landscaping.
Sincerely,
Paul Fraynd, hopefully the next Steve Prefontaine