The USB

This USB, the one in the picture above, holds all of the ETO session plans, coaching info, certification, routes, risk assessments, terms and conditions etc etc etc that I’ve ever created for Embrace The Outdoors Running Club.

And last week I lost it.

Before I go on, I know the more tech savvy amongst you will be screaming

“USB?!!, why aren’t you using THE CLOUD”

I tried that (twice) and both times my files became corrupted and unusable.

I went back to good old (relatively) fashioned hardware.

I spent 20minutes systematically going through my office whilst pondering where it could have gone.

I’d changed my routine the day before as I got ready to run home. It had to be somewhere, I started to grow frustrated. The potential panic of having to create all of that work from scratch again began to gnaw.

And then the epiphany. It’s not here, I can’t magic it out of nowhere.

I chose to choose how I responded. In stoic terms, I moved on and started planning how to resolve the now missing ETO info.

Hard drive at home, when did I last update it? There must be something useful on there.

Saved folder to laptop, likewise?

Hardcopies used as templates, we’re getting somewhere. That’s most of what I need sorted. All wasn't lost, it rarely is.

How does this relate to running? Particularly as we approach the first race day of 2026 for a good number of ETO’ers, it can be helpful to remember we have a choice of how we respond when things don’t go according to our plan, because races rarely go according to plan.  

We can waste energy getting het up and frustrated, or we can use that energy to plan and make positive decisions to get past obstacles.

It’s always a choice, as to how you respond.

To set you all back off the edge of your seats, I found the USB after turning the house systematically upside down.

Where?

In my work sock, in the wash bin. What a safe place….

Happy running this weekend folks.