5 Tips from My 23.4-Mile Challenge

I recently ran the 3-Way Challenge during the Flying Pig Marathon weekend in Cincinnati. The event was sponsored by Skyline Chili and named after its iconic 3-Way, the Cincinnati signature dish of chili, spaghetti, and cheese. Lots of cheese.

For the Flying Pig Marathon weekend, running the 3-Way Challenge means running a one-miler Friday evening, stacking a 10K race immediately with a 5K race Saturday morning, and then finishing it all off with a half marathon Sunday morning. In all, 3-Way challenge participants run a total of 23.4 miles over the three days. (For those more foolish, the Skyline 4-Way Challenge replaces the half marathon with a full marathon for a total of 36.5 miles!)

I finished the four races, finishing up the challenge in perhaps some of the worst weather I’ve ever been out in. In fact, a few miles into the race, race organizers issued a shelter-in-place order, which nobody, including me, realized until after the race.

There’s a lot of lessons I learned from this challenge that you can apply when you’re studying for the bar exam.

1. Know that you can do hard things.

I typically run a handful of half marathons each year. But I usually don’t add another 10 miles on top of that mileage on the days before. But I’ve run enough races to know that I’ll eventually get through the miles. I also know that I’ve trained appropriately so that I’ll be able to push myself through those last two or three miles. And in the grand scheme of things, I’ve gone through much more in life than just swinging one leg in front of the other.

I’m sure, too, you’ve been through much more in your life that probably makes studying for a two-day test seem like a minor obstacle. You've absolutely done hard things in the past. And doing hard things in the future, like the bar exam, will be nothing new to you.

2. Have a game plan and stick to it.

Going into the Flying Pig Marathon weekend, I had plan. Go hard for the one-mile race. Find a good pace for the 10K. Then treat the 5K as a slow recovery jog. My plan was to not be completely exhausted before the half marathon even started the next day.

I pretty much followed the plan. First, I ran the one-miler with an 8:56 pace, which, for me, is pretty darn good. Then, I slowed down a little bit for the 10K with a 9:32 pace. Then, I forced myself to run the 5K at a 10:52 pace. Yes, there were times when I felt as if I could have picked up the pace along the 3.1-mile course. But I told myself to keep with the plan and preserve some of my energy for the half marathon.

You will also want to have a plan when you take the bar exam, particularly the essay portion of the bar exam.

I usually offer my students two strategies. Ultimately, they need to decide which strategy works best for them. Both strategies begin the same way: READ THE CALLS OF THE QUESTIONS FOR EACH OF THE SIX QUESTIONS FIRST.

Strategy 1: Answer the questions, beginning with the subject that you’re most comfortable with, continue with the next comfortable subject, and so and so until you end with the most difficult subject for you.

Strategy 2: This is opposite of Strategy 1. Instead of beginning with your strongest subject, begin with the subject that you most fear. Then work your way to the next most difficult subject and so on and so on until you end with the easiest subject.

Both strategies have their pros and cons, and you read all of them in my prior blog post, “Making a Game Plan, and Sticking to It.” I encourage you to determine which one works best for you during your bar preparation, and then stick to that strategy—that plan—on the day of the bar exam.

3. Remember that you don’t have to. You get to.

I admit it. There were times during the races when I questioned my decision to run the 3-Way Challenge. But then I reminded myself that I shouldn’t see running as a punishment or a chore. Rather, I should see it as a privilege—that, at age 50, being overweight, and with a bad case of plantar fasciitis, I still have some of my best days of running ahead of me.

As you’re preparing for the bar exam, reframe those hard days of studying as opportunities to work towards something that few individuals have the ability, determination, or motivation to do.

4. Break the work into smaller chunks.

Running a total 23 miles can be a bit mentally draining. But what’s great about the 3-Way Challenge is that those miles are conveniently broken down into smaller chunks—one mile, then 6.2 miles, then 3.1 miles, and finally 13.1 miles. And when I ran the half marathon, I mentally broke down those miles even further. First mile down! Or only single digits of miles remaining! Alrighty, there’s fewer miles remaining than I’ve already run! There’s just a 5K left! Just one mile left!

When doing practice sets of 100 questions, break that exam into smaller chunks. Instead of thinking about a massive test of 100 questions, think of the test as a series of smaller sets of questions. I recommend breaking the test down into groups of 17 or 18 questions, which should take you 30 minutes based on the bar time of 1.8 minutes per question. When doing sets of 100 questions, consider writing “30 minutes” next to Question 17, “60 minutes” next to Question 33, “90 minutes” next to Question 50, and so on. Give yourself time markers where you should be after each 17 questions. That way, you know whether you need to speed up or slow down throughout the exam in smaller adjustments (which is less stressful) rather than finding yourself making that decision until the end (which can be more stressful and taxing on the mind and body).

5. Visualize the end goal when things get tough.

I admit it. Things got tough during the race, especially when the rain was at its worst and I was running through ankle-high standing water. But every time I thought to myself, “Why the heck am I running in this weather,” I kept visualizing myself running through the finishing line, being draped with that finisher’s medal, and relaxing with a foil wrap and a banana. I’ve finished lots of races before, and I know the euphoric sense of accomplishment that comes at the end of the race. So much so that it almost always makes me forget about the journey that I took to get there.

As you’re studying for the bar exam, know that the process is going to be tough. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way around that—but re-read my Point 3 above! However, even though the process of preparing for the bar exam is tough and will challenge you both mentally and physically, know that a law license is waiting for you at the end of this journey. And once you receive that passing score on the bar exam, all the hard work and countless hours spent preparing for the exam will all be just a distant memory.