How running a marathon changed my life & why you should find your own "marathon" too!
Fear has two meanings:
Forget everything and run
Face everything and rise
You choose. If you've made it past the title of this post you're either:
Curious about running a marathon
A marathon runner
A family member/friend reading just to be supportive, which is lovely too....
Caught my purposeful use of quotation marks around "marathon" and are curious what I meant
What is your "marathon?"I grew up with the clear belief that I was not an athlete. I'm not sure where that belief emerged from and how it took hold. In reflection, however, a deeper truth bubbled to the surface. It wasn't so much that I was un-athletic, rather my insecurity and anxiety and introversion that influenced my relationship with sports or activities in general. The fear of putting myself out there for others to see me, to really see me, was so frightening that I chose to hide behind the contrived belief that I was un-athletic as a safer way to navigate through my formative years.When I started running/walking in my mid-30s, it was more as a way to relieve stress & have a few moments where no one needed me. More specifically, I longed for a few moments where someone wasn't saying "Mom! Mom! Mom!" or "What are we having for dinner?" It was a few moments of an escape for me.I never even considered training for let alone finishing a marathon. What would I have to draw from over the course of my life to make be think that was possible? Nothing! If someone had suggested that I write a book (and understand what I was writing about) on quantum physics, that would be more believable! As a clinical social worker with a background in psychology and religious studies, that would be a magnificent stretch to even ponder. However, somewhere early in the process, something shifted in me and I started to believe the unbelievable.With each step on my training runs, each day I'd log my miles, each new pair of shoes I'd purchase, each small run I'd participate in and complete, each blister or sore muscle I'd take notice of along the way, my mindset started to shift from there is no way, to what if? What once seemed impossible became possible by my DAILY ritual of participating in the process. The daily ritual of training runs, cross training, and even rest days IS what made the difference in my belief system. The trite bucket list item of "I want to run/complete a marathon" became a reality for me.In the fall of 2006, I ran and completed my first marathon in Detroit. I joined the group of less than 1% of the world's population who has completed this distance. I DID THAT! ME! The:
Un-athletic Me
Picked last in gym class Me
Didn't make "insert sport here" Me
Didn't try out for "insert sport/activity here" Me
I that fall....I completed the first of my 5 full marathons. And while I did not set any momental records or place with any significance that day, I cannot explain the emotions that came pouring out of me as I crossed the finish line that glorious October day.What once seemed ridiculous became a reality and regular activity for me for the next decade. Marathon running has taken me and my husband to many cities in the US (and Berlin in 2014), enabled me to inspire others to train for and complete many marathons on their own, and allowed me the privilege to fundraise & encourage others to do so for a favorite local charity. Had I not started somewhere, and trusting in the process even though I wasn't always certain of the destination, none of that would have happened.And here is the biggest secret I want to share....the marathon itself is NOT the most important part of this story. It isn't the most important message of my story. It is the challenge of the limiting belief: "I am not an athlete" that allowed me to more fully acutalize my human potential. We are more than our beliefs. We are more than our history. We are more than the negative memories/concept of self we bring into our adulthood. We are all so.... much..... more....So what is your marathon? What are you dreaming of doing but allowing fear or self-doubt or limiting beliefs prevent you from taking the next step? What are you waiting for to start? It has been said having a goal without a plan is just a dream. As humans, we have ready-made countless ways to procrastinate: facebook, twitter, insert social media here, sleeping, etc.... Imagine what you could achieve if you started a daily ritual today and committed to a plan for your dream?How do you do this?
Daily ritual (small steps towards your "marathon", daily)
Accountability partner/s- someone/s whom you check in with regularly to support you in your process
Positive messages in your periphery as much as possible (I can do this! messages on your mirror, on your phone, in your wallet, etc.)
Dream of something that seems unattainable and try it anyway! Who cares if you fail! On one's death-bed, I'm certain we may regret the things we did not do rather than the things we tried, even if we failed in our attempts.
Life is a journey worth LIVING. Are you LIVING or merely EXISTING in yours?Would love to hear about your own "marathons" & how you took the "impossible dream" into your reality.Peace........