I ran my first marathon this past weekend.
As they often do, the lessons learned extend far beyond running. Here are some of my favorites:
2x the distance > 2x the work. I thought “The marathon won’t be too bad, it’ll be 2x as hard as the half.” I was wrong. When I started approaching my body’s limit, each incremental mile was way harder than the previous one.
Uninhibited ambition can be costly. I couldn’t resist the temptation to run faster on race day than I had ever practiced in training. It caught up to me by the last 6 miles (vis a vis lots of cramping). It was a humbling reminder from my body that being ambitious without sufficient preparation is often unwise.
Deserved rest after hard work is so satisfying. One of my favorite parts of training was the day after a long run when I could just take care of myself. Hot tubs, bagels, massages without any guilt. Pushing yourself to the limit, and then taking deserved time off, is a really great feeling.
Individual achievements are almost always a team effort. On the face of it, it was me running the race but there were so many people involved behind the scenes to support my goal. Most of all was Shivantika, who gave up several weekends of us spending time together so that I could prepare for the race.
Finally, and most importantly, the marathon reminded me that our answers lie in love and community. At a time when the world feels as divisive as ever, the race was an example of what’s possible when we lead with love. The way people came together to cheer and support with nothing to gain for themselves was special. At mile 19, I remember calling a friend to tell them that I was having severe leg cramps. One of the other runners overheard me and told me I needed salt. She immediately offered two of her few remaining salt pills and it gave me what I needed to finish the race. Thank you, salt angel.
It was a special day.
I’m too sore to think about another race for a while, but I’m full of gratitude for my body, community, and lessons learned.
It was an incredible life changing experience I’m sure. The magnitude of your accomplishment cannot be underestimated. Your learnings go beyond just the physical. And crediting others is so much you!