This past weekend, I finished my fourth marathon: the Illinois Marathon in my hometown of Champaign, Illinois. As a 21-year-old college student, I get some crazy stares when I tell people I run marathons and actually enjoy it. Many people who don’t run think about a 26.2-mile race and can only envision pain and misery, but over the last few years of marathon training and racing, I’ve learned that the strength and confidence that come with pushing yourself to new limits outweigh the physical pain. Here are ten things that the marathon has taught me about myself and about life in general:
1. You get out what you put in.
You can’t expect to run a great race with no practice, and when you do log the proper mileage the reward is amazing. There is no such thing as “getting lucky” when it comes to racing a marathon.
2. Not every run is going to be fun and amazing, but the whole experience is worth it.
Like anything else in life, running a marathon requires sacrifice. There are days where the motivation just isn’t there or everything on your body hurts, but every day—good or bad—builds you into a strong athlete ready to take on the greatest running challenge of all.
3. There are some things you literally have no control over; accept it.
My first marathon was 26.2 miles of constant downpour; I spent the whole week before fretting over the weather forecast, wishing with all my might it would change. But when race day came and brought the forecasted steady rain, I had to decide between complaining and letting it affect me or accepting the conditions and toughing it out.
4. Sometimes it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
There are going to be patches that just don’t feel good, but it doesn’t always mean that it’s going to be that way for the rest of the race. Like life in general, there are peaks and valleys, and with a little grit and determination, you can push through to the next peak just around the corner.
5. You can’t compare yourself to other people; you can only compare yourself to the person you were yesterday.
Distance running is a personal journey, and that journey is different for everyone. There will always be runners who are faster or fitter than you, but that's not what matters. What matters is that you are doing what is right for you--and growing as a person in the process.
6. Someone always has it harder than you; be grateful.
Some of my greatest inspiration comes from wheelchair racers and others with a disability who race. These racers overcome challenges that I don’t have to face, often to post significantly faster times than me. Their strength inspires me.
7. It’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey.
When I crossed the finish line of my first marathon, I thought that that paradoxical moment would transform my life. But as I panted for air and felt the ache in my muscles after running for over three hours, I realized that standing there in the chute wasn’t the defining moment; the entire race was. In fact, the entire four months of training collectively transformed me as a runner and as a person, not just that snapshot moment of crossing the finish line.
8. You are so much stronger than you think.
The marathon tests not only your physical strength but also your mental strength. And you learn a lot about yourself and your limits in the process. Everyone has a little voice in their head that tells them they can't, and the best feeling is proving that voice wrong.
9. There is a light at the end of every tunnel.
Even when the finish line seems a million miles away, it’s not. If you just keep putting one foot in front of the other, you'll make it to the end. The same can be said of any tough time in life: there will be an end, and you'll come out alive.
10. Sometimes it doesn’t go like you planned, but just finishing a marathon is a huge accomplishment.
Whether or not you meet your goals, by crossing the finish line you are achieving something great. Most people don't have the dedication to put in the training to make it to the starting line, let alone the finish line. Some people take two hours and others take six, but every marathon finisher conquers the same distance: the infamous 26.2 miles.
