On October 11th, 2016, I ran my first marathon. 26.2 long, fun, exhausting, thrilling, emotional, and intense miles. While running for many hours, I realized a few things. This race was more than just about glory, pride, and athletic accomplishment, but there was also a deep metaphor and a new lesson to be learned with each passing mile. To explain the depth of my new found metaphor for life success, I have broken down my thoughts throughout each mile.
Mile 1: This is good. This is fun.
Mile 2: I am on track for an excellent race.
Mile 3: Wow. There are so many people cheering me on, even some who have been with me from the very start.
Mile 4: I have made a few friends, talked to some other runners, and given out high fives.
Mile 5: Feeling good. I am so glad I signed up for this.
Mile 6: A quick walk through the water stop and a little energy chew and I'll be feeling great again in no time.
Mile 7: My dad is still running along side me, and he is keeping me on pace and smiling.
Mile 8: I see friends ahead wanting me to succeed and screaming my name. I run to them and feel an immediate burst of energy and motivation.
Mile 9: My previous foot injury is starting to flare up, but I am still all smiles.
Mile 10: I'm amazed thinking about how last year I opted for the 10 mile race instead of the full marathon and how far I've come since then.
Mile 11: My family is biking along side me and cheering my name loudly.
Mile 12: A fellow runner cracks a joke and gets me laughing for a little bit.
Mile 13: Running through an area I don't recognize so I take it all in and enjoy seeing a part of the city that is new to my eyes.
Mile 14: I lose some time stretching, but I know it has to be done if I want to make it all the way.
Mile 15: Not a lot of fans. Big hill ahead, and then another, and then another.
Mile 16: Feeling grateful for the woman handing out Jolly Rancher candies or the woman passing out Kleenex. Thank you strangers.
Mile 17: I check my phone and see numerous texts of people waiting to hear when I finish and how it went.
Mile 18: Seeing a few people that had to slow down, stop, or drop out.
Mile 19: Crossing the bridge from Minneapolis to St. Paul (I ran the Twin Cities, MN marathon). A big milestone in this race.
Mile 20: I see more friends who tell me to keep going.
Mile 21: I am starting to hurt, but I know that quitting won't cease my pain.
Mile 22: Officially reached the furthest distance I have ever run in my entire life... and I am still going.
Mile 23: One. step. at. a. time.
Mile 24: I see my extended family, including my aunt who is suffering from cancer. I feel motivated and lucky to have the physical abilities to be able to run a marathon.
Mile 25: I feel motivated when I think of how rewarding the end result will be.
Mile 26: I find one final burst of energy from deep within and give this last mile everything I have left in me.
The last 0.2: Sprinting. Panting. Sweating. Crying. A l m o s t t h e r e....
Finish: I put my arms out all the way, as if I am the very first finisher running through a big banner, but I am not. I am one of thousands of people on this day and millions every year that run a marathon. It is really that special? It's all relative. It was a big deal for me because I completed a task that I had previously considered "impossible." Did I save the world? No. But did it change my life? Yes.
Now for my giant metaphor. Life truly is a marathon, not a sprint.
We start out as kids. Our parents, teachers, and friends are all there right from start cheering us on. We feel good. We feel stress free. We are confident.
Then, we hit some bumps and some hills. We are set back. We feel uncomfortable. We get discouraged. However, we pick ourselves up and keep on trekking along.
We find friends, we lose friends. We keep going.
We push through.
We get knocked down and then get motivated enough to stand back up.
We take each hour, each day, each year one step at time. And if we are lucky, our best friends, family, and even amazing strangers are there cheering us on. We make it. Might our goals and success seem small to some? Yes. Might they seem huge to others? Yes. But it doesn't matter what others think; it was a goal and it was accomplished.
Find your finish line and go the distance.
