My brother is sixteen months younger than me but has surpassed me in every aspect of life. I've always had to chase after and keep up with him. So, when he decided to run the Twin Cities Marathon at age thirteen — he would be the youngest runner there — I knew my work was cut out for me. The day he put down his deposit to run 26.2 miles as an eighth grader, I promised myself I would run a marathon before I graduated high school. However, my more short term and reasonable response was to run the 10-mile race. It was quite the accomplishment for the kid who tripped over her own feet in house league soccer, but the satisfaction I gained compared to my brothers on the day of the races didn't even compare. "One day" was all I thought.

Years later, here I am. A senior in high school and training for my first marathon in October 2016. I started with the intentions of simply just keeping up with my brother and trying to match his accomplishments, but the training process has turned into so much more. The lessons I've learned about myself and life, in general, are quite extensive.

I have learned that physical fitness and how you appear on the outside do not always correlate. My body looks no different than before I started training, but I have never been more fit in my life. I have more energy each day. I have found routine in my life and satisfaction in waking up at the same time every day to do the same thing. I have had more time for thinking and more time for myself. I feel good about what I accomplish on my daily run, no matter the distance.

But what I've learned overall, is to find something you love to do and to take it to a level that seems nearly impossible. Then, give it your all.