“About halfway done. I’m really struggling — walking more than I want, but I’m going.” This is the voice text I sent to my husband as I approached the halfway point of my first marathon, this past October. At that point, I wasn’t confident I could finish; since about mile 10, I’d been struggling to shift my mindset from I’m not sure I can to I can.
“One step at a time,” he quickly responded. “Pick out something and push past it. Eat something. It’s going to get easier once you get past the lakes. You’ve got it.”
It turns out, I did have it. Five hours and three minutes after starting — and after 18 weeks of training and nearly 80 training runs — I crossed the finish line. Along the way, I learned a ton about myself, about my body’s capabilities, and about the role of willingness in the face of challenges.
Along the way, I learned a ton about myself, about my body’s capabilities, and about the role of willingness in the face of challenges.
As I head into a new year, I’m carrying these lessons and reminders from my marathon experience with me:
1) Accomplishments — big and small — are worth celebrating, even if they don’t come about or turn out quite as you envisioned. In the first week or so after the marathon, I found myself feeling disappointed with my finish time. I had hoped to complete it in under five hours, and those extra three minutes really bummed me out.
Every time someone asked about the experience, I’d downplay the achievement with a reply like, “It was good, but I was slow” or “I walked too much.” It was only after a few people reminded me — each in their own kind way — that finishing a marathon is a big deal that I began shifting my perspective and my response: “I’m proud I did it and can say I’m a marathoner.” In 2025, I want to view more of my efforts and wins as confetti-worthy.
2) Our support systems and communities matter. The encouragement from my husband, daughters, family, friends, colleagues, and fellow runners got me through the toughest moments in training and the race. Their belief in my ability to do this hard thing helped me believe in myself, too.
3) Strategic nutrition can make all the difference. Knowing how to properly fuel my body so I could meet the demands of my training efforts was critical. It took some trial and error, but by race day I had a plan. Though I made a few pivots — why not drink that pickle juice at mile 13?! — largely sticking with what had already worked proved to be key. For me, that’s true when it comes to everyday nutrition as well.
4) Our bodies can be astonishingly resilient. I went from feeling at the halfway point like I might not finish to running my strongest miles over the next hour. I went from hobbling for the first 24 hours after finishing the race to going on a recovery jog four days later. The way our bodies can bounce back after serious physical challenges never ceases to amaze me. They are so much more capable than we often realize.
5) Willingness is essential when pursuing change — or taking on a tough challenge. As Pilar Gerasimo, Experience Life’s founding editor, once wrote: “Willingness … is full of open-minded inquiries, like: … What would happen if I tried this? What would be most helpful now? … Willingness is continually reborn — and it gets smarter and stronger each time around.” I have to remind myself of this whenever doubts creep in; not just during marathon training but in life. It’s about being curious and exploring beyond the excuses.
What have you learned in the past year? Could you apply that newfound wisdom to hurdles you may face in 2025? It’s time to find out.
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