Running a Marathon Isn’t a Singular Activity
A big goal requires showing up every day until it’s done.
In November 2020, the year that will go down in history as one of the most eventful — and not just for Covid-19 — I signed up for a marathon. It will be my first ever. Taking place in September 2021 (on my birthday, in fact), it gave me about 10 months to prepare.
When I first made the decision, I was thinking of only one thing: the marathon itself. The big day. Running 26.2 miles.
I felt excited. I saw myself at the finish line. I thought about the achievement. “This is going to be amazing!”
I don’t want to ruin anything for you, but that excitement doesn’t last forever. (That first run where you suddenly need a comfort break and you’re far from home will be an eye-opening experience.)
There are three main phases that I’ve uncovered so far:
- Excitement
- Doubt, trepidation
- Anticipation, determination
The start of the journey
My first step was researching how to train. It was, of course, present in my mind that I would be training over those 10 months. And in truth, that was another reason I wanted to run it: I have never in my life…
