6 Lessons You Can Learn From A Marathon

For many runners, completing a marathon is the ultimate accomplishment. Many people go from never dreaming that they could run one, to successfully crossing the line. As a below-average runner, I thought that finishing a marathon was a far-off dream. But I did it. And here are a few lessons I learned along the way.

1. Don’t undervalue the long run. I missed some of my speed workouts during my training. However, I ran every long run because it trained my body to be able to handle the hours on the course. For most of us, running 20-plus miles in four or five hours is uncomfortable and unnatural. If I didn’t get as many long runs in as possible during my training, my body wouldn’t have haf the endurance to make it to the end of the race.
    
2. Have a plan. Know how you are going to approach your race before you start, and don’t deviate. I wanted to run with a certain pace-time group, but the pacer did intervals. I didn’t, so he went much faster than I was comfortable going. I ended up having to come up with a plan B at about mile 4, which was frustrating and demoralizing.
    
3. Focus on the mile you are in. In both training runs and the race, don’t think too far ahead. If you are thinking about mile 20 when you’re two miles into your run or race, you will get discouraged quickly. One foot at a time, one mile at a time.
    
4. Focus on the world around you. As runners, we can get caught up in our minds or our feet. Look up, take in the scenery, and breathe in the beauty of the world around you. Savor the experience.
    
5. Talk to the people around you. I finished with a smile on my face because I met someone on the course, and we ran together for the last nine miles, talking and laughing. We cheered on other runners, thanked the volunteers, waved to spectators, and in that two-hour time frame, became best friends.
    
6. Don’t worry about “The Wall”. I refused to believe in the wall, and I didn’t hit it. Many people say that they hit the wall at the mile they went up to in their training. I made sure to hydrate and nourish appropriately, and I hurdled the wall instead.

Finishing a marathon is a miracle for many of us below-average runners. Decide to enjoy the feeling, and know that you can draw on that pride for the rest of your life. Challenge yourself to complete an amazing task, and prove to yourself that you can do anything. I did it, and you can, too!