Success by Any Measure

I successfully ran my first marathon today, and I feel tremendous about it.  Except perhaps for some general fatigue and the fact my legs are beyond stiff and sore.  But that's the bounty I earned today and I'm even relishing that.

I enjoyed the effort - ok, not all the effort as it was really cold - but that was secondary to how I felt. I learned a number of things about myself this weekend, this summer really, and I'll share them as I'd like to encourage you to reach outside your own comfort zone to get the same insights into yourself.

First off, let me say I'm not a natural runner. You know those lithe people that seem to glide over the ground and don't sweat when moving along - reincarnated gazelles or something like that. Well, I'm not one of those, so running is lots of work for me, as it is for many others.  I have to push for every step.  With that in mind here's a few things I learned today:

1. I can keep pushing myself - through pain, discomfort and even the tedium of long practice runs.  That tells me I can do that in other parts of my life too.
2. I never thought about quitting, in fact there was never a question of it. I took 4hours and 50mins today in 3-6 degrees celsius and I sang out loud through the last 40mins. Doubt trips us up, and while it takes more than a positive attitude to succeed, it's always good to have.
3. I ran with 2 other incredible people for the first 28kms, and we joked and laughed.  Humour and camaraderie and shared suffering help me outside of my head and I've got great memories of our time together today as a result. 
4. I drew energy from the crowds that were positive, supportive and all over.  I was never alone. I 'high-fived' little kids and countless strangers and it meant a huge amount to me that they were there. Never forget your cheering section as they are a powerful motivating force.
5. A running support visit from my wife in the last 1.5kms totally revved me up. I tripled my speed and had energy to spare.  Her conscious effort to come to where I was allowed me to access an energy source I didn't know I had.  Love and support is incredible to help us achieve what we might think is beyond our abilities.

As I sit here at the end of this day, still humming from the work involved and a general glow of accomplishment, I do have to wonder a little.  While I hadn't ever intended to run a marathon, I found it to be a unique test and I'm very glad to have done it.  I understand enough about myself that I was willing to try and fail - to have quit, and thrown in the towel that I couldn't do it. And I did it anyway, aiming for success, but knowing I could reach my own breaking point. The knowledge that it would have been ok to fail was strangely free-ing, it was no longer an option once I had de-fanged it. That is probably the most important thing I learned today on that long straight road.