6 Lessons from 26.2 Miles
This past Sunday, after a long and excruciatingly hot summer, 50,000 runners embarked on a journey through the streets of New York City. A journey that consisted of transportation snafus, crowded streets, deafening cheers, and 26.2 harrowing miles that left some 2,000 participants broken hearted as they left the course without that coveted FINISHER medal.
The New York City Marathon is a premier World Marathon Major. The first Sunday of November, year after year, runners flood the concrete jungle to put their long months of training to the test.
Hundreds of miles logged.
Many hours on the foam roller.
Countless gels consumed.
The 2022 TCS New York City Marathon was my first ever marathon. I trained for 18 weeks. I had a plan. I knew when I would wake up, catch my transportation, what I would eat that morning and on the course, how much water to drink, and my paces all dialed in to a T.
Then the wheels came off. Almost immediately.
Bus issues had a large group of runners waiting +2 hours in the record high heat and humidity for a ride to the village. Hundreds missed their start times. Many left without food and water to properly fuel beforehand (myself included).
I thought I was done for.
But such is life, right? We make a plan, the plan falls apart, and the only other options are to make a new plan or give up. And I was not about to let 18 long weeks of training get swept away with the wind. I picked myself up and made the best of a brutal situation that ended up crippling many.
To those who didn’t have the day they wanted - I feel for you.
My first marathon experience taught me more than I could have asked for. While I loved the training, I knew it would be a challenge. Boy was I spot on.
It wasn’t just the seemingly endless running. It was the balancing act. Daily runs, work meetings, relationships being pushed to the side, hard days, easy days, rest days, and so much food in between. All coming together over 4 months to create the beautiful symphony we call training.
Here are 6 lessons I learned preparing for (and running) 26.2 miles:
Get started - the first step, duh. The point here is to step out of your comfort zone. Change your narrative. Let go of the expectations, the wanting to be perfect, the fear of failure. Embrace it all for what it is - learning.
Prepare like a Pro - endurance sports are just that, a game of who can endure. Both mentally and physically. We can easily follow a plan to build our physical fitness. Simple right? We move with intention, eat well, rest and recover. But what about our mental fitness? How are we prepared to handle the curveballs life will (un)expectedly throw at us? Things not going to plan should actually be the plan! It is not the situations that define us, but how we react that tells the true story. Plan out every scenario. Work backwards. Visualize. Do what you need to do to set yourself up for success.
Keep going - know there will be ups and down. Ebbs and flows. Such is life. Prepare for these moments by knowing they’re coming. When it feels easy, know it will get harder. When it feels hard, know it will be worth it. After all it’s just pain, right?
Don’t go out too hot - consistency is key. It's better to show up every day and operate well than take a week off because you burnt out, got hurt, got sick etc. Create the space necessary to listen to your body and head its warnings. Leverage this time to hone in on your self awareness. Accept where you’re at and the gap from there to where you want to be. Understand time under tension is the only way to get there. Take care of yourself along the way.
Drop the comparison - you know, I think that old adage is onto something... Everyone is running their own race. Whether it is a first timer just trying to cross that finish line or a vet chasing down a 2 minute PR, we’re all competing against ourselves. Comparing yourself to anyone else is fundamentally inaccurate because we don’t have enough data to support the assumptions we are making. So drop it and enjoy your journey.
Remember your WHY - Your superpower. We all have a reason as to why we do what we do! Discover yours, own it, and let it be the wind in your sails. I think you’d be pleasantly surprised how far your story can take you (especially when you’re cramping at mile 22 going up 5th Ave…).
Bonus: Smile through it all. Enjoy each moment. We only have so many.