Photo by Kevin Nelson
Have you ever run a marathon? What about a smaller race like a half-marathon, a 10K or a 5K? If you haven’t, consider trying – there’s nothing quite like it.
Except, there is – LIFE . Marathons are at the same time unique and very similar to different moments we experience throughout our existence. No wonder, it is used as a metaphor quite often:
“Life is like marathon. It’s full of ups and downs that take your breath away.” – Unknown
“Marathons are like having kids. Sometimes you’re not sure why you signed up for it… then in a moment it all becomes apparent.” – Unknown
“Business is a marathon and most of society thinks it’s a sprint.” – Gary Vaynerchuk
There are a lot of wonderful episodes that happen during these 26.2 miles. However, for me, like for everybody else, the best moment is crossing the FINISH line. There are only a few things in this world that give you the same exhilarating feeling. One of them is achieving an important goal and succeeding in life.
I started running races in 2012 when my online “boyfriend” introduced me to this experience. He insisted that it was incredible and I should try it. The relationship was far from being smooth, and, almost desperately hoping to restore the dying flame of it, I decided to take advice and start training.
The idea to actually enroll into a race came later. First, it was a 10K, then a half-marathon and finally a full one. To say that my first marathon was hard is to say nothing. It was raining, cold and windy, and I was limping almost the whole way. My left foot had been injured due to increased intensity of the training. If you think that bad experience became my last one, you are wrong. It was only the beginning! Every next one was better and better, and finally, the addiction started.
So, what lessons can we draw from running marathons or other big races? And how is it similar to achieving goals and succeeding in life?
Preparation Is Everything
Nothing has ever been achieved in life without thorough preparation. Mark Twain once said: “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech”. If you want good results, preparation is your “everything”. You can try to run a marathon without any training, of course. The result will be sad – whether you get injured halfway through and are forced to stop running, or you might finish it but damage your joints and muscles forever. Sometimes, people don’t even see the harm to their body right away. It comes later.
Every marathon requires at least 4 months of training. Every success in life requires good preparation – a lot of learning, hard work and commitment.
Learn from Experts
Knowledge and information has always given people power. In sport, as well as in life, success often depends on the amount of skill and information that we possess. If we start training for a marathon without learning best techniques, ways of improving the form, what shoes to choose, how to taper – we risk getting injured and dropping out of a training or a marathon. If we start a business, a project or set off on a journey to achieve our goal without learning as much as possible about the field, we’re building a sure way to failure.
There are a lot of articles that contain advice from the experts on how to prepare for a race in the best way. Maybe, your friends had such experience and are eager to share it with you. Grab every opportunity to learn! The same goes for success in life. Internet is full of blogs, tutorials and courses that can teach you practically everything. Just turn on your motivation and start learning!
Balance Is Key
Sometimes people get too excited about the race or their passion in life and start giving all their time and effort to it. It can kill their enthusiasm in the long run because of inevitable tiredness and exhaustion of their recourses. When you train for a marathon, the important thing to remember is balance. First of all, we should never increase mileage or speed more than 10% a week. Sometimes we get too caught up in the excitement of our own success and start increasing too much too fast. That’s a huge mistake!
We can say the same about life. Don’t go into extremes; find balance in everything – work, rest, family, hobbies, friends, sport, etc. Giving yourself completely to only one sphere of your life depletes you of energy and deprives you of joy.
Be Flexible About Your Goals
When we run a marathon, sometimes the conditions are not in our favor. It could be a rainy and windy weather or too much sun and heat, sudden health issues or unexpected situations on the route. We should always be ready to change our time goal without getting too frustrated about it. If you plan to finish in 4 hours, make plan B – to finish in 4 h 15 min or 4 hours and a half. Every finisher is a winner because it takes a lot of effort, endurance and strength of character to train and then run 26.2 miles.
If you set goals and make plans for your future, always be flexible and embrace change because life is unpredictable. If you think you are in control, let me surprise you – it’s an illusion! There are very few things we really control in our life and even they can slip out of our hands or circle of influence. If you hang on to your goal or plans too much, changes and failures will crash you. My motto has always been – Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
When it Gets Hard, Think About the Finish Line
When running a marathon, I usually start feeling extremely tired in the middle of the race. This is the time when the excitement is gone, the strength is already exhausted, and all I can think of is:
Photo by Kevin Nelson
“Why am I doing this to myself?” So, what’s the secret, and how to keep going? The answer is simple – think about the finish line. Imagine it, visualize it, remember your previous experience.
No matter how hard it is during the race, when you cross the finish line and they put that medal around your neck, you know why you were doing that to yourself! The feeling of triumph is inimitable!
When life gets hard, when goals seem unapproachable and mountains unmovable, remember – every cloud has silver lining. The sun has not stopped shining; it’s just covered temporarily and will soon get through! Think about the reason you are doing all this. Always keep your goal in front of you and may it be the inspiration on your road to success!
