What’s Your Story: Life Is A Marathon Run

What’s Your Story: Life Is A Marathon Run

 

“Like the marathon, life can sometimes be difficult, challenging and present obstacles, however if you believe in your dreams and never ever give up, things will turn out for the best.” – Meb Keflezighi

Marathon 1

I loved to run when I was a teenager. I think it was the one thing I did well. Everything else sucked! I was an average student, skinny, unhappy at home, somewhat shy and I had no girlfriend to give me comfort. So, I ran and ran… and then I ran some more. I became captain of the track team, and I ran so well that I broke the high school record for the half-mile run.

While I excelled at running short distances, I could never manage to win a cross-country race. I came in 2nd or 3rd most of the time, and as captain I led the team to a bronze medal in the state championships. I ran a good quarter mile and a great half-mile, but I was never quite able to reach the same level of excellence during the Fall cross-country season. I believe that it had to do with my attitude during the longer races. I dreaded the long road ahead of me, and as soon as the starter’s gun rang out, my first thought was, “Oh shit, still three miles to go!”

By the second mile marker, I would sense the pull of the finish line. I often ran the last mile very fast, in around 5:10, and would pass dozens of other runners. I was like a horse galloping back to the stable! But unfortunately for me, long-distance running requires pacing and stamina; sprinting that last mile never seemed to get me into first place.

This past week, Meb Keflezighi, age 39, became the oldest winner of the Boston Marathon in 84 years. He bested over 36,000 runners and ran his personal best: 26 miles in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 37 seconds. His surprising victory was especially powerful this year: not only was Meb the first American to win in 31 years, this was also the first Boston Marathon since the 2013 bombing that killed three people, wounded 264, and tore into an honored city tradition over 100 years old.

Meb Keflezighi is an Olympic silver medalist and winner of the New York City Marathon. But just three years ago he was widely considered to be on the downward slope of his marathon career. He had lost his Nike sponsorship and his best running days appeared to be behind him. During the 2014 Boston Marathon, Meb competed against some of the fastest marathon runners on the planet. At the 20-mile mark, he fought off a stomach ailment and was still able to power through the next six miles. Towards the end of the race he passed some of the elite women who had started before the men, many exhausted and in pain, and they cheered him on. He crossed the finish line to the deafening roar of thousands of fans chanting “USA, USA!”

Meb certainly seems to have the right attitude for marathon running. When asked what advice he would give to runners just starting out, he simply said “take one mile at a time.”

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. In the course of my life, I am well into the run. I wonder how the rest of the race will go. Like Meb Keflezeghi, I have my physical pains, my life scars, and perhaps some regret that I could have run a better race up to this point. But I am still in the race. It isn’t over yet. I still feel a bit like that horse galloping back to the stable. But now I run with a bit more patience and wisdom, along with considerably more compassion for my fellow runners, cheering them on as they go.

So, how are you doing in life’s marathon? What mile are you on? Is anyone cheering you on? Are you in an, “Oh shit, still _x_ miles to go!” frame of mind? Maybe that’s how many of us run the race of our lives. I hope at some point though, you can get your momentum back and run part of life’s race like a horse galloping back to the stable, taking one mile at a time.

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