I was never a runner. Heck, I wasn't even a jogger. In middle school gym class, when it was time to run the mile, many of my classmates moved like gazelles. I, on the other hand, was always at the back of the pack, leisurely strolling and chatting away with the other walkers. 🤷🏻♀️
In young adulthood, as friends of mine headed out on their daily runs, they would invite me to join. "Invigorating!" they would say. "Torture" my mind would counter. I'd decided long ago my body just wasn't designed to pound pavement - and I was 100% good with that.
That is, up until my trip to Chandler, Arizona.
I traveled to Arizona from California with a group of friends that were participating in the Mesa marathon. After months of grueling training, they were ready to conquer the course - and I was happy to cheer them on from the sidelines. 😀
The day before the race, we were gathered at our Air B&B. My friends lit up the conversation with race day strategies. They spoke of monitoring their heart rate for the changing sweet spots, and when to incorporate things like salt tablets and Gu energy, all to maximize their efficiency and avoid hitting the dreaded "wall." I never realized how much went in to running a marathon.
I found it intriguing.
That night over a carbohydrate-heavy pre-marathon pasta meal for them - salad for me as I didn't have a need for extra calories in my tank - my pals were laughing and further bonding while sharing stories of their training trials and tribulations.
Now I had FOMO.
My 'Fear Of Missing Out' creeping in, I was used to. But for something like this? Never before. We're talking about RUNNING - and for 26.2 miles, no less! No way this is going to stick, I thought.
But sure enough, the next day, the previously unthinkable happened. The pre-race buzzing energy of the runners was absolutely electrifying. Their commitment, dedication and determination through the many months of intense training, as they continued to push themselves past where they had been, culminating in this moment.
As the first few notes of the National Anthem are played, the crowd descends into silence. I felt a swell of emotion rise within me. Tears ran down my face as I, too, felt part of something far greater.
"I want to run a marathon" my inner voice said.
Oh boy. 😳
Eight months later I completed the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego, California. I realized that the process of going from a non-runner to finishing a marathon, is one that is really the formula for most anything we want to accomplish. I heard it articulated simply and precisely in a documentary I was watching last week: "It's not usually one big action, but a series of little ones, that eventually get you where you want to go."
I love how social media allows us to celebrate and enjoy the accomplishments and successes of others. I think it's important to remember, however, that we are seeing "where they want to go." The same holds true for celebrities and other people we read about in magazines and online publications. Though certainly some may have more advantages than others, anything that is truly fulfilling and sustainable - from our careers, to our relationships, to our bodies and our emotional well-being - requires the journey of small steps.
Is there something you want to do? Or be? Or have? Keep that top of mind. Spend time each day imagining it as done. See and feel yourself living as though it was true right now. And then remember the power of small steps. 🌟
Click below for Five Minute Fix Meditation #023: The power of small steps 🎉
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