The marathon is over. I completed the goal, which was to finish. The weather was cool until about two hours into the race. The sun began affecting all of us. For a time, I wondered if I was going to make it. My hamstring started bothering me around mile seventeen. Around mile twenty-three, I had to stop and a nice security guard helped me stretch it out. After that, I walked most of the way until I was within sight of the finish line.
There are a few lessons I’ve learned from this race:
- No matter how well prepared you are, there will be something unexpected that will make you adjust your plans.
- Finishing is an accomplishment. Limping over the finish line is always better than giving up
- In the messy middle is where we grow the most and requires the most of us
- The start is exciting
- The finish is satisfying
- But the messy middle is where most of us give up
I am glad I did it. And I may do it again. But for today, I’ll rest and get ready for an easy practice next week.
