Finally, I cross the finish line, exhausted, but happy. My watch reads 3:59 and some seconds. I finally did it. To go under 4 hours on the mythical distance of the marathon.
But what a disappointment a few minutes later, when I discovered my official time (4:01.03).
I had made a rookie mistake. My watch had an “auto pause” function engaged. Every time I walked to food stations, she would stop. As a result, I lost precious seconds that destroyed my dream.
It was 2018. I went from joy to disappointment.
Photo by Hayley Seibel on Unsplash
On Sunday, I ran my second worst time of my short road marathon career 4:23, and I’m less disappointed. Why?
I have enriched my panel of options to evaluate my performance.
One project follows the other, often with two options. I succeeded, or I failed. And all the positive or negative emotions that go with it.
But each project brings you much more than that.
Learn to create more options for yourself to enjoy each experience.
The day of the Marathon. How did it go?
Race day is a celebration of all your training. So of course, we want to succeed. And I am no exception to the rule.
I gave it my all, but I was short. And I have plenty of lessons to learn from this experience. The most important one, who was certainly the cause of all the other difficulties I encountered. Not to engage in marathon training on a body that is not sufficiently prepared.
You have to get back to a good level of fitness first before you start preparing. It avoids injuries and colds, which are often the reaction of a body that is asked to do too much.
And this Sunday, after my first 33 km which went well, I hit the wall (famous for marathoners) head-on. It’s as if I had no batteries left. So I ended up still running, but very slowly. From 500 meters to 500 meters, telling myself that I would decide what to do in the next 500 meters. It took me slowly to the finish line.
But here are 8 reasons why, despite this performance, I am not disappointed.
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels
I run for more than just the race time. I run for :
- Be in better shape. One of my life goals is to stay in shape as I age. I imagine taking my grandchildren to the pool, riding their bikes with them, and why not go for a run together…How to build a life project?
- Maintain my weight. If you’re like me, you probably know that feeling. Every year, you have a tendency to add pounds. And every time the body registers a new peak, it remembers it and returns to it more easily. Preparing for a race allows me to maintain a weight that I feel comfortable with.
- Live an adventure. The preparation, the meetings, the research on methods, the day of the race. All this constitutes an unforgettable adventure.
- Get out of my comfort zone. The last 9 kilometers put me in physical and mental discomfort. Reaching the end, reinforces my confidence, and makes me discover hidden resources.
- To experience strong emotions. Seeing friends come to encourage me when I wasn’t expecting it. Hearing music I love played by a band on the side of the road, talking to an elderly person who is struggling to finish. All these seemingly insignificant moments are multiplied in intensity on race day.
- To inspire, people around me to engage in projects that push them out of their comfort zone.
- Learn about my body. The pains, the wounds, the food that energizes me, the food that weighs me down. Preparing your body for a physical challenge is a learning experience.
- Spend time with myself. About fifty runs where I had the unique opportunity to be with myself in nature. An experience of meditative and creative solitude where I generate many of my ideas.
Expand your options and get more out of every experience.
There’s more to it than losing or winning. By working on your options, with one simple question, you give yourself dozens of reasons to appreciate your accomplishments more. It’s up to you.
What are the 10 things that Project X brings to my life?
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10 reasons why preparing for a marathon is a meaningful experience
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