13 Life Lessons from Running My First Marathon

I have run nine marathons so far in my life and eachI had no serious problems.
was an amazing experience in itself. However, noneFinally we rounded the bend where you could see
of the marathons I have run compares with thethe city. Now there were more people cheering us
experience of running my first one. It was one ofon. It was great! At mile 23 Marilyn took off ahead
those events in life you never forget. I would like toof us. Lisa and I were slowing down. We did a lot of
share with you that experience and the life lessons Iwalking those two miles. Finally we rounded the
learned from it.corner to the final stretch. By this time both of my
Many years ago I made a list of things I wanted toknees were starting to really hurt. We really had to
accomplish sometime in my life. On my list werepush ourselves now even with the finish line in sight.
things like traveling around the world, getting a pilot'sWe were now at the final stretch. We were in what
license, running a marathon, and visiting the pyramidsthey call the chute where the street is lined with
of Egypt. I put the list away and promptly forgotcrowds of people on both sides. They were cheering
about it.us on. It gave us both such a boost of energy and
A few years ago my wife found my list and waswe stepped up our pace. Then we came to the
surprised to know that I had a desire to run ableachers and saw our four little children cheering us
marathon. She stole my goal, trained for it and ran aon. With a burst of energy we sprinted for the finish,
marathon. I was totally amazed that she actually didholding hands as we crossed it. Then we kissed each
it. In fact, I was so impressed I said to myself, if sheother. Wow! What a great feeling to cross that finish
can do it so can I. And I did.line! How can you possibly describe it?
Running a marathon is no small thing. A marathon isAs we walked on through they put the finisher medal
26.2 miles long or about 44,500 steps. To get a grasparound each of our necks. We really earned them.
of how far that distance really is, I suggest the nextAnd our time? Well, we told ourselves long ago we
time you take a drive in your car to set your tripwould be happy with anything between 4 ½
meter. Watch the miles tick off and when you get toto 5 hours. Based on our training runs I was
26.2 miles think about running that distance. Again, itexpecting closer to 5 hours. Well, we came in at 4
is no small task.hours 29 minutes and 20 seconds. Wow, even better
Running a marathon is a unique experience. It is thethan we had expected. Everything went so well.
only sports competition that I am aware of where13 Life Lessons from Running My First Marathon
the greenest beginner can rub shoulders with andI hope that gives you some idea of what it was like.
compete with the elite athletes of the world. YouFor the full effect you're going to have to run a
don't find that in football, or basketball, or golf or anymarathon yourself. Now, let me share with you 13
other sport. But in a marathon, I was running withlessons I learned from that remarkable experience.
the Kenyans!1. Anyone can run a marathon. I used to have a
To train properly for a marathon you must beginpicture in my mind of what a marathon runner looked
nearly a year in advance. When I began my training Ilike - a wafer thin gazelle-type person from Kenya.
couldn't run two miles. But week after week, monthAfter running my first marathon that image changed
after month, with the training and guidance from mydramatically. I was amazed at the variety of people
sweet wife, we gradually built up our miles. Thisrunning the race. I realized that size doesn't matter. A
means running 2 or 3 miles a day for four days afriend I trained with was nearly twice my weight and
week, resting on Fridays and then running a longerwould consume what seemed like a gallon of
run on Saturday mornings.Gatorade at each water stop and yet he was a
The Saturday morning training runs get longer andmuch faster runner than I was. Age doesn't matter. I
longer. Our final Saturday training run before thecan't tell you how many old ladies passed me during
marathon was 24 miles long. On that training run wethat first marathon. Young, old, large, small, thin, wide,
started at 5:00 a.m. It was pitch dark. On just thatyou name it, they were all running a marathon. It was
run we encountered many deer, a fox, a skunk, aamazing.
mother raccoon and her babies, 2 owls, a rabbit and2. Coming in first doesn't matter. Finishing does. In a
a snake. So after many such training runs totalingmarathon, everyone that crosses the finish line is a
over 800 miles and wearing out a $75 pair of runningwinner and receives a medal. That's good because I
shoes, we were ready for the St. George, Utahcertainly am not a fast runner. Just making it to the
marathon.end is a major accomplishment. I think life is like that.
We are different, in essence, from other men. If youTo be successful you don't have to have the most
want to win something, run 100 meters. If you wantor be the best or the fastest - just make it
to experience something, run a marathon. --Emilgracefully to the end.
Zatopek3. Make it through the trial mile. My wife and I have
I love that quote because it is so true. Running acome to learn that the first mile of each training run
marathon is truly a remarkable experience. I wouldwas always the trial mile. It was the mile you had to
like to give you a small taste of what thatget through before your heart and body warmed up
experience was like for me. This is taken from myand got into its rhythm. Basically you feel lousy during
personal journal.that first mile. But if you can make it through it you
My First Marathon Experience - from my journalalways felt better during the following miles. Some
dated October 1, 1999people never make it through the "trial mile" of
What an awesome day! Lisa and I just ran the St.whatever endeavor they are pursuing. So hang in
George Marathon. It went great. We got up thisthere, it gets better.
morning at 4:00 a.m., ate breakfast and then I4. Don't skip the training. I have run marathons where
shaved and took a shower. We got our running gearI trained well and I have run marathons where I
on and went out the door at 5:00 a.m. We walked toskimped on the training. You are so much better off
the busses at the park. It was still very dark. Wewhen you properly train. The pain and misery and
boarded our bus and rode up to the beginning of theinjuries that occur when you attempt something you
race.haven't trained well for are not worth it. Do the
The bus ride up was long and bumpy and by theproper training.
time we got to the top I really needed to use the5. Cheering really works. We've all been to sporting
restroom. Luckily they had tons of porta-potties andevents and yelled and cheered for our team. I never
I was able to go. That was a huge relief!thought it helped much until I was on the receiving
When they dropped us off it was pretty cold andend during my first marathon. It was amazing how
we were wearing our sweats. There were hugemuch it increased my energy and drive when people
lights lighting the whole area. Thousands of peoplewere cheering me on. We all need cheering from
were there to run the race. They had loud motivatingtime to time in our lives.
music playing. It was an exciting atmosphere with6. We need friends. Good company makes any
everyone visiting and talking about the race. It wasjourney more pleasant.
awesome!7. Don't stop. Sometimes we have a tremendous
To keep people warm they had lit a large number ofurge to quit, to give up, to throw in the towel.
campfires and for a while Lisa and I kept warm thatHaving the ability to overcome those urges and keep
way. But Mother Nature was not to leave me alonegoing makes all the difference in life.
and before long I needed to go again. Now the lines8. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. When I first began
at the porta-potties were very long. Since this timetraining for a marathon I would start off running at a
was not "big business," I just went off into thequick pace. I would do well for a mile or so and then
bushes to go. I found myself surrounded (in the dark)run completely out of gas. My wife had to tell me I
by many other men and women runners doing theneeded to slow down and take it easy. I had to pace
same thing. It was pretty weird. This was somethingmyself. It wasn't easy at first but I soon learned I
I would never in my life imagine me doing and yetcouldn't spend all I had during the first mile or I would
there I was sharing a moment of relief with a bunchnever make it through the other 25.2 miles. In many
of other fellow runners.other areas of life the same rule applies. Pace
Well, before long it was near the time for the raceyourself.
to start. We took off our sweats bottoms and put9. You need a coach. I consider myself a fairly smart
them in a collection bag provided to us so we couldperson and can figure out a lot of things on my own.
get them back later. We met up with some friendsBut in looking back at my training for my first
who wanted to run with us. There was so muchmarathon, I can't imagine doing it without the help of
noise that we could hardly hear the starting gun gomy wife who had the experience of training for and
off, but it did. Soon we were off and running. It wasrunning a marathon herself. It was so great to have
still dark.her lead me and guide me literally every step of the
The others who were going to run with us wereway. Don't be too proud to let others show you the
soon lost in the sea of runners except for Marilyn. Iway.
have to admit that I was a little bugged at first that10. The mind game matters. As much as we like to
she was running with us because I felt she wasthink that success in sports simply requires having a
horning in on Lisa's and my run. But her constantperfectly tuned and trained body, its much more than
talking and conversation turned out to be a blessingthat. It is as much a mind game as a physical game.
as the miles ticked by much quicker than I hadAfter all the physical preparation, much of your
anticipated they would. She was a real blessing insuccess has to do with what goes on in your head.
disguise. She was also very spunky and pushed usAnd let me tell you, after 25 miles of running, some
enough to get us to do better than we had everweird things can go on in there. It's a constant
done before.mental battle that must be fought to succeed.
It was awe-inspiring as it got lighter to see the11. We need mile markers. In life, as well as during a
thousands of runners along the road like a big longmarathon, we need mile markers. During the St.
snake in front of us and behind us for as far as weGeorge marathon every mile was marked by a large
could see.silver mylar balloon. You could see it coming up from
The water stops were every two miles and at eachquite a distance away. If you thought about the
one I usually took one cup of Gatorade and one cupfinish line, it was so far away and seemed impossible
of water and mixed the two and drank it. At someto reach. But if you thought about just making it to
water stops I took bananas to eat. They were cutthe next mile marker, that seemed doable. So the
up into small pieces. At two of the stops I tookimmediate goal was always to just make it to the
some of that goo stuff to eat. I think it all helped.next mile marker. When you passed each one you
What an incredible experience - the whole thing fromfelt a sense of progress and accomplishment. Then
start to finish. The miles ticked off one by one. Veyoyou would set your sights on the next one. In life,
hill came and went. Then the long, gradual hill. At thewe need short-term goals to help us reach our
top of it I wasn't doing so well. I was getting tiredlong-term goals.
and queasy in the stomach. I had a strong urge to12. The more you do something, the better you get
walk. Finally after what seemed like an eternity ofat doing it. Sounds simple enough and it is. Think
uphill we came to long downhills. We needed that. Itabout the first time you did any hard thing such as
was great to see down into the valley where St.playing the piano, typing at the computer, or driving a
George was.car. They were all difficult at first and yet, as time
Along the way there were small groups of peoplewent on and you worked at it every day, it became
cheering us on. There was a helicopter flying loweasier, almost second nature. Just because something
filming us along with a ground camera crew onis hard at first doesn't mean you can't do it. It just
four-wheelers. We tried to look good for themeans you haven't done it enough yet.
cameras.13. Be inspired by others. I had set a goal years ago
Marilyn told us about her previous marriage and herto run a marathon. Nothing ever happened with it
family and her new marriage and her job. My, coulduntil I watched my wife Lisa do it. When I watched
she talk! It was interesting and kept our attention offher come across that finish line I was completely
our misery and pain and helped us pass the time.amazed and inspired and decided right then that I
At mile marker 16 we came to the road that goes towould do it. And I did. Having a goal was nothing.
Snow Canyon. There were many people thereBeing inspired by a great woman was everything.
cheering us on and giving us high-fives. Boy did thatTo conclude let me share with you one final lesson,
give me a boost.the biggest lesson of all:
On we went mile after mile. One of my biggestLife is like a marathon. You get out of it what you
worries was my lower left leg. I had had so manyput into it.
problems on my training runs with my calf, my kneeThank you.
and my foot. Luckily my prayers were answered and