From Doubt to Triumph: My Journey of Conquering the Long Marathon

26th March | 18K | 2:34:28

The second I reached the finish line, I had a moment of realization that I had actually accomplished it, and it felt almost unreal.

I had trained to run for this long distance, will not say I did the best of the training but yes multiple attempts in terms of slow-paced long distance, and short fast sprints, and ran approximately 3–4 times in a week to start with. In the entire course of trying to get the form, breathing, and footwork right, you learn a lot of things.
One of the core things that I took while one of the guided runs by Coach Bennett was building the runner’s mentality. Believe me, the first time I heard it I was already running. But the phrase blew my mind and actually made me cover some extra miles.

Few things that I understand by it:

1. Run and Run with Purpose — My idea was just to push my limits and take control of my time. Also, have a goal for every run like, I’m going to take it easy on my warm-up, I’m going to run a new route today. I will focus more on gut feeling or arms swing. Just being more aware.

2. Run Patiently — It might sound simple but so is the free throw but it still gets missed sometimes. But the more we practice, the less we miss. We are running not because it will get easy eventually but because our power to take on hard things will get better. Run easy, relaxed and controlled, and above all patiently. Always start with warm-up not just physically but also mentally. Being patient just means being able to tolerate or take suffering, issues, or problem without freaking out and without getting tipped off.

3. Listen to your Body: Every time I feel a certain way when I run, sometimes I feel like pushing myself, and sometimes I don’t. On the days I end up running less or more than what I aimed for depending on what my body feels. “Celebration is a component of recovery.” At the very least, take a minute to appreciate what your body is capable of.

This marathon will most importantly be an ode to conditioning my mind better, all the pep talk I give myself, and yes not giving up because almost all the time that is all it takes.

“Celebrate being sore, it’s a reminder you did something great.”. Take action every day to move closer to your goal, even when faced with obstacles. Most importantly create visibility for your progress, which keeps you going. So, go ahead and take that first step today — your future self will thank you for it.”