Know Your Why? Life Is a Marathon

Finding My Why

The other day, a patient paid me a compliment that made my day. This was the first time I had consulted with them. “Doc, I can tell you are NOT doing this for the money, or JUST going through the motions. You are doing this out of PASSION. I can see your passion.”

I had told them they had a sexually transmitted infection. I treated their warts. Fortunately, the warts were of the non-genital kind. I laughed to myself and thanked them.

How did they know this? They had seen it. It is indeed true; I am doing the work I do for the fun of it. The patient saw my WHY. The changes I have made on this Financial Independence journey are visible. I am indeed living life on my own terms.

The Hard Miles

Why? I asked myself so many times during the marathon training: why am I doing this? With no clear sense of why, I could have just given up. Why bother? Marathon training is time-consuming. It is a hard slog on the body. I felt fatigued many times. I had to push through runs while fatigued, and run with plantar fasciitis in my left foot.

During training, the longest single run was 32 km. The peak weekly distance I got to was 52 km. I was running at most three times a week. I had to listen to my body, and miss some runs, but had to not be hard on myself.

In the end, I knew the focus was also on making it to the start line and finishing the race. What good would it be if I pushed too hard? I might then succumb to an injury that would derail me from the goal. It is a fine line.

What I Told Myself

Here’s what I wrote in my journal in the lead-up to the race.

Why run a marathon?

I am a disciplined, healthy woman who loves to run. Running a marathon shows that I am committed to my personal growth and health. I have a strong body. Completing a marathon will give me more courage to take on other life challenges and adventures.

It’s not just about completing the distance, but it’s a commitment to myself to say I finish what I start. I have it in me to push past any physical or mental barriers that come my way.

PUSH PAST THE PAIN, GROWTH AWAITS YOU.

Breathe, one foot in front of the other, you are an achiever, you are strong.

Crossing the Finish Line

I completed my first marathon, yay! I ran 42.2 km (26.2 miles). It was a slow one, but nonetheless I crossed the finishing line in 5 hr 18 min. My race plan was to run it in 4 hr 40 min.

I felt great for the first 25 km. The distance from 25-30 km was a little challenging. The stretch from 30-42 km was very challenging. Fortunately, I did not hit the dreaded marathon wall, which meant that my nutrition and hydration were fine. But I had to throw away the race plan when it was falling out of reach. At that time, my focus became crossing the finishing line.

Oddly, after crossing the finishing line, I can’t wait to run my next marathon. I can aim for a personal best and cross the line in under 5 hours. Next time during training, I should practice race-pace long runs (25-32 km). I need to keep up with the speed workouts and add some hill workouts.

Running Alongside Others

I loved the high that I got after crossing the finishing line. I also loved the stillness and calm that I felt for the rest of the day. The runner’s high is hard for me to describe. I love running without any music or distractions. When I run, I am fully present: I am one with my body and breath.

I am grateful for the runners I ran with. These included the two pacers for the 4 hr 40 min finish. There were also three other runners who were part of the pack. Three of us were running our first marathon. We each ended up dropping off the pack. We ran our own races in the end. However, we did cheer and spur each other on.

Most of all, I am grateful to The Handsome Surfer for understanding my training requirements. He was there for the whole race at the vantage point with extra nutrition. He even obliged to run with me the last 2 km to the finish line.

Living Intentionally

Knowing your WHY makes life all the more enjoyable. You only get one shot at this thing called life. You will share the journey with others. Life is to be lived. Life is a marathon, run it at your own pace. Give it your personal best. Live it on your own terms!