- Published May 10, 2022
Last weekend, I ran BMO Full Marathon in Vancouver & this was my 67th long distance (42.2K – 100K) run. A veteran runner once mentioned the numbers are just relative, and just a number.
Does the number matter, a benchmark, should there have been a base 10 to round up, or do I look into how running has changed me and allowed me to grow, physically, mentally, emotionally & spiritually?
As in life, it’s great to reach a milestone, and then what? Sure, if it’s a bucket list, cross it out and move on, but on another scale, there is, what if I can push the limits of what is possible? Your first hundred or million in bank balance or in followers, the list can be endless
Life as in running, the variables do change, it’s the narratives that we select. For this run, I worked towards completing it in under 5 hours. It was the last 7KM and @45 mins to reach the goal, a good possibility.
Then I came across a very young runner hobbling, I stopped to check, if he was ok & his aggrieved face gave the answer, & that this was his first marathon. He wanted to drop out. I asked if it was ok to walk along with him.
Did I have the courage to change my narrative to push hard to complete my run? The human and the coach in me reared its persona, what could I do to be kind, motivate, encourage, be positive, and be brave to take the next step. I boldly stated, that if I had to carry him across the finish line, I would do it. The run moved to a slow trot & with each step got closer to the finish line & we completed it together.
Yes, it took way more than 45 mins to complete the last 7K. When I look back & remember this marathon, it may not be as the 67th long-distance, but a sense of joy, that I made it possible for a runner to complete his first-ever Marathon.
What mattered was not the number. Quality over quantity. Depth over width. Because, at the end of the day, that’s the only way you’ll drive results to a better goal, to a better human.
& Yes, I saw Elvis belting out melodies by English Bay during the course of my run.
My next goal is to do a solo 100K run on 21st May 2022. Fundraising for Workout to Conquer Cancer
#changethenarrative, #positivemindset, #bebrave, #goalsetting, #couragetochange, #bekind