Life is like a marathon. It takes different people different times to finish it. We go through different things during the course. We do it for different reasons. There are people going through it with you. And there are almost certainly struggles during the marathon - but some will be able to say they enjoyed it, some will say 'never again'.
I wonder why? Is doing a marathon just a tick box in one's to-do list in life? To be completely honest that's what I thought when I first decided I would do one. How cool would it be if I told people I have run a marathon?
When I was filling in an application form for a summer internship some years ago, one question was 'What is your biggest achievement in life?' er...at the age of 19 I struggled to think of any achievements, let alone the biggest! I remember being particularly proud when I won the art competition in kindergarten (then my art genes somehow went missing since), but I can't put that on my job application form! So I turned to my friend, and she asked, 'have you run a marathon?' Oh yes, everyone thinks having run a marathon is an achievement, so let me do one too.
The actual marathon experience is detailed in another blog, but despite for apparently the wrong reason, I still think having run, or shall I say having trained for, a marathon is one of the biggest achievements in my life (that might mean I haven't achieved much else, but that's another issue).
Once you have decided to run a marathon, you would train for it to make the last 26.2 miles of the training programme as easy as possible. Things happen during the training - you get blisters, you lose weight and your toenails, you start to question whether it's really worth all that. By that time your reason for doing the marathon might have changed (in my case I had already got a permanent job), but you realise you actually learn things during the process (that's the biggest bonus I have ever received), things that help you conquer fears, get back up when you are down, and realise despite much preparation things can still go pear-shaped. You learn how to pick up the pieces when things fall apart, without doubting yourself and your belief. You may have wasted much time already and missed your goal. But that's not the reason for dropping out of a marathon - so you carry on until you finish. And you are not alone.
Many times after the marathon I thought, if I could do the marathon I should have no problems coping with this, and life seemed easier than ever. It's true, 'what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger'.
In my opinion, anyone can walk/run 26.2 miles, but it's up to you to make the journey as fulfilling as possible.
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