I realized yesterday that it has been over two months since the successful completion of my half marathon, and I have yet to reflect on and share the final moments leading up to, during, and after the event itself!

Again, this reminds me of my continued goal to not only write in the moment, but to practice mindfulness in ALL aspects of life.

So, what happened leading up to that GREAT day?

As I progressed with my training, I incorporated a single, long-distance run in to my weekly schedule. The local Flatwood Preserve houses an 8 mile loop with a only one entrance, meaning once you start your run, the only way out is to complete the loop.

Once this weekly run became routine, preparing became a sort of ritual — laying out my outfit, running cap, drink, and pre-workout meals the night before in a methodical process that continued through the last 4 weeks leading up to the marathon.

The cool mornings, watching the sun rise, and listening to my music as the birds soared over my head became an escape and my personal sanctuary.

The BIG DAY…or was it?

Aftter 12 weeks of training, the day finally arrived. I had anticipated I would feel very anxious, but to my surprise, I was truly at ease and excited. The race start line was crowded with eager runners, both novice (like myself) and veterans of the marathon scene.

The announcer gave us a pep talk, and off we went. I stayed focused on my pace and meeting the finish line. Living in Florida, we train on flat ground, so the hills posed an unexpected challenge. By mile 5 I was becoming discouraged with my run time, and would occasionally lose focus as a result. However, I went back to the mantra “be in the moment.”

At mile 9, we passed through the center of town and many observers stood and cheered and encouraged us to keep trucking. It was at that point I realized what a significant personal accomplishment this truly was for me. 

Even though I was tired, hot, and simply wanted to stop running, I was able to focus on my reason for running: ME. I was doing this for me and my own motivation. Over the weeks leading to the race so many would say to me, “I cannot believe you’re doing this – I can never to that”. I simply said YES, you can, if you put your mind to it.

Crossing the Finish Line

As I turned the corner and crossed the finish line, I realized all of my training and all my efforts got me through that finish line, but in reality it wasn’t a finish line, but simply a start to what was ahead of me. When I look back at the prepping and training, I still cannot believe I had only really trained for 12 weeks, but I did, and I had made it.

The realization that we have so many mental barriers that can lead to physical barriers became very clear. When you put your mind and determination into a goal and you are realistic about the experience and outcome, in reality there is no finish line. There is only… "what’s next?"

I am still running, but with the summer months approaching and the Florida sun beginning to beat down, my long runs are now becoming 2-4 mile runs. I have picked back up on distance bike riding and have a goal of doing 40-50 miles by the end of the summer.

Find a goal, commit time to it, but most importantly, at the end of the day, commit this time to YOU, because you matter!