Running Marathon for first time

Let's say that for the past few years, whether running or not, we have probably been stuck in a routine. Waking up early, going to work, then back home, staying with family, and repeat.

Routines are great; there is no doubt of that. But routines make years look as if they have passed faster than they should be.

As human beings, we need energy peaks and uncertainty sometimes. To be challenged, to try something different, something challenging that gives us some sort of reward.

Suddenly, we have the chance to run a Marathon, which appears to be a new adventure that challenges our status quo.

While there might be millions of reasons why someone decides to run a Marathon, there might be other reasons not to take the chance to complete the race.

Many will say no. It takes courage to sign up in the first place for a Marathon, and then go through the training load every day takes a lot of physical and mental effort.

When we say yes to the Marathon, we have our own purpose, which is usually unique for everyone. When that purpose is strong, there is no time to give up, only time to become a better version of ourselves every day.

We will start hearing outer voices, telling us that we can't, that it is impossible, that this is not a goal we can aspire to. Probably, at moments these outer voices will give support to our own inner voice, saying this is too much.

For the Zen culture, there is no difference between the inner and the outer voice. They are both the same. Voices that set us up in a framework to protect us from the unknown, voices that fear what is outside the comfort zone.

Soon enough, running and training for the Marathon helps us understand that progress resides by being comfortable out of the comfort zone. And then we start letting go of that framework of the mind and becoming a better version of ourselves every day. Beating yesterday has become our new way of life.

Training for a Marathon is a community journey. We find new friends, inspiration, and new positive vibes to help us go through the training. We are committed to it, and giving up is no longer an option.

For moments we will find difficult to continue, on those moments, we will have both hands to lift us up and hands to push us down. They will remember us why we should continue and why we should stop, respectively. Having a clear why will allow us to follow the right voice and let go of the other.

By the time the event arrives, one thing is clear: no matter why we started, today, we are healthier, more disciplined, and committed than when we started. We have expanded our limits, and we know we can endure more than we think we can.

The event itself might be challenging, perhaps. But we are there to pick up a medal; we trained for it, we deserve it. And we deserve to make that medal live with us every day.