How to Walk a Marathon
So I Did a “Thing” a Couple Saturdays Ago…
I walked the entire 26.2 miles of the NYC Marathon. It wasn’t the actual course, just the distance. Now, some of you that know me might simply shrug and think it’s no big deal since I’ve run several marathons already, while others of you might roll your eyes and call me crazy or obsessed. And…you would all be correct. It was no big deal, I’m a little crazy and a tad obsessed. Except for the fact that this really was a big deal. I had no intention of doing it. Am I telling you that I simply rolled out of bed one morning, thought to myself “I think I”ll do a marathon today” and off I went? Yeah, pretty much. The thing is, I’ve not been feeling well for many months (COVID Long-hauler over here) and frankly, I was sick of being sick and cooped up.
On this particular day, I woke up with a head cold in the works and outside temperatures just above freezing. I wistfully thought about my friends participating in the TSC NYC Virtual Marathon and how, had this been a normal year, I would have been running the real thing the very next day. I wanted some “normal” back in my life in this very abnormal year. That thought flipped a switch inside me. In moments, I registered for the race online, layered up, downed coffee and out I went.
The first five miles were exhilarating! I beat 2020!!!! Woo Hoo! And then reality set it:
- Five miles was the longest distance I had covered so far this year — and only a few times. (In other words, this was gonna hurt) and,
- It was flipping cold out!
The next eight miles became a game of “find the sun, stay in the sun” to keep warm… and to get back home.
The halfway mark (13.1 miles) was meant to be a pit stop to take a bio break and refuel. But it was so warm…. and I was so tired. NINTEY MINUTES LATER, I woke up, furious with myself, and my body for betraying me!
And then the voices started… (this is my crazy).
Voice #1: “Stay home. You’re tired. Your head hurts. You’re not 100%.”
Voice #2: “Come on! Let’s go! You’ve never not finished.”
Voice #1: “Why freeze your ass off when you can stay home binging on pizza and Hallmark Christmas movies?”
Voice #2: “Chateau Christmas and pizza will be here when you get back — if you still want them. Are you really going to let a little head cold and pain hold you back?”
Voice #1: “Three words: Christmas movies, pizza”
Voice #2: “Two words: Bragging rights.”
Me (finally): “One word: GO!”
And off I went. It wasn’t pretty. It was cold and I felt like crap. The inner voices bickered incessantly for the next 13.1 miles like two kids fighting in the back seat of a minivan. There were two moments when I had to “pull over” to threaten them (aka take a break) but I jumped back into the game each time. It was do or die.
Finally, in the last two miles, I headed home, determined to find a Dunkin’ Donuts along the way. I needed a hot cup of coffee to keep my hands warm and my spirits up.
I made it home with coffee in hand, and a full-blown head cold, but elated. I DID IT! I completed another marathon. It took me almost 9 hours, but I did it! I didn’t let COVID or 2020 get the better of me, and I ignored the “head trash” that threatened to derail me.
I wasn’t going to share this story at first. The arrogant runner in me didn’t initially think of this race as a legitimate marathon. After all, the only thing running during all those hours was my nose. But a friend pointed out that it WAS legitimate and I DID the distance. It doesn’t matter how I got to the finish line. What matters is that I did. And I can honestly say that walking a marathon slowly is just as hard as running 26.2 miles fast. Your body feels the same at the end.
So what’s my point?
My point is that we ALL have a “marathon” that we are dealing with. Sharing our stories can help keep us motivated, inspire others and remind us to celebrate victories of any magnitude. What’s yours? What have you overcome in 2020 or what are you working towards? I would love to hear your stories!
