In 11 days I’ll be doing something I’ve never done before. Something I never thought would be a priority. On November 12th, my husband and I will speed-walk the Athens, Greece Marathon. Yup, you read that correctly. We have been training for the last few months to walk the marathon in under 6 hours. This means we will hopefully average a 15-minute pace for over 26 miles. Just for reference, female Olympic speed walkers walk a mile in 7.30 mins. We are walking fast, but aren’t Olympians, yet :).
Why walk a marathon, you might ask? Why not! I love walking so much, and this became one of my goals inspired by my Intention Setting process because my words of the year are patience and deep listening (p.s. updates for the 2024 Intention Setting Party will be shared this month).
I’ve never done any sort of professional race before so I have no idea what to expect. Maybe that’s a good thing so that my “monkey mind” doesn’t create too many stories. Regardless, I am grateful for the lessons training has taught me that I can incorporate into my everyday life.
Top Three Lessons I Have Learned Thus Far :
1. Make training fun!
I am reminded that experiences my mind initially labels as “hard” or “boring” don’t actually have to be! For instance, doing a long training walk on the weekends doesn’t have to be arduous. Instead, we have picked new walking paths each weekend that have brought us 3-15 miles around the city of Seattle in various directions. It’s been so fun to explore new neighborhoods on foot and feel more connected to the nooks and crannies of the city. Training during the fall has also been amazingly beautiful. Everywhere I turn, beautiful leaves and that golden sunshine shimmer. Our weekend targets feel like light and playful mini adventures instead of training torture time. This lesson reminds me to make life’s daily tasks of laundry or dishes a bit more fun and playful instead of resting into the default mindset of “chores are painfully boring.” I’ll ask myself, what would make this feel 2% more fun right now? Maybe putting on some good jams, listening to an audiobook or setting a timer to gamify the task helps make it fun. In today’s dark times, it is important to find fun and lightness when possible.
2. I can do hard things!
This is a mantra I’ve borrowed from Glennon Doyle. I’ve noticed, at the 8/10 mile mark on our training walks my hips and legs start to talk to me. Exhaustion and pain become the main mental focus. It’s at this point where mental strength is needed. The desire to slow down or quit becomes real. Noticing the pain with loving acknowledgment and then putting my focus back on “I can do hard things” inspires me to keep moving forward. I don’t have to push through any pain to meet my goals. Acknowledging the pain but not getting trapped in the story of pain is helpful. My training in Pilates has taught me to listen deeply to my body and avoid painful movements. Learning to discern what feels like a painful ouch and what feels like stretchy growth pain is an awareness I am building. Repeating the phrase, “I can do hard things” helps me return to the present moment. I breathe in deeper and gather more strength to keep walking forward. This practice doesn’t just help me on training days. It helps me when I feel my mental/emotional/spiritual capacity is low. I take a deep breath and say, “I can do hard things.” I muster resilience to keep moving forward at whatever pace I can. It doesn’t have to be fast, but I know how important it is to keep showing up.
3. Kindness is key.
My body responds well to kindness. She doesn’t like “Drill Sargent” energy. Following a training schedule teaches me to stay curious and kind with my body. I can’t just go from A to Z the first time I do something. Even if my mind thinks I can. Baby steps are needed to help build capacity to get to the next level. It is kind “to go slow so that I can go fast.” Treating my body with curiosity and kindness helps me pay attention to what type of fuel and nourishment she needs. This has looked like more protein and water than usual. I’ve needed to stay consistent with meals throughout the day. My body has needed me to use a foam roller on her every morning, night and post long walks to bring extra nurturing. I need to keep my muscles tender like a nice piece of meat. Challenging my body inspires me to be gentle with her. The intensity of training has to be balanced with care. This applies to everyday life. When life gets very “lifey” and the clouds of stress and overwhelm roll in, I know my body needs kind attention even more. I can’t assume I can push her through the stress and get to the other side without injuries. She needs TLC to have the capacity to keep going.
Which lesson resonates the most with you right now? Do you have your own training lessons? Share with me in the comments. Let’s continue to inspire each other.