5 Life Lessons I Learned From Running A Marathon

I never knew it would be such an empowering and enlightening experience altogether.

Not to mention how great it was for my health too.

It wasn’t a hard decision to make though.

I mentioned in my previous blog that I wanted to try new things now that I have turned 45.

And being healthier has always been part of my priorities as I aged.

So when Disney announced that they will be sponsoring a marathon, I just knew I had to participate.

Running alongside my favorite cartoon characters while growing up is in my bucketlist.

Here’s the thing: registering was easy.

However the days leading to the marathon weren’t really giving the same vibe.

I had to balance a lot of things on my plate: coaching, hosting on-air, studying for my PhD classes and training in between.

It was during those days I truly wished that I had an extra hour or two to spend.

Gratefully though, with commitment and a whole lot of determination to making my comeback to the marathon scene a success, I pushed through.

Did I tell you I signed up for the 10km run?

And that the two previous marathons I ran 16 years ago were both just 5kms?

I know. I was being brave. I wanted to challenge myself.

And make my younger self proud.

The one that said “I’m not a runner.”

Voila, here I am now. Haha!

Kidding aside though, I started preparing for this roughly two months before the run. Jogging at UP Diliman at 5am, at least twice a week before I go to the library to do my research and work on my papers.

For two months. Straight. Even during days I wasn’t feeling my best.

Because I have always believed in the power of “walking it out”.

Or in this case, running to release.

And it was all worth it.

It wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. There were days I felt unmotivated. Sometimes even drained.

But holding on to my dreams and wanting to achieve a new milestone at this point in my life kept me going.

And I am so glad I did because simply arriving at the marathon site at 2am was life changing itself.

I remember muttering quietly to myself: “This is it.”

And decided to have my picture taken at the photo wall so that I won’t look too haggard later on when the race finally begins.

Lord please make this memorable. That was my silent prayer then.

Just help me finish this marathon.

Because at that moment, I didn’t even know if I could.

That changed though when I heard the gun start and everyone else around me started running.

Here it goes.

Lord, please help me enjoy and find new meaning in this experience.

And my first few steps were unsure. Even wobbly I believe.

But then suddenly I felt myself just letting go and enjoying where the race takes me.

Suddenly it wasn’t about just finishing the race; it became about being 100% present in the journey.

And that totally changed the game for me. Because that allowed me to learn the 5 lessons I needed moving forward in this lifetime.

As if on cue, on the race tracks.

Allow me to share them with you:

• I learned that not all progress will be visible. You may not be able to apprciate them immediately but know that each time you work on yourself, you allow yourself to grow in more ways than one. Eventually, when it’s time, you will see the results of your self-investment. In my case, since I was struggling in the first 2-3 kilometers, catching my breath as running in a marathon requires a different pace, I thought all my training in UP Diliman was wasted. Lo and behold though, after passing the 3km mark, I seem to have been given a new burst of energy and for some reasons, the race became easier because now I can control my breathing and control my speed accordingly without faltering. So yeah, hard work did pay off!

• Starting all over again can be such a humbling experience. I was surrounded by seasoned runners and I felt so small and insignificant as I trailed behind them. However, I chose to see things differently: since I was not speeding up, I got to enjoy the view more. Listen to my body. And regulate my thoughts minus the pressure of catching up. I began to embrace my space as a beginner and love it with all my heart. Because even at my age, I can start all over again and still gain more from the experience.

• You can always find joy amidst the most challenging situations. There were times my feet hurt so bad, being out of breath at times and the race just seemed to go on and on without any clear picture of how and when I can finish it. It was during those times I allowed myself to pause and just be mindful of my current space. There were strategic pit stops where I can grab water. I could people watch and enjoy seeing their costumes. I could take time to feel the early morning breeze. My body was still coping. I am still moving forward. And those made me realize how blessed I was.

• When creating a new milestone, think about the time you have left. Let’s be honest, I have already probably lived more than half of my entire life span and I really don’t know when I can still tick this item off my bucket list as I age even more. That inspired me to push forward: knowing that I only have here and now to make this dream of mine come true. Even during times my mind and body said I could not finish the race on time, my heart knew and said otherwise. And I am glad I listened. So despite the fact that there were a whole lot of runners far younger than I was (hello, it was a Disney Run after all), I felt that I was just as deserving to take up space and finish the race.

• Speaking of finishing, it wasn’t exactly the winning moment for me. While crossing the bubble-filled finish line with the loud music and the glistening medal was one for the books, I felt that I won the minute I signed up for this marathon. Because that sealed my commitment to myself and my growth and to giving myself the chance to make one of my dreams come true. Winning isn’t when you finish something; it’s when you begin and commit to it, whatever it may be.

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