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Early last winter, I raised my hand on impulse and volunteered to lead a marathon training program sponsored by our running club. I didn't know what I was getting into, but I was inspired to share the transformative journey of distance running. The program we use, designed by Olympian Jeff Galloway, welcomes people of all ages and abilities to train for 13.1 or 26.2 mile distances. We would be working with newer runners, older runners, and people recovering from injuries or illnesses. I was hooked.
This year, I raised my hand to do it again. This year, I understood the depth and duration of the commitment. I knew about the hard work, the cold early-Sunday mornings and dark, icy Tuesday evenings. I also knew how rewarding it could be to share a transformative journey.
In using the term transformation, I mean learning lessons and making changes that can never be un-done. In training for an ambitious running goal, we learn:
- to break an overwhelming task into realistic increments.
- to resist the ego's desire for more speed than the body is ready to deliver.
- to distinguish between normal soreness and serious injury.
- to alternate effort and recovery.
- to weather periods of discouragement and uncertainty.
- to delight in getting stronger and healthier.
- to see ourselves as athletes.
- to run under all conditions to support our buddies.
Above all, we learn to appreciate our own capacity for focused, disciplined, and sustained effort. As we make the journey to marathon or half, we discover resources that can be applied to many other aspects of our lives.
I still remember crossing the finish line of the Park City Marathon in June 2001. A little voice in my head was chanting, "I did it and it can never be un-done."
Transformation may come, like this, with achieving a major goal. It may come with overcoming a setback or loss. It may flow from loving service, spiritual insight, or intellectual breakthrough. We change for the better and change for good.
What experiences have transformed the way you see and live your life? How do you draw on your experience to help others who follow in your footsteps with similar life goals, opportunities, and challenges? Would you like to try something new?
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