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It is a high point of the year for me. Each July, my hometown celebrates summer with the Missoula Marathon and Half. The event draws thousands of runners and walkers from all states and around the world to test themselves on our beautiful course. The party begins early and ends late. Energy is high.
I am not running the race these days, but the event means even more to me now than it did before. For the third year, I have been privileged to coach a class of aspiring distance runners. We begin with ice on the ground in January, and gradually work our way through the seasons of changing weather, increased effort, small victories, and inevitable setbacks in preparation for the race.
For the past three years, I have stationed myself at the finish line on race day to cheer them in. Each year, I have been reminded of life lessons embedded in the marathon journey:
- It takes time, and there is no way to cut corners. Endurance grows slowly and incrementally or not at all. We build marathon-readiness over the span of six months.
- In Montana, that means starting in deep winter to train for July. Days are short. Surfaces icy. Temperatures in the single digits (and wind chills drive them lower). There is no way around winter because it takes time to build endurance.
- Things happen. While everyone begins with a race goal in view, life continues on its serendipitous path: Injury. Illness. Family. Work. Pregnancy.
- Goals evolve. While the initial goal is clear, if daunting, it often changes with time. Getting faster yields to preventing injury. The marathon morphs into the half (and sometimes the reverse). July goals refocus on September. This year transforms into next. Our sights shift, but we keep on moving forward.
- Buddies matter. We form deep bonds covering miles together through the dark, cold, snowy, rainy, windy, sparkling clear and warm, then searing hot days of summer. Those bonds bring us out on Sunday mornings, even when the bed calls and inertia swells. The compelling power of affection and shared purpose win the match.
- Life will never be the same. Setting and meeting a marathon goal transforms us. It changes forever the way we see ourselves and our potential. We know from the inside out what it means to stretch, to imagine the impossible, and to make it happen.
The life lessons that arise from marathon training can be applied to any aspect of our lives. Growing incrementally over time and and expanding the comfort zone toward an ambitious vision can achieve wonders. Flexible goals enable us to navigate setbacks, adjusting our focus without losing momentum. Building a community of support adds joy and depth to the journey.
What are your personal experiences with setting and achieving long-term goals? How have encounters with success transformed other aspects of your life?
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