Mental Strength

Well I’ve done it. I finished my first ever marathon. I may have gone slowly but I succeeded in completing my goal—to finish. There are so many people who can go much faster than me but there are many others who say that I’m crazy and that they could never complete a marathon no matter how slow they went. I disagree with them because as my dad put it, “Amy’s never done anything.” What that means is that I’ve never played sports nor have I ever run before. I have never been an active individual and yet I ran a marathon. What it comes down to is having determination and commitment. It’s not about leg strength or body size…it’s about preparing yourself mentally. And preparing yourself to complete a distance of 26.2 miles is no easy task. Since July 2010 I gave up my Friday nights to get proper rest to wake up sometimes as early as 3am to meet my group Saturday morning to run. In addition, I ran two evenings a week. Both of these chores were done no matter how hot/cold the weather was. I’ve run outdoors in 110 degree sunshine as well as 27 degree cold. The point is that I did it. I did it and so can anyone else who makes up their mind to do something. It’s all about dedication. It is definitely difficult to be so dedicated to something but the reward for doing so is what keeps me going. I like a good challenge, it makes me feel good. And running for me isn’t about speed or physical strength. It’s about mental strength and internal drive. Some people run to compete, I run to prove to myself that I can do things I never thought possible. And I hope by me doing so, others will see that they can achieve their goals as well no matter how farfetched or difficult they seem. With the right mind set ANYONE can succeed. I definitely didn’t finish first but I finished. And that small fact feels really good.