A little over a month ago, someone came up to me and said, “Hey, wanna run a marathon?”

And I was like, Um NO? But as I thought about it, and as they started convincing me, I realized that while I still don’t want to run a marathon, I wanted to be able to say I ran a marathon. And as I’m the youngest I’ll ever be, I’m not in a relationship, I don’t have children, and I work a very flexible job, I’m probably in the best season of my life to run a marathon.

So a little over a month ago, I started training for a marathon.

I’ve run in the past. In fact, my very first run is quite a story time. But I’ve never run consistently over a lot of miles. I like to compare myself to a gazelle. I run fast, but I can’t run for long. So it wasn’t like I started, and it was incredibly easy. It’s been hard, especially since I’ve been away from home for over a week now, and still training.

But as I’ve been reflecting on the training so far, I realized it has taught me some things. And why shouldn’t I share what it’s taught me? So here are [INSERT NUMBER] of things that running has taught me.

You don’t have to be good, you just have to be consistent

As a perfectionist, I don’t want to do something I’m not “good” at. And if I’m forced to do something I don’t consider myself particularly talented in, I’ll send hours trying to figure out how to be good at it. Youtube videos, blog articles, and books will take up all my spare time as I try to find out the “best” way to be good in this particular field.

The thing with running is . . . there’s not exactly a particular way to gauge how “good” you are at it. There’s safe way to do things, but other than that, you’re on your own. And the only way to become faster is to do it. To buckle down, and keep running.

In life, we don’t have to be good at things, you just have to be consistent. (Which, if you’re curious, is the moral of the Tortoise and the Hare.)

There’s power in numbers

I hate accountability partners. I hate the pressure that I might fail more than just myself. But in this running challenge, I’ve had other people doing it with me. And maybe it’s just because misery loves company, or maybe it’s actually because accountability helps, but it’s helped knowing I have people counting on me. People who will be disappointed but understanding if I don’t go out on my run today.

Find you people in life who are interested in the same things. Join a book club, a writing group, an acting troupe. Find people who are going through similar experiences with you, and make them your people. With people, your passion will grow.

Never you say you can’t, but listen for when you can’t

I’m a wimp. I’m the first person to say I can’t do something. I can’t do a split, I definitely can’t run an extra mile, there’s no way I’ll ever be able to do a handstand. Often in life we place limitations around ourselves, dictating what we can and can’t do. More often than not, we can do a lot more than we think we can do.

But we also need to learn how to listen for the limitations of our body, and answer them with grace. Keep pushing until you can’t, and then learn how to take a moment to breathe, a moment to rest, and congratulate yourself on your success.

Mornings are God’s greatest creation

I’ve always loved mornings and evenings. I’ve loved the bookends of a day, the moments when the world seems to calm down slightly, to take a sigh and release the tension it’s held throughout the day. But running has given me a new appreciation for the morning. Maybe it’s just because the sun has yet to remember its job is to scorch the whole earth.

But [INSERT MORE]

Good shoes will take you miles

I’ve always seen shoes as a fashion article. They’re a way to expression of your soul, a piece of a painting describing your personality. But since I’ve started running, I’ve seen shoes in a new light. They’re a tool, a way to increase your pace. Find your tools in your life, and it will take you miles.

Find your good shoes. And then tackle your miles.

If you can’t run, then walk

When I first started running a few years ago, I thought you were just supposed to run at a breakneck speed until you fall. But through training, and through the disasters I’ve experienced, I’ve realized that if you can’t run, it’s okay to walk. It’s okay to admit that you need a minute. You can still walk your miles, even when you can’t run them.

And that’s what I’ve learned from running. I wrote this post and then it deleted itself. 😭 So this is the second take at this post. I hope you enjoyed it!

Comment down below what you’ve learned from exercise and if you like running.

~~Amie~~