10 inspiring insights I got from my first marathon

Pursuing a career, following your dreams, or taking a step outside your comfort zone is difficult. But it’s not meant to be easy, just like running a marathon. Apart from being physically taxing – even for the fittest – it’s mostly a journey into the gray matter of the mental and emotional game, where the rules keep changing and  your talents blend with grit. Here are some life and career lessons I’ve learned from running my first marathon. 

You’re stronger than you think you are

How much do you know about all the steps of your professional levels when you start climbing this ladder? You may only imagine the nearby  steps and their outcome, but frequent reality checks are imminent – even to the best of plans. But then comes the “Aha!” moment when all the pieces fall into place, making this whole toil worthwhile. 

Running a marathon also requires a mixture of bravery and madness. Not only because of the dreaded wall around the 30th kilometer when the body wants to give up and stop moving. It’s usually a journey to the unknown as you hardly ever run the entire distance during your training – especially if that’s your first marathon. It also requires you to push through the pain and disbelief of demanding training, tight schedules, inevitable fatigue, possible injuries, and work-life imbalance. So at the starting line, you might feel only as strong as your longest, toughest run from the few previous weeks. 

Eventually, you complete the course because what you think about yourself, all those jitters have nothing to do with what you’re capable of. 

Go straight on

Moving forward is the best way to outrun your imposter syndrome. How do I know? 

By the end of the course, I met a middle-aged man who insisted on apologizing to me. The guy said that when he saw me at the starting line, he was convinced I would drop out early. But he was wrong, he was sorry… And then he started interviewing me about my health and fitness habits implying that I’m still not sufficient. Like I wasn’t uncomfortable enough at that moment…

I tried to ignore him and walk to stay behind while he was running, but he kept coming back with more poppycock. Putting up with the embodiment of the imposter syndrome was nothing close to how I wanted my first marathon to end. I went into berserk mode and rushed forward fast enough to cross the finish line a whopping 2 minutes sooner than the annoyer. Grabbed my medal and went straight out to celebrate my small success before anyone could catch me with more useless and, more importantly, uncalled-for coaching. 

Most honest, skilled professionals suffer from imposter syndrome – although it’s not a pledge of competence. And it’s incurable, which is good ‘cause the fear of being called a fluke is our warning sign to get busy learning things, exploring new territories, mastering skills, and stepping outside our comfort zones.

Usually, those who are satisfying their complexes at your expense won’t keep up with you. Stop worrying about others, tossing yourself around, and wasting precious energy on things that don’t serve you well. If you are skilled, you’ll easily prove them wrong and stay unequaled for the rest of your course. Genuine friends and masters will celebrate your milestones and inspire you even more with no prejudice or strings attached. 

Change the pace sometimes

Or shake things up another way if you ever feel overwhelmed, bored, or stuck in an awkward rhythm. Remind yourself that it’s okay to struggle, walk for as long as you feel like it, do something fun, play random music, or chill out for some time until you’re ready to go strong again. You’ll encourage your muscles to work refreshed and activate new areas in your brain. If you are brave enough to go a bit harder on yourself, you should easily convince yourself that you still have a lot of fuel in your tank – you just have to dig deeper. 

Take care of your equipment

It’s easy to fall into the fallacy that only a lousy workman usually blames his tools. But faulty or subpar equipment will set you back, discourage you or even give you an injury; and that’s in the long run. Anything you use: devices, apps, services, nutrition – all of this should support the efforts instead of throwing roadblocks in your way. 

You probably shouldn’t economize on quality, supportive gear if you think you can’t afford injury treatment, frequent maintenance, replacements, or downtimes. The same applies to almost any discipline: we can’t afford to buy cheap, makeshift solutions and treat them as target ones – it’s always a dead end. Your time and effort are much more valuable than proper, well-preserved equipment. Growing itself already involves a lot of discomfort – you don’t need to take unnecessary pains to prove your value in either field. 

Don’t forget to fuel yourself with nourishing food, inspiring content, and kind thoughts. Your body and mind are your most important tools. Other gadgets are just a replaceable accessory to the framework of your personality, values, standards, and principles.

Be kind to yourself 

Especially when it matters most: under pressure, whenever you mess up anything and your inner critic tries to put you down. Life is challenging, even without an additional load. 

Grow your inner advocate; a chatter that will argue in your favor when the going gets tough. Even a tiny gesture of self-awareness and self-affection can boost you to go the extra mile. 

Do less

Balancing extra training with other activities and obligations is practically impossible or hazardous. Your life is not made of rubber, and you might feel exhausted only with juggling your tightly packed schedule. Usually, the most tempting thing to do is to cut down on your rest. It’s just that’s the most precious point in your plan. That’s the time when your tissues heal, the mood-boosting hormones replace the stress-related ones, and you get a sense of reward. 

Your body doesn’t distinguish between stress from high-intensity training, a long, exhausting meeting, another business course, or escaping from a drowning boat. Skip a project, don’t start a new one, but allow yourself plenty of time to rest and digest all the insights absorbed throughout the day. Do less and provide your talents plenty of room to blossom. 

Dance, sing, and shout! 

Compliment each of your milestones with style and flair. Make it a mandatory point in your plan to dance, twist, sing, and shout. Your body and mind need a celebratory interlude to reduce stress, restore your motivation, and enhance your mood.  And don’t forget about treating yourself after completing your journey. Reward yourself with a nice gift; earn some bonus points for a colorful wrap and a ribbon. 

Have fun – you’re going through all of this for yourself! 

Divide and conquer

Great challenges can be hard to swallow as a whole. Bear in mind that you’re the owner of your adventure and you can break it into a series of tasks, smaller, more digestible slices. Adjust their sizes to your energy level and motivation. Advance day by day or step by step if that’s what you need at a particular moment. More milestones mean more excuses for celebration! 

Keep your head up high and smile like you mean it 

Whatever happens to you – greet it like your best friend. Even if it hurts or exhausts you, it’s part of your experience and can make you stronger in the long run. Accept it, experience it in full, learn the lesson, and let it go. 

Do it with a smile, as it is proven that raising your mouth’s corners enhances your overall performance by a massive 2%! That’s a lot if you operate at the edge of your capabilities. 

Smile then! 

Finally – it’s OK not to run a marathon…

…have very important abbreviations on your business card, take up other enormous tasks, or quit midway if your plan doesn’t serve you well or if your life is already full of twists and turns. You are a complete person who happens to pursue particular goals, but they are not synonymous with your identity. There are numerous ways to show the best of yourself. Pursue a career, follow your dreams, or take a step outside your comfort zone — and do it on your own terms!