The courage to start

If you follow my other blog, you know that I'm into saving money. So last week I decided to check out some books at my local library on marathoning for inspiration. Would you believe they were all checked out? Wow! They all made it in today and I've been having fun thumbing through them this afternoon.

In doing so, I came across a particular quote that I wanted to share with you today. Ready? Here it is:

"For all of us, the miracle isn't that we finish, the miracle is that we have the courage to start." - John "The Penguin" Bingham

I whole-heartedly agree with Bingham! Do you? What do you have to overcome in order to start your marathon journey?

For me, it was thinking that I wasn't athletic. I never participated in sports in high school and came to the conclusion that an athletic lifestyle just wasn't for me. I also had to overcome the idea that I couldn't complete such a distance - that I simply didn't have the endurance to do so. After all, marathons were for Olympians and super elite athletes, right?

After having run three marathons, I now believe differently. Let me tell you - I have seen many MANY different people finish that distance. Young, old, fit, overweight, and the list goes on. And let's not forget those in wheelchairs or prosthetics. I fully believe the marathon starts in the mind. You must first make a choice to believe you can do it. Does a marathon require physical training? Without a doubt. But if you lack the mental toughness, you will fizzle. All the bystanders cheering you on will not make you complete the race. Only you can convince yourself to continue on even when you are tired and ache to stop.

Many times I've heard folks say that they just can't do it. I fully believe most healthy people CAN run a marathon. But you must want it...you must have the "courage to start."

Photo credit Grizka Niewiadomski