Today, a friend said to me "I just never want to do a marathon. It's not necessary." She is, of course, absolutely right. It isn't necessary. I used to feel the same way she did. What struck me in that moment, was that she was saying things that just a few short years ago, I also said. What changed? How did I get from "I don't even really like running" to where I am now?
It changed on a bike path one day in March two years ago. Prior to that day I started running with an acquaintance who would become one of my closest friends (J.) Together, and without me even realizing it, J. helped me go from a 2-3 mile runner, to a 4-6 mile runner with hills. She taught me new routes and how to listen to my body. We talked and got to know each other one mile at a time. I improved my conditioning, and my running ability. Things like rain, cold temperatures, snow, and laziness stopped being a factor in my decision to run on any given day. I looked forward to seeing J., so I showed up at our designated work out time and ran the route we decided. Because I was meeting a friend, I forgot all of my excuses for not running. During the run, I heard only our social chatter, not the voices and fear in my head that told me I couldn't. I was distracted from all of the mental stuff that keeps me from choosing to run hills, or a longer route, or to run at all.
Then the day in March came that we had one of our "destination" runs. We drove to a bike path and set out on the trail. It was a good day so we just kept going. Running back to her car I was probably saying something self-deprecating about my level of health and fitness. She said "Allison, I am going to wait to tell you how far you ran today." Somehow I misheard the wait as eight and took that for the mileage. I said "eight?" Her response "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO DO THAT!! Sweet Jesus, yeah, 8. You really coudln't wait until the end?" After laughing about the miscommunication, I almost jumped out of my skin. I was running eight miles? Eight? I could do a half marathon! It was more than half of it and for me, eight miles was the magic number to knowing I could run long distances.
A half marathon, and a couple of Olympic Distance triathlons would follow that March day. These events helped me find new levels of joy and purpose in exercise and contributed to my desire to test my limits, and train. Running with J. carried me there. Every day, every workout we set up and did just because the other person was meeting us. Running with J. was just fun. In the fun, the laughter, and the great conversations, I forgot to fear new distances, new routes and bad weather. I just became a better runner.
Because of J., I found the joy in running. I know if I am running with a friend I can do anything and enjoy it (most of the time anyway!) I am running this marathon for J., for my sister who is running it with me, and for everyone who has ever run with me and made it fun. It’s the joy of all of those runs, the support of friends, and running through excuses that caused this transformation. Running a marathon isn’t necessary; it’s for the love and joy of running.
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