A Perspective on Victory! I ran the Richmond Marathon on November 15, 2014. It did not go exactly as I planned, but I made some significant, mid-course mindset adjustments, shifted from victim to victor, and turned failure into victory! Listen as I talk you through the marathon, both literally and metaphorically.



Show outline:

THANK YOU! I got so many Tweets, Facebook messages, and emails wishing me luck and warmth for the marathon!
Even though I've run many marathons, this was, in many ways my first marathon

Foot surgery 8/13
Cancer surgery 4/14
No running at all for 10 months - ground zero!


Marathon breakdown

Got plenty of sleep the night before, ate well, hydrated, did all the prep just as planned
Got up at 5:00am, had breakfast and coffee, got dressed just as planned
Picked up neighbor at 6:15, drove downtown, found parking spot, sat in the car to stay warm
It was 22 degrees!
Got to starting line, sun was up and had warmed to 26!
First 13 miles were great, just ahead of target pace
Family met me, swapped water bottles with my son, rolled on
Mile 15, turned left to cross the James River heading north

brutal, cold headwind
2.5 mile uphill climb


Right hip--specifically the top of the sartorius muscle--became very sore while fighting the cold wind and the grade
By the time I hit 18 it was screaming at me, which effected my stride/gate, forcing me onto my left leg
I could feel my left knee, which I injured many years ago become weak.
I was walking/jogging by 20 and knew I would not reach my goal
20-22 is where most people hit "the wall" anyway, it's not uncommon to find people walking here

The wall is where the mind and body want to quit
The mind plays games, you can get disoriented, or deeply discouraged
Many people bail out at this point


Could I have pushed through to keep my pace? Maybe

Ryan Hall - London Olympics DNF
Is the goal worth serious injury/long recovery if recovery is possible?
I decided it wasn't worth it. I'm not a professional, I just do this for fun


I had to do mid-course attitude/expectation adjustment

For a mile or two, I was very discouraged
I allowed myself to feel those feelings instead of telling myself I shouldn't feel them
When it passed, I reminded myself of all I have come through in last 15 months


At mile 23.5 I had tears rolling down my cheeks

Not tears of frustration or pain -- although I was in pain!
Tears of joy and gratitude!
15 months ago, I couldn't walk
7 months ago, I couldn't get out of bed without help because of the blood loss and abdominal pain
Right now, I am walking the last 3 miles of a marathon


I very carefully shuffled my way down the steep hill to the finish line

My goal had been 4:00
My actual time was 4:27
I missed my goal by 27 minutes
You tell me, is that a failure or a victory?
I call it a HUGE VICTORY!!!


The bonus was my neighbor!

He ran his 1st marathon ever 3-weeks ago in 5:02
He knocked 30 minutes off of his time, passed me at the end and beat me by 45 seconds!
I was SO happy for him!


It's all about perspective, and adjusting your expectations when life doesn't go the way you want it to
After all, life is a marathon!
All you can do on any given day is your best!

The 4th agreement: Always do your best!
Your best will be different on different days, under different circumstances
If you did your best, give yourself a break, celebrate you did your best!
If you didn't do what you wanted, but still did your best, try again tomorrow
If you didn't do your best, that's OK, try tomorrow to do your best
Doing your best is about the action, not about the outcome/goal
If you do your best, you find intense satisfaction in the doing, regardless of the outcome





Mentioned in this show:

You CAN Go the Distance! Marathon Training Guide - Bruce Van Horn
The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz