Why I'm running my first marathon at age 54 ¼
You hear about it, don't you? You know, the man in his 70s, the woman in her 60s running a marathon - reaching the finish line, elated and looking so strong, healthy and happy. Those tales seem so inspirational and we typically feel amazed that people THAT old can a) still run and b) run that far.
The funny thing, though, is that as you get older you really do begin to realise that 'age is just a number' and that you are as young (or as old) as you feel. Tell yourself you're old and you'll feel and act it. Tell yourself you're young and, yes, you'll feel and act it. I bet that if you asked said man in his 70s - and the lady in her 60s - how old they feel, they would each shave off a good many years (if not decades) from their chronological age.
You see, as the years clock up you start to realise how much we all use age as an excuse - mostly, for why we can't do things. But the reality is that usually it's not age that holds us back but our mindset - our will, determination and general attitude to life.
Running a marathon says more about character than age
Of course, the stories about people marathon running in their golden years are very inspiring, there's no denying that. But if we think about why we're impressed it's basically because of their age. Whereas, what we should probably be more impressed by is the fact that, age aside, they chose the path of self-discipline. They decided to be healthy and train hard. They, regardless of their age, set a goal and then followed through - putting in the hard work (physically and mentally) to achieve that goal.
And this says more about their character than their age.
Another thing about getting older is that when you are in your 50s, like me, 60 and 70 isn't actually that far away. When I read about runners in older age brackets than mine, I'm drawn more to the possibilities this represents for me over the next 10, 15, 20+ years - than the age factor. What I see is living, thriving examples of the possibilities that maintaining good health and fitness brings - including the possibility of doing extraordinary things. And running a marathon is extraordinary, let's not forget that each year less than 1% of the population completes one.
Run because you can
So, I'm training for my first marathon at the age of 54 ¼ for two reasons. The first is 'because I can'. And I can, because, just like the 70 or 60 year old runner, I too am making a decision and a commitment to completing a marathon. And because I've decided this and put it into my brain, I'm going to do all the things that I need to do to ensure that, this year, a marathon gets well and truly run - by me.
I must confess that I've only used my age for this blog post as a hook - to catch your eye and draw you in to read on. I actually feel about 20 years younger than I am. I feel very youthful. My fitness levels are in great shape. I'm strong. I have lots of energy, I run and I'm raring to go. So, why not run a marathon? Age doesn't come into it.
I've been running properly for about 10 years. In that time, I've clocked up about 10 half marathons. At one point, I did start training for a marathon. I got to 30 kms in my training but suffered from severe nausea. I couldn't seem to get past the sickness so I gave up and stuck to 'easy' half marathons and 10km runs instead.
But now I know that the nausea at 30kms was an excuse. Yes, it was real but when I look back I didn't really, hand on heart, believe I could run a marathon then. And by fixating on the nausea, I proved to myself that I couldn't run a marathon. I gave up.
Run because you want to
If I'm honest, I also didn't really want to do it, back then. Whereas, this time, not only do I know I can do it but I also know that I want to do it. And, I want to do it because I know that it's going to be really hard - and this is the second reason why I've decided to run 42.2 kms later this year.
I want to run a marathon precisely because it's going to be really difficult.
You see, we all need to do hard things. Taking yourself out of your comfort zone and pushing yourself is rough; challenging; unpleasant. Modern life encourages us to take the path of least resistance and opt for 'quick and easy' and 'convenience'. Unfortunately, this does nothing for personal or professional development. By contrast, it is the hard track, where difficulty lies, that leads to all the good things like growth, resilience, physical strength, mental wellness and strength of character. It is only by putting yourself in tough situations - and learning to navigate them - that you can augment your will-power and your self-discipline.
And it is this will-power and self-discipline that will, in turn, allow you to get the most out of this one and only life we have each been gifted.
Carla Eschenbeck is a freelance writer and member of the 10 Reasons collective. She has recently written Run for Your Life, an easy-to-read book published by 10 Reasons.
Run for Your Life explores '10 reasons' why running will help improve your life. It is available for purchase (kindle and paperback) via Amazon.
