Learnings from My first Half Marathon

When I turned 30 last year, I wanted to do something that honored my internal integrity, the integrity of my spirit. Running has always been a struggle for me. I could never endure the mental discouragement. The constant naysaying by my mind always stopped me halfway. This year, I won the battle. Running long distance is purely mental, at least for me. It’s winning against the odds, the biggest of them being our own little minds. It only knows what it does; it stays within the limitations of previous circumstances. If we only listened to our mind, we can never break boundaries or do something that we have never done before. 

During the running process, there was a lot going on within me. There were a lot of conversations that I was observant to. Very very interesting process. I will write more on this topic when I have more time. But I wanted to record some of the learnings from the process. 

1. With discipline and practice, I can ramp up on anything.

2. The important thing is to focus on myself, other people may be performing better but they are in their own journey and we need to respect everyone's individual journeys.

3. When everything shuts down,  I need to focus on breathing.

4. Positive self-talk is my sexiest asset. My body resonates with the sound of my standing up for myself. 

5. Believing in myself is always the best bet.

6. Smile at the people on the way in life. It’s always a better experience than not smiling.

7. When thoughts subside, self-power emerges. So, it’s worth the effort.

8. When I feel everything is gone, something always remains that can be fanned to a full fire.

9. What’s the next goal during a moment of despair? - Its always the next step.

10. Listen to my body, it never lies. When it asks me to slow down, it probably means it. 

Here's to many more...