Here’s the sixth post of the seven post series where I am sharing my experiences from the two Half Marathons that I ran last season and trying to draw some analogies from my experience to live a happier life. Hope you find these life lessons useful.

To Bring More Happiness Into My Life

So here are the seven relevant lessons that I have been able to derive from my Marathon running experiences, for a happier Me.

  1. Endurance
  2. Plan Your Energy Expenditure
  3. Be Better Than Yourself
  4. Run Together
  5. Cheer For Others
  6. Don’t Give Up
  7. Practice Discipline

Don’t Give Up – Cross The Finishing Line

I have shared in my previous post ‘ ‘ about how I almost gave up within 15 minutes of beginning my first marathon.  And then I received an advice from a fellow runner that changed `a lot of things for me.  What he had said was,

“Hey, you are not here to win the race. Just manage to walk and jog your way to the finish line. Get that finishing medal. It really is a fancy thing to own.”

I have already discussed the ‘walk and jog’ part in my previous post. But the idea of grabbing the finisher’s medal was the real deal maker for me. And I used the same tactic with my husband too. At a point of time somewhere mid-way, he refused to move even a step ahead. At that point I showed him the carrot (read the ‘Finishing Medal’) and pushed him ahead. When at 8 km he told me to run ahead so that I could reach in time to be eligible for the medal, I gave him an assuring look and said,

“Hey! Promise me you will run to the finishing line. Just in case they don’t give you the finishing medal, take it as a practice run for the next marathon where you will get that.”

He responded with a wink and flashed a smile. I turned around and ran ahead.  I am glad to share that he did finish the race within maximum allowed time and both of us rejoiced our first ever marathon run.

What Happens When You Don’t Give Up

  • You know you tried – When you have gone all out, you know that there was nothing more to be done on that occasion
  • There is no wondering – ‘What if I had given it a try?’ this question holds no meaning if you gave up mid-way
  • Strategizing for better performance – Only if you have given something a full shot, you will know where you went wrong and prepare better for next time
  • Improved Endurance – Going back to my Endurance gyaan; only if you stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone and accomplish a task, you will build up the endurance for the next attempt

An attempter is looked upon with much more respect than a quitter. To try is in your control, but to extract desirable results is a function of various factors. You can attain knowledge of these factors, only if you have walked the full path.

This post is participating in the 15 day Bar-A-Thon Challenge with Blog-A-Rythm

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