Marathon Training
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for the Feng Family. Tiffany, Julian and I just returned from the Bahamas where we spent Thanksgiving this year. We just ate, watched Julian play in the pool and I lost a bunch of Julian’s birthday cash at the blackjack tables (thanks all! don’t worry, cash is fungible).
It was some much needed R&R after I ran the Philadelphia Marathon the weekend before. That was my first marathon effort and one that I’ll never forget. Making my way through the city with 12k other runners and the crowd was truly an incredible experience. Having my entire family, Tiffany, Julian, my parents and Brady & Mia, all there to cheer me on and meet me at the finish line made it even better.
Here are some pictures from our recent travels:
A lot of people have asked me why I signed up for a marathon, especially since I’ve never been much of a runner. This time last year, the longest distance I’d ever run was [maybe] 6 miles. Even after completing my first half-marathon in March, I would’ve told you that a full marathon was likely out of the cards. I was so beat up after the half that I spent 3 weeks doing low impact Pilates at home. If 13 miles kicked my ass so hard, how am I ever going to do 26?
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I signed up. I just wanted a challenge to work towards. I loved having the feeling of having something to train for. Running the marathon wasn’t about seeing how quickly I could run 26.2 miles. It was for me to attempt something that felt scary, something that I wasn’t sure if I could do. Even if I failed to achieve my goal time or finish the race, I would still end up a better, stronger version of myself over the training and that alone makes it worth it.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from this entire process is to never put limits on what you can achieve. Every challenge feels insurmountable until you get past it. After which, it’s no longer a big deal. Your mind is the biggest obstacle to overcome.
At one point the 4 minute mile was considered a threshold of human performance. It was… until it wasn’t. The world record for the mile stood at 4:01.4 for nearly a decade starting in 1945 before the 4 minute barrier was broken twice in a span 2 months in 1954. Since then, nearly 1,800 other athletes have broken that barrier. All it took was one person to show that it was possible for everyone else to get on board.
The only way to see what you’re capable of is to keep challenging yourself. Attempt things that you’re not sure if you’ll be able to handle, things that force you out of your comfort zone. Don’t listen to the part of your brain that tells you can’t do it because of blah, blah, blah. Listen to the part of your brain that tells you to give it a try because you have nothing to lose.
I hope to run the NYC Marathon next year and maybe one day qualify for the Boston Marathon. I’m still a long way away from the sub-3 hour time needed to qualify for Boston (my time in Philly was 3:50) but what’s wrong with setting some hard goals? That feels just as unattainable to me today as a full marathon did a year ago.
But now, I’m looking forward to getting some of my time back and making space for some other areas in my life (like being a dad…) For one, my golf swing is in dire need of a tune-up after having regressed miserably the last 6 months as I focused on running.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t thank Tiffany for pushing me to sign up for the race and supporting me throughout my training. Someone needed to take care of Julian while I was out in them streets!