Success is about your effort not the results!
Yesterday, in Vienna, I ran my second official half marathon and only the 4th time I’ve ever completed 13.1 miles. I started training in January and used the Coach function in the Nike Running app (highly recommend it alongside a Garmin watch). The app allows you to choose whether you’re a pro, intermediate, or going from couch to running. My wife promptly selected couch to running for me. I was initially ticked off as I was already running and felt at least I should be intermediat! I didn’t say anything and started my 12 week program towards race day April 10th.
Thankfully, we have a running group. Though I was following my own program it helped having a group to train with. The team helped keep me on point, motivated me on runs, people gave me tips of things to do from my form to breathing, to race day strategies. I initially didn’t set any goals other than to finish the race running — I strained a muscle at mile 11 last time, in Prague, and walked all of mile 13 other than jogging to the finish line. This time must be different I thought.
Three weeks ago I had the final long run of my training and I ran 13.1 miles in 2hrs 39 mins. I was so excited as it was a good 8 minutes off my last half marathon! I then set a goal of shaving another 15 mins in Vienna. With even more bravado I said I wanted to do the race in 2 hrs 15 mins!
I shaved 20 mins, beating my 15 min goal! However, I didn’t reach my other goal of 2hrs 15mins. A new personal best record was set!
The route of the marathon was not very exciting. Luckily for us all it didn’t rain which made the cold fine. Though my legs were tiring the second half and especially the final 0.5 miles, I was able to push at the end. My splits are below
For me the marathon was a huge success! Not because I achieved 2 of 3 goals, but because I trained with such discipline. I believe we don’t control outcomes. Three times in the race people hit me as they ran by. I could have tripped and sprained an ankle. That could have been the end of the race. Didn’t happen, but just to illustrate. I separate my success from the outcome. Clearly I would have been happier to beat my time goal, but knowing I put my 100% into a goal and worked hard for it is success!
All that said, what I am most proud of yesterday was not even my race. My wife set a bold goal of running her full marathon in sub 4 hours. Her previous personal best was 4hrs 13 minutes. She trained diligently and worked on running a fast pace for longer stretches. I was so sure she would break the mark. She finished 4hrs 2 mins. She was gutted. She wanted this so badly. Thanks to the race organisers I didn’t even get to be with her at her finish. I waited in the cold but we missed each other — that was a shame. I am so proud of her because of her training. Also, if you look at her splits you see she pushed even harder towards the end when she realized she was running out of time. For me she already beat sub 4!
My wife has been my inspiration to run and I am even more motivated now. I am now dreaming of a sub 2 hrs half marathon and my first full marathon. I need to change my diet and do more high intensity interval training. Time to even have more discipline and put my all towards this goal. It won’t be easy but I’m committed. My success will be 100% determined by the effort I put into this goal. Reaching it will only be the cherry on the cake.
