things I learned from running my first marathon

My first my weekend run was 6 miles and I remember thinking "there is no way I am going to be able to do this" (not a big cardio guy at the time). But every week I ran a mile further and and added a bit here and there during the week. 4 months later, I crushed it. 

We often have a lot more quit in our brain than we do in our body. This is natural, these systems were developed for self-preservation, but with a little push, you find quickly that you are capable of a lot more than you think you are. 

If you are not used to this level of strain you need to equally emphasize recovery. The weeks I tried to push it in training, work, and my social life, I wasn't able to do any of them well. 

When I was exhausted, the adrenaline wore off, and I still had 3 miles to go, I might have cried a little. I was not expecting that. 

I understand why people get the marathon bug. As a competitive person, I immediately started going through all the things I could have done better. I won't be running another marathon anytime soon. 

While I don't plan to train for another race, I did feel empowered to try other things that are outside of my comfort zone.