"When I was around 3 or 4 years old, my dad took me to the park to teach me how to run. He explained the theory behind running and demonstrated it to me. With hope in his voice, he asked me to try it out. However, in all my excitement, I ended up running backwards. When I was in 9th grade, my new school organized sports day activities. I decided to participate in two events: the tug of war and the running race. During the race, I continued to run even after everyone else had crossed the finish line. Asmin, the winner of this aforementioned race had already completed the run and was standing with the coach. The coach then pointed at me and with absolute wonder in his voice asked Asmin, "Why is she walking instead of running?"
From then to now, I seem to have come a long way! Overcoming my weak legs and lungs and hesitancy to run in public was not an overnight feat. When a friend told me about a marathon and encouraged me to participate, I found renewed motivation. I began waking up early in the morning and pushing myself out of bed despite the cold weather. What I realized about running and especially marathons: It requires a significant amount of psychological endurance as well. The mental aspect is crucial in pushing through the physical challenges, especially during the last leg!

Life lessons I learned during the marathon:

I realized that I had set a goal in my mind even before I started running. The only reason I managed to finish the run was because I was chasing that goal in my mind, and it kept me motivated. I learned that one has his best shot at success only when one sets a goal regarding the outcome before walking into any meeting, negotiation, or project.
The positivity in the air, the high spirit of the people around and the camaraderie among strangers make marathons memorable and addictive. I drew strength from the support and encouragement of fellow runners and spectators especially during the last few meters, when I was at my weakest. That was the only reason I could finish. This taught me the importance of surrounding myself with positive people, achievers and fighters, and of keeping my cheerleaders close. Last but not least, running trains the mind to be adaptable to unforeseen challenges and be resilient in the face of fatigue and setbacks; lessons invaluable for achievement. Finally, there is nothing sweeter than emerging victorious against your demons. The fact that I was not the last person running, unlike my 15-year-old self, reminded me that the past is in the past. Shedding the burden of my past weaknesses has allowed me to build a stronger self. It's time to let that self evolve. But how? Perhaps a 25 km marathon this year to begin with? Who knows!