Storytime: Marathon Training & Doing The Secret Work
Two runners with their back towards the camera, running into the sunrise.
Note from LSG: I’m kicking off a series that I’m calling “Storytime,” where I’ll share fun stories with a bit of a more personal touch. As always, they’ll be full of inspiration for your personal and professional growth. I hope you enjoy!
It was fall of 2016 and my husband Andre and I had just landed in San Diego for 9 full days of sunny, sandy bliss. We had plans to spend a day at DisneyLand, take surf lessons, wiggle our feet in the sand and dip our toes in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. It was going to be 9 full days of relaxation and fun and there was nothing that could bring us down.
Except for our pesky marathon training schedule.
If you’ve ever trained for a long distance race, you know about the dreaded long runs, and we had an 18-miler on the schedule. Eighteen freaking miles. It was September and Andre and I were signed up to run the Hartford marathon about 5 weeks after our vacation which meant we couldn’t skip the long run. Ugh.
We had agreed we were going to do our long run early in the trip. We’d land, relax, hydrate, rest and then we’d run. We set our alarms for 4 a.m. (which wasn’t that hard given our need to adjust to the change from east to west coast) and on morning #2, embarked on the journey that we now not-so-creatively refer to as “The 18-miler.”
Andre, who also serves as our family vacation planner, had mapped out our route and it was insane. Our plan was to drive to a parking lot near a train station, walk to said train station, and then take the train EIGHTEEN MILES NORTH before running back to our car.
Does this sound insane yet?
Fellow runners know the commitment that is training for a marathon (or any big race!) and let me tell you, we were committed. I secured my keys into my shoe laces, tucked Gu energy gels into my sports bra and left out our post run bananas for when we returned.
We got off the train 18 miles north of San Diego and ran back to our car. The 18-miler.
In the beginning it was beautiful. We ran by the beach. We played music. We took quick breaks to listen to the waves and we stopped many times for water. It was an insane (have I already said that?) experience and one that I will never forget. Not only for the memories, but for the lesson it taught me.
When we originally signed up to run the marathon, all I could envision was running across the finish line. I imagined telling my family and friends “we did it!” but what I hadn’t thought about was the preparation and sacrifice that would take place over many months in advance.
Most of my friends and family won’t know about the nitty gritty details of the 18-miler. Or the other long runs that took over our Sundays that summer. I’m talking about all the body aches, nausea from dehydration, chafed arm pits and mangled toe nails (just to name a few!)
This is what my friend Hannah calls, the “secret work,” and it’s one of her pillars of developing self-discipline. Showing up and staying committed to yourself, even when no one else is watching.
The preparation for the marathon was challenging. It was a commitment I didn’t truly understand when I signed up. There are no DJs on your 18 mile training runs. There are no children banging their mini race day cowbells to encourage you to keep going. It’s just you (and maybe a partner!) and your will and your dedication. You may have cheerleaders waiting for you at the end of the race, but before the race even gets started, you must cheer for yourself. You must put in the work before the crowds come.
The secret work isn’t glamorous, but it’s where the magic happens.
On race day, we were surrounded by family, friends and cheerleaders at mile markers across the course. I will never forget the last leg of the race, with only 0.1 miles to go, when Andre put his arm around me and told me how proud he was. It was and is still one of happiest memories of our relationship. I will tell our future children and grandchildren about that day.
If you’re also out there, doing the secret work, I want you to know I see you and I applaud you.
Keep showing up. You’re worth it.
On the left: Text reads “Free Guide: How to Jump-Start Your Personal Growth in 6 Easy Steps.” Below is a radio button that says “Give me the guide!” and by clicking the photo, you are directed to a page where you can learn more about coaching with Lauren.
On the right: A picture of the cover of the free guide using Lauren’s branding colors (gold and shades of blue green) and logo (a series of crossed lines representing the integration of life and career, client and coach).
