Training for a Marathon, More than a Medal, it's about the Journey
A Bridge (Not) too Far
I pass under a little bridge on my way to and from work nearly every day. It’s a strange little bridge, a product of quirky neighborhood planning, but loved for it’s quaintness.
I know it is loved because it got old and they took great care to tear it down then rebuild it in grand style. It took a long time to re-build that little bridge, way longer that I would have expected, but as I made my daily drive past the project I realized how much I enjoyed watching the progress unfold.
Tractors and workers, great steel beams, concrete pouring and more concrete and finally landscapers and plants, stone masonry and sprinklers. Truck and cars obstructed the road, men with signs stopped and started the traffic. I could have found an alternate route but most days I didn’t, preferring to cruise by and crane my neck at the work being done.
London Bridge Isn't Falling Down Anytime Soon
The bridge is done now and the workers and trucks are long gone. I had wished they would speed it up, now I miss the hubbub of activity. What is unseen in the wake of the finished little bridge, is the proud souls of those who’s sweat and toil have left in their wake, a thing of lasting beauty.
There is a metaphor in that little bridge, a message about how to train.
Take care to create something of lasting beauty.
Do it for the finished product, you, not just a finisher’s medal.
Build fitness, endurance, and self-confidence.
Even if you “fail”, and miss the starting line or that time you were shooting for; the thing you have really built is your own self-reliance, confidence, the engines of productivity and pride in having achieved something by putting in the consistent training work everyday.
You put in the time and miles, you trained for a marathon.
How many people can say that? Sure people can make glib, off the cuff remarks about wanting to “do” a marathon one day. But how many people actually put in the effort to build the structure necessary? Put in the effort? Go on that journey?
Most of all, in the wake of our efforts we are left with the objective proof that, by your industrious endeavors, you as an individual are truly capable of building some magnificent things if you put in the time and the effort.
Warmest Regards,
Steve Smith
