Throwback to the time when you wrote down your bucket list but FORGOT to include marathon running in it. Sure it had been on your mind for quite some time but you were just shaky and not gutsy enough to take the plunge!
Well, you will never be out of excuses to not run a marathon (too tough, too much, injuries and shizz) but it’s time to rethink your life goals, take that leap of faith and add RUN A MARATHON to the list of things you wanna do before you die.
I’ll tell you why:
- Dreams are too precious to be wasted: We are the dreamers and believers. We have certain thoughts and ideas that are just too precious to cast away and we cling to them. And when we accomplish them, the feeling in itself is exhilarating and surreal. Many people have running a marathon as a lifelong ambition. The only opportunity cost is the time committed but a dream is a dream after all. It makes magic happen! They only come true if you endeavour.
- Raising money for a good cause: Leave your aspirations behind. It could also be the time when you let you sensitivities and sensibilities get the better of you. You could be the knight in shining armour for someone if you run the marathon. It could be a great platform for you to show solidarity and support to a cause that is close to your heart. At the same time, let’s not forget the feeling of contentment and sheer happiness that comes handy when you raise awareness and some big sponsorship money by just running! Life is great, right?
- Brain gets a day off: To complete a marathon you don’t need skill or intelligence. All you need is perseverance and determination. At the end of day, it boils down to a competition with oneself. The only person who matters is you and the clinking sound of the medal around your neck. Just be stubborn. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, keep pushing and don’t stop.
- Make new friends: Running a marathon is a great opportunity to meet new people with whom you share the same interests and ideas. The morning of the race when you stand next to your fellow contestants, you know you will bond with them because you are alike. You can forge lifelong friendships and hold onto them while running the 26.22 mile distance. And at the end of the day, it does give you a lot to talk about because you went through it together in this epic battle.
- To get in shape: The most obvious benefit that comes out of training for a marathon is that it will bring your body into shape. Your health and fitness will get a much needed boost. It will improve the cardiovascular functioning and strengthen the bones. The endurance of the body, the flexibility and the immune system will also improve. Blood pressure and cholesterol levels will also be brought under control.
- Stay busy and sleep better: Once you have undertaken to run a marathon, it will keep you occupied and oddly busy. If you are going through some major life change, it might be the perfect opportunity for you to train hard and get your mind off things. And yes, what does a man do after a day of hard work? He sleeps soundly. Snug and tight! This exhausting exercise will get the better of you so your body will heal while you sleep.
- Lifetime of bragging rights: Running 26.22 miles is no easy feat so once you finish a marathon, it will remain with you forever. The memories. The toil. The exhaustion. But finally the ecstasy of finishing the marathon. The tag shall stick with you and you shall have the right to brag and flaunt in front of your buddies forever and ever.
Now that you have finished reading this, I hope you got your pen and paper together and are scribbling down RUN A MARATHON on it.
