This post is from Melissa, a guest blogger on The Z Beat!
We all have moments in life when the reality of a situation
overwhelms you. This recently happened to me on my second attempt to finish the
Disney Half Marathon in January.
When I ran my first half last January, I attempted it simply
because I set a goal for myself to do it before my 44th birthday and
to prove to myself that if I could do something I didn’t necessary like for
13.1 miles, I could never tell myself I couldn’t do anything again.
While I didn’t finish the race because I couldn’t keep up
with the pacing requirement and was picked up after 5 miles, I still felt
pretty good about it and a few months later, decided I wanted to actually try
to FINISH this year so I signed up again.
When the alarm went off at 2:30 a.m., I felt pretty good.
Still a bit congested but my throat felt better so I decided I would give it a
go. I boarded the bus at 4 a.m. and made sure I used the restrooms before
getting to the starting gate so I wouldn’t have to stop and lose time like I
did last year. I started off great and was on pace when I hit the 3-mile mark. It was
after that when the problems began.
About a half mile into the fourth mile, medical personnel
began talking to me because I started wheezing and having a hard time getting
air in. Everything hurt but I was not going to quit. They kept telling me it
would be OK, that I would still get my medal but I told them the words “I quit”
or “I’m done” would never escape my lips and that they would have to physically
stop me. Four and a half miles in, that’s exactly what they did.
On the medical bus, I met a wonderful man named Seneca from
Tennessee and he heard my story as I told it to another woman who suffered leg
cramps and he chimed in to share his experiences and to give me encouragement
not to stop after hearing this was my last half marathon.
Looking back, I realized I was overmatched and there was
truly no way I could’ve finished that day. I was disappointed and when I got
back to my hotel, I had a good cry, took a warm shower and went to breakfast
with my brother. It helped but I still felt a void, until I checked my Facebook
feed. I had an overwhelming response to the video I posted after the race where
I let everyone know I didn’t finish. I truly was speechless.
What I learned, once again, is that it doesn’t matter to
others that you finish, it simply matters that you start. I never realized how
much people actually cared about my fitness adventures but now I do. I’m sure
your clients and students feel the same about you so when things seem
overwhelming or frustrating, remember that you are an inspiration to others no
matter what. The fact that you have courage to teach, train and share your
experiences to help folks get fit is the gift you give, not to mention the
health benefit they gain.
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