Parkrun - 32:15:64
Life lessons from my first Marathon
Running a marathon is not so popular where I come from (Nigeria), so I participated in my first Marathon race organised by parkrun in July, 2023. I signed up because it looked exciting when I saw contestants run the previous week and I believed I’ll just breeze through it - “a run through the park” right?!?.
Parkrun is an initiative to get people to run, walk or jog weekly in their different communities. It is a free 5k race and encourages everyone to participate just as you are. You can walk, jog, run or volunteer(or a combination of any of these), everyone is a winner. It is inclusive, positive and welcoming with no time limits (Parkrun.org.uk).
I entered for it confidently and arrived on time with a strategy in my head to finish well and strong.
On the day of the event which was cloudy and windy at the Thames Path parkrun, Woolwich, as we gathered, instructions were given, milestones celebrated and the course described to newbies like myself. It was a straight run on sandcrete floor then continued on ground path and further through a park and unto the “curly-wurly” hill where participants make a return back the same way from the top of the hill along the same route down to the finish line.
I confirmed what I had seen the week before the race but this time in the race. There were different people, from old to young, big to small, diverse colour, different groups, some with dogs, trollies with kids in it and even a pregnant woman. Status was not clear and obvious as intentions and achievements of participants was unrecognisable.
As the race began after the call “GO, I began to realise some lessons from this marathon race. I will be sharing seven of these lessons that I consider useful for our life race that God has set before us. Hebrews 12:2 says we should run with perseverance the race set before us. Everyone is in a race, how you run it goes a long way. Below are the lessons.
- It starts with a step: as the announcer said go, it became paramount that it only takes a step to start and another one then another to continue till you finish. The end line is the goal but you only need a step at a time to cover many grounds. It’s the same thing in life, you cannot do it or be it all at once. Go through the process and enjoy the moments one after the other.
- It is a race against time: as the race commenced, it became obvious that the race is not against the many people in it. It is a race against myself and at best my time. Running against people was not worthwhile as some moved ahead and some dropped behind who couldn’t keep up. Living your life based on other people’s opinions and achievements will either leave you distressed or short-changed as you will be messed up either ways. Let your eyes be on the focus, not on others.
- Pace your race: just after five minutes into the race I was already panting and couldn’t continue at the pace I started with. I immediately started pacing myself so that I could keep up through the race. Some times I walked so I can catch my breath and run better, at other times I dropped my speed so I could increase it later. One thing I didn’t do is stop moving or give up. Learn to take rests and breaks in life as the pressures come. It helps you gain strength to press forward subsequently.
- Travel with the necessities: it’s easier to say travel light because that is the key to running fast but I carefully observed that it may not work for everyone as I learnt. I observed people travel with different things as inhaler, phones, trolley with their kid in it, bottle water, dog (yes! a dog) etc. Traveling light would have meant leaving behind something important that would keep them stable during the race or keep the mind together. Imagine the man with the kid in that trolley spending time with the child as he ran. In life, you should know how to identify what is necessary per time and run with them. Run without being hindered by what you have or do not have.
- Cheers are good: as we jogged, ran or walked along, we gave and received cheers from one another and from non participants. The cheers did spur me on when I got tired and really felt like giving up. You should have people who cheer you on as you also do same to other as you go through life. We need to celebrate one another so that we are all charged up to go on.
- Take advice and run with it: As I burnt out on my way back an older man jogged past me and said “take off your head gear, you’re burning up”. I had covered my hair up because I couldn’t comb it before setting out. I hesitated for this simple reason but decided to remove it as advised while he jogged on and left me behind. As soon as I removed it, I felt the breeze blow over my head and I soon felt refreshed and better. I finished the race without the head covering. There are people who have gone ahead of you in life and gained the relevant knowledge of the course you are chatting. Take a moment to listen and learn from their experience. You do not have to learn the hard way, just enjoy the benefit of having people around you to offer guidance as necessary.
- Finish: as I crossed the finish line, receiving the cheers of the organisers, it felt good, really good and then relief. I secured my time( 32:15) and went on to scan my barcode. The lesson here is in two folds, which are that everyone who commits to continuing will finish and the time you finish is personal to you. For me, the time was the first, it felt okay and the standard to beat the next time I try. On the flip side, I saw a dad pushing his child in a trolley who was tired and had about six meter to the finish line suddenly rushed up as he was encouraged he could still beat the 44 minutes mark. Everyone will finish but how will you finish?
We all have a race set before us and we must do well to run it with every diligence. Everyone one will give an account of how well it has been run.
Have you been part of any race before? What do you think about the points raised and which one caught your attention and why?
Please share your thoughts and register for the next Parkrun event through the link below.
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