Next week at this time, I will be at the start of the NYC Marathon for the 16th time. The Husband and I have many fall traditions as I mentioned on Friday. The fall flies by with planning for his annual party and my annual 26.2 through the five boroughs. Yesterday in the aftermath of the party – which was a big success, phew! – I was thinking of how similar I feel when when prepping for the party and the race. This little post came together in my head.
Why Running a Marathon is Like Hosting a House Party…
1. No matter how many times you do it, you still get nervous. Before I host a party or before a big race, I have nervous anticipation. What if no one comes (despite having 50+ “yes replies”)? What if this is the day that I can’t make it from Staten Island to Manhattan (despite having done it 15 times before)? At least for marathons, I feel like if the nervous energy was not there, it may be my time to quit. The excitement is necessary to make the feat worthwhile.
2. You never know what you are going to get. With parties, you sometimes get cancellations or delays in food deliveries or worse. In the marathon, there is weather, blisters, potholes, colds/flus and what ever else the day can bring. One time in NYC, our bus got stuck on the way to the marathon start and we had to run to the baggage claim and then to the start. That really happened! Now, I take the ferry.
3. It takes a village. Before the party so many people reached out to offer assistance or to bring things. For the marathon despite my being pretty very experienced at it, I am generally overwhelmed with well wishers and cheerleaders. And not to mention all of the awesome folks who train and race with me all season. I would be nowhere without them. Thank you, friends (and family, too)!
4. When something works, you stick with it. For the party, The Husband likes to have it at our place with similar food, beer, guests and even music each year. For the marathon, you may notice that I have worn the same shirt, shorts and brand of sneakers since at least 2011. I have been rocking some items longer. I make fun of myself (and get teased) for these things, but I am a creature of habit. Plus, if it ain’t broken…
5. There are highs and lows. Both of these events take a lot of energy. For me when I host a party, I get so excited when each guest arrives, but there is always a time when it feels too loud and chaotic and I feel pulled in 10 directions. In the marathon, as you can imagine or know, it is easy to go from “king of the world” to “the slave in a pain cave.” Deep breaths and smiles (no matter how forced) help in both cases.
6. It is over before you know it. In a blink, after all of the planning and training, it is done. Like that, in a snap, the guests have left… the race is run. I try to remember this in the marathon if I feel overwhelmed or if I feel like the running is endless which it always does for me at some point.
7. There is always next year. Some years, we run out of beer or some kind of food. Some years, I run a dumb race – starting way too fast. Well, maybe more than “some.” That said, at the end of the day, there is always next year!
Do you agree? I guess many things in life are like a marathon – am I right?
PS. Don’t forget my great giveaways and the giveaway round up!