Do you want to know the secret to testing your mental grit? I’ll let you in on a little secret: It’s not therapy, it’s marathon training. Don’t get me wrong, running a marathon will change your life. It is a surreal, emotional, and transcendent experience, BUT that’s after you put in all the work.
Marathon training is devoting approximately 16 to 20 weeks to running, strength training, and nutrition, while putting quite literally everything else on the back burner. For me, the day I started training for a brand-new career after being a stay-at-home mom for seven years was also the day I kicked off my own marathon training.
In a whirlwind of four months, I had to figure out how to: balance work, run double digit miles on a random Tuesday, all three of my kids being home, give them a fun summer, keep up with things around the house, grocery shopping, run another five miles because I had to break up an 18 mile run due to camp or school events, make sure all three kids got to three different schools, drive a school bus, squeeze in yet another eight mile run, the list goes on. The mental load quadrupled, tenfold.
What everyone saw: The mom, crushing it.
The support and words of encouragement really carried me through. I was told so many times, “I don’t know how you do this,” or “you can do hard things.” Some days, I really did feel on top of the world. I AM DOING THIS. After a really good run, you will remind yourself that you chose this, and you are thriving. You will get to join the less than 1% of the population to cross the finish line of a marathon. Just keep pushing.
What everyone doesn’t see: The silent struggle. The self-doubt.
The 3 a.m. wake-ups to run 20 miles in the dark before the kids get up, so you can focus on them without missing a beat. The disruption of your personal life when you have to put your relationship on the back burner because guess what, you have to get a run in. The tears of guilt hiding in the bathroom because you are putting a run before your kids, after turning the TV on for them again. The really bad run days when you question if you can actually do this—the pressure to put on a smile and a façade when you are screaming inside.
Despite the internal struggle, I still showed up. I am not the strongest. I will never be the fastest. Let’s be honest, I am probably a little bit insane. (Aren’t we all? I think?) But I will persevere. I will prove to myself that I can do it. I will do it with heart, even when my head is trying to shut me down.
Marathon training will teach you discipline that you didn’t know was possible. It will test you. It will break you. But it will also show you a side of strength and resilience that you always had, hidden deep down underneath hundreds of miles.
On November 2, 2025, I crossed the finish line of my first marathon, none other than the New York City Marathon. I faced the same self-doubt during the race that I did during the training. I wondered if I’d make it all the way to 26.2 miles. But I was quickly reminded of the work I put in to get me here and why I deserve to be here.
The crowd, my friends, my family, and the overall energy carried me across that finish line. When that shiny gold medal was put around my neck, I reminded myself that I was made to do hard things. I AM ENOUGH.
