How was your week? Another week of Simchas on the Shule front, with a baby naming and a wedding yesterday and a twin Bar Mitzvah tomorrow! Mazal Tov to all! This was a massive week for me as I ran my first full marathon. 42.2km! It still hasn’t fully registered. It took a few days for the adrenalin and euphoria to wear off and for the muscle fatigue and soreness to subside and I’m now left with a tremendous feeling of accomplishment and a deep sense of fulfilment that comes with engaging every fibre of your body and every ounce of mental strength to reach a significant goal. Running 42.2km before turning 40 has been on my mind for a while but seemed way way out of reach. A dream and a wish, but as Herzl said, “if you will it, it is no dream” and I can now tick it off the bucket list with 8 months to go! Was it hard? The last 12km were really hard, but the mind did its thing and the legs followed. For the most part I ran happy and grateful. The goal for this one was ‘finish line’ not ‘finish time’. I took in the beautiful views of our city, cheered on fellow runners, thanked the police and ambulance members along the route, mouthed gratitude to Hashem for a healthy body and for this opportunity, savoured each km as they came and went (sometimes with a grimace and sometimes with a smile) and 5.5hrs later ran into the MCG cramping, emotional and elated – greeted by Rivki and the kids. What pleasantly surprised me was that quitting was not an option. It never entered my mind, even when the going got tough and the quads and calves were protesting and screaming. This was significant for me as my mental fortitude hasn’t always been that strong. It has come a long way and running has a lot do with that. All in all an incredible experience and many life lessons learned. Here are some I've been unpacking over the last few days: Always appreciate and be grateful for the miracle of life and a healthy body! Never underestimate the power of self-belief and positive self-talk, backed up of course with commitment and dedication. We can accomplish difficult things (small or large ) if we believe we can and if we will it to be real before it is reality. Our mind and body are capable of so much more than we often think. As silly and basic as it sounds, putting one foot in front of another is how you complete a marathon. It is the only way to move forward and achieve a goal. This km, this moment, is my current challenge, just keep on keepin’ on! Enjoy the process and the journey. Often we are focused on where we want to get to, which is important, but if we are constantly thinking about the destination and future, it is easy to forget to enjoy the present and the special moments along the way. Lastly, I ran with 28,000 people of all ages, sizes and abilities. Some were running their first marathon like me, others completing their twentieth (!!). Some were professional runners, others just recreational. Everyone was running their own race, doing their best. Everyone has different abilities and circumstances. We can’t compare ourselves to others, all we can do is look at ourselves and ask, “Am I doing the best I can with what I’ve been blessed with?” My blessing - May the road always be open for us and preferably with the wind behind us, may we have the courage to put one foot in front of another and the strength and belief to overcome any adversity that comes our way, may we respect those around us doing their best and find meaning and enjoyment in the moment we're in and the journey we're on. Shabbat Shalom and a great week ahead! ~ Enjoy this little video I put together of my day https://youtu.be/rnAGlw7cJvM 🙂
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