I completed my first ever 4-mile race last weekend. It was awesome! I’d been training with my mentor the last couple of weeks, and now I’m already excited to sign up for the next one!
The course looped around “A” mountain, which is a local mountain that has a huge A painted on its side. I didn’t get a close up pic, but I took a pic of the mountain on my way to the race.
Half of the route was uphill, which was brutal since I didn’t train uphill running, but the views made it worth. I was dumb and didn’t bring my phone, so no mid-race photos. I did take a picture of the skies as I was heading to the race area…so just imagine this sky color with sweeping views of the city at the top of the mountain.
Everyone’s running at their own pace
Somewhere on that climb, I had this small epiphany. Nothing brand new, but more of a reminder that finally clicked because I saw it play out right in front of me:
Everyone’s running at their own pace.
On the uphill stretch, I noticed that some people were walking, some fast-walking, and some running. Everybody was in the same race, started at the same spot, and finished at the same finish line. But everyone was moving at a different speed. And it sort of hit me there that life works the same way.
We all start the same way and, eventually, we all reach the same end. But the journey in between is unique to each of us. Sometimes we move slow and sometimes we sprint. And just because someone else is pushing hard doesn’t mean you have to run at their pace. That’s their way of doing life, not yours.
It sounds cheesy, but when I was on that hill, it stuck with me.
Casey Neistat’s take: do hard things
I’d recently watched a Casey Neistat running video where he shared a similar thought: in a marathon, everyone is doing their own hard thing.
For some runners, the hard thing is chasing a 6-minute mile. For others, it’s just trying to finish. Different goals, same race. That idea translates to life too. Your hard thing might not look like someone else’s, but it’s still valid and worth the effort. At the end of the day, you just have to run at your own pace and keep pushing toward what challenges you.
I think this also speaks to the idea that life is a marathon, not a sprint.
A reminder I need more often
For me, I grew up in a very comparison-driven world. I always felt like I was behind someone else’s standard. I’m slowly learning to let that go, but the feeling creeps back sometimes.
So I remind myself: you’re not behind. You’re not ahead either.
If you feel behind, I encourage you to ask yourself – why and by whose rules are you measuring?
Final results
Final time: 42:00.78.
Average pace: 10:14
I’m already eyeing a 10K. Not sure when, but this whole experience of training with friends, racing, and even the little life lessons along the way was fun and really encouraging.
Whether it’s running or life, it’s about showing up, learning as you go, and running the race with endurance and finishing well in your own way.
Cheers!
I found myself playing volleyball after the race. My legs were a bit sore, but volleyball is life.
