Life is not a sprint, it’s a Marathon

Ready or not, the 50th anniversary Chevron Houston Marathon will take place this Sunday. Whether you are running the marathon, half marathon, 5k, or cheering a runner, this event reminds us that finishing a marathon is a state of mind.

When my daughter was born over a year and a half ago, right at the beginning of the pandemic, I certainly had to create a new state of mind.

My wife and I were rushed out of the West Houston hospital after only one night because they were trying to limit the amount of exposure everyone had with Covid. Due to the pandemic, we had not one extra hand at home to help us. We were so happy to be back at our own house, but we quickly realized that we now had a brand-new life that required a whole lot of attention and constant care and we weren't quite prepared for what was in store. Where were our instructions? Did my daughter not come with a manual? Sure, I had been around children before, but I had never even held a newborn baby.

I soon found myself holding, rocking, changing diapers, giving baths and doing most everything myself for the first 10 days because my wife was recovering from a pretty rough delivery.

There were many times that I thought I wouldn't be able to do it, but I kept telling myself I could get through just one more hour, hour by hour. Physically, I was exhausted from lack of sleep, but it was my state of mind that carried me through those 10 hard days. Looking back, it was the hardest, but most rewarding part of my life. I know that if I could push through that, I can do most anything!

This year as I set my goals, I reminded myself of that experience. I have very high expectations for myself, but now I know I can accomplish whatever I set out to do if I do it with the right frame of mind.

If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. We have worked hard to adapt, to persevere, to overcome and it has taken remarkable willpower to keep going and growing.

We are proud of all of us whether we are running a physical or mental marathon and we will definitely be cheering at the finish.