I have always had the mindset anyone can do anything they put their mind to. Of course, there
are limitations to this. However, creatively, socially, professionally, personally – you can do your
best and advance. Always.
Last year, I decided, with the aid of my fellow Beth’s Wishes Foundation trustees, that I would
run a half marathon. Prior to this, I had always struggled to get into running. Training for this, I
was still struggling to get into running. Finding the energy or motivation after working a full day,
or feeling like you cannot run on precious days off made it hard for me to stay consistent. I was
as consistent as I could be. Which in the end, proved to be enough – you bring to the table what
you can. In the 2 months running up to the race, my fear kicked in and put me to work. I ran on
most of my off days and tried to stick to a schedule, slowly building up my distance. I was blown
away, run after run, at how far my body could take me. Some days, of course, were more
challenging than others. Feeling like no progress was being made, like I’d never reach 21K or I
would run out of time. This version of myself had no idea what I would go on to achieve!
My progress was in no way linear, one day I’d manage 7K, the next I’d be crying and calling for
rescue as I’d gotten myself too far in the wind and rain. At the end of the day, I knew whatever
happened I was doing it for the right reasons. Therefore, I should be proud of myself, no matter
the outcome.
As the race drew closer, those around me were checking in on my progress, asking how I felt for
the upcoming race. The answer was mostly the same – I had NO idea what would happen, I just
hoped I could finish. My longest run prior to race day was 12k… as you can imagine, this raised
doubts to myself on whether I’d be capable of almost doubling that. However, I remained
hopeful, reminding myself; it’s ok to walk, it’s ok to be slower than my peers – my pace is my
own!
After the mental ups and downs of training, the day came to face what felt like my biggest
challenge ever. I was nervous, excited, glad to be supported by my family and friends. I was
mostly excited to see what I could do, could I keep running through the pain? Could I reach the
finish line? Waiting at the start line in the cold felt like an eternity, filled with doubt and nerves,
but ultimately raring to go. Of course, eventually we did just that, and I ran. I kept running. I
didn’t stop. Fuelled by music and atmosphere. My only still moments were to chug water at the
water points – moments where I could catch my breath and reflect on my awesome progress.
Every step forward was one step closer to my goal. I was determined not to walk, determined to
run and run like I’d trained to do. To my surprise it was fun! Towards the end I wanted to walk, to
slow down but I knew I’d come so far, there was no stopping now.
To this day, I am still surprised by my ability to run like I did. It showed me if I work towards
something, I can do it. My mind may tell me I am incapable, but what happens if I just try?
Challenging yourself can come in many forms, but it can help you advance towards a goal,
better yourself, change your mindset. I challenge you to challenge yourself to something! Take a
walk, invite a friend for coffee, speak up for yourself. You never know, it might be worth the fear!
With our best wishes, Beth’s Wishes