Marine Corps Marathon Inspirations
Inspiration can strike like lightening. When inspiration ignites purpose, one buckles up for an exceptional journey. This was exactly what happened to me when I decided to run the Marine Corps Marathon. My brother-in-law, Marine Corps Capt. Elijah Stevenson, inspired me to run the race with him in Washington DC. Together, we made running the marathon a bucket list goal upon his return from his 3rd Tour of Duty – the last one in Afghanistan.
People have many reasons for running the Marine Corps Marathon. The course route through our Capital creates an incredible experience. One can imagine the pivotal historical moments that took place once upon a time right where we were running! This marathon offers a chance to respect the people who are currently fighting to protect our country and honor those people who have sacrificed their lives to protect our freedom. Runners feel the goosebumps of the past meeting the present as the ghosts of iconic leaders in history like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. compel you to be more than you think you are and finish with heart at the Iwo Jima Memorial, where the American heroic spirit engulfs you to the core.
We arrived in Washington DC with lots of emotion built up around our marathon goals. Upon leaving Washington DC, we were more profoundly affected than we could have imagined.
The differences between Elijah and myself in our approach to the last day before the race were as comical as, well, a kick-ass 6’4” Marine who’s been through hell and back and a nerdy lifetime runner who’s just worrying about mile splits and pre race breakfast. Somehow I knew that all of this marathon run planning could be helpful but didn’t address the true test of the mind at the really messy mile 20 of the marathon. At mile 20, toughness trumps planning, heart trumps minds, and WILL beats doubt. Men and women running with heroes’ hearts and minds start to rise above as naturally as cream rises to the top.
HEROES
What is a heroic effort? What is a hero? In my observation, a hero stands out in a crowd when there’s a BIG challenge. Most peoples’ minds are screaming, “Close your eyes, run away, stand aside, stop, be afraid.” A HERO’s mind is screaming, “GO IN, charge, find a way,” and there is no delay or hesitation between their thought and their action. This was evident in the marathon. To run a hard long race amongst Marines, and other servicemen and servicewomen, shows that the true difference is in their mind and toughness conditioning. These are the kind of men and women whose purpose burns so strong inside of them that they will live and fight in unfathomable conditions, away from their loved ones, to honor their country and follow their purpose. Passion is contagious. Participating in a marathon with this unique kind of energy seeps deep into your core to change the vibration of possibilities.
In a marathon, the WALL is the big shift where a run turns gnarly. The sensation of the “wall” in a marathon is when the muscles start to cramp, the lungs burn, while the brain gets really fuzzy and freaked out - like you’ve been pushed through a juicer and all that’s left of you is the pulp. You feel as if you are standing on a mountain of bricks looking straight up. The sensation of the “wall” happens when the body has exerted more effort than it is prepared for- both mentally and physiologically. This is when it gets interesting. Marines (because I’m most familiar with my brother-in-law) get better when the conditions worsen. Their auto response is, “Bring it on”. This is a survival mechanism for servicemen and servicewomen in times of deployment, and is very inspirational when running side by side with them. As “civilian” people begin to unravel, these men and women stay steadfast and true without the messy mind dump of excuses and fear.
How do we get that auto-response of strength, clarity and toughness at the edge? First, practice physical tests beyond the limits of our bodies AND our minds in “normal life” situations. Next is to experience perspective changes. When we chose to do things that are challenging, we leave our comfort zone, get a good look at how we handle our edge, and have a chance to define who we are when we reach the edge. The most amazing way to reset the mind and its thought patterns in challenging situations is to change the perspective on the perspective. This happened to me at mile 11. Elijah and I were running together, and both felt that we had gone out a bit too fast, and were each feeling relative hurt. His hurt, of course, meant blistered, bleeding feet, and beat up quads from his older shoes and lack of road training. My hurt was a sense of burning, tired legs, too-high heart rate with15 miles in front of me, and some mental unraveling at the thought of it. I felt like a sissy. Then something happened unexpectedly.
1000 meters that changed the story.
On the quiet strip of road leading to the Potomac River, we ran through the “Wear BLUE to Remember” section. Every 3 feet, a poster was secured in the ground of a Marine, men and women, who had lost their lives serving our country. Their families had put their pictures, names and stories on the posters. Some were pictured holding their kids, hugging spouses, or in uniform. All pictures seemed to speak to us with their spirit. The row of tributes went on for a long time, so many lives ended too soon. At the end of the pictures, the family members stood holding American Flags in another long and uniform row. They were silent but smiling in appreciation of the effort being made by the runners. Somehow the silent, intense smiles of encouragement unraveled the knots in my head and muscles to find clarity and perspective. Physical pain gives perspective on health and strength; spiritual pain - the pain of losing a loved one – provides perspective on physical pain. I realized how grateful I was to be running with Elijah instead of looking at his poster. It so easily could have been him. Elijah said, “You know, all of those guys would give anything to be here feeling the simple muscle pain of running.” We get to do this. This1000 meters out of 40,000 meters that would be run that day, gave me a clear perspective of what’s important. This 1000 meter experience could be considered a PASSPORT back to gratitude, strength, grit, and courage when I dropped into the dark rabbit hole of mile 20. I vowed to hold on to the lifeline of this perspective in honor of all these Marines, when the tired voices in my head tried to seduce me to stop and slow down. I vowed to feel the courage of all our service men and women, as well as anyone else facing a challenge in life needing someone to run bravely for them.
Mile 20. The “Wall”, the Test, the Edge, the “Good Enough” Zone.
When we are tested, we sometimes go to those dark corners of our minds. Discernment of truth becomes really grey. “I’m cramping! Can I run through? I feel like I’m bonking, I need to stop now, it’s ok, I’ve run so far, this is good enough…” The loudest voice in our head becomes the difference between a heroic effort and a good-enough effort. These are the moments that start to create a habit in our lives. The culture of our mind at “the edge” is so different. The trigger-thoughts of the mind at the edge can get toxic; they have a different tone and urgency. Somewhat like visiting a foreign country that’s hard to navigate, and it’s hard to know who to listen to.
Next time you are challenged, and your mind starts screaming at you to stop, use your passport. Create an ‘anchor to power’, a sensory reminder like a bracelet, a song, a rock in your pocket to switch your brain out of fear and train your mind to choose courage, heart, love, and gratitude. Gut things out through your finish lines and you can honor those who have done the same. Teach your children how to use a passport of toughness and heart. This will help you be more present for those close to us who are in need of these passport qualities as they face the big challenges and WALLS in their lives.
So I ask you, who do you run for today?
By Wendy Puckett, Steamboat Springs, CO, Oct 29,2013
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