run a marathon? 42 kilometers of goosebumps, I promise!

First of all: It feels so good that marathon events can take place again at all. For us marathoners, the pandemic was difficult in several ways. Among other things, because all competitions were simply not allowed to take place for such a long time.

Of course, it’s also about running itself, but also about the feeling of community. Yes, every runner fights his own battle with himself in the marathon, but anyone who has ever accepted this challenge knows: You get so much support on and off the course that I am overwhelmed again and again.

A solidarity among the participants that I would like to see much more often in everyday life. Anyone who falls in the marathon will be lifted. Those who are not feeling well will be helped, those who can no longer be carried. 42 kilometers of goosebumps, I promise! That alone is reason enough to have this experience.

Anyone who manages ten kilometers suddenly wants 21!

Far from solidarity, which is really unique, I love to fight with myself every now and then. Feeling my own limits, physically, but also mentally, is very important to me. So you have the feeling that you are still alive. Feeling yourself is so important. We often just live our day, fulfilling our duties, forgetting about ourselves.

Running isn’t just a catalyst. It’s also the sport that brings us forward quickly. Hardly any other discipline has such great potential. Once you’ve started running, you’ll quickly notice that there’s more to come. Quite soon, ten kilometers that were perhaps unimaginable before are not only reached. They are no longer sufficient. That’s what many runners say, and I’ve experienced it firsthand. Suddenly you hear about a distance called a half marathon. 21 kilometers, so “only” twice the meanwhile easy ten kilometers. It has to be achievable, and it is. With a little training, with an intermediate step to the 15 kilometers, you can go from 0 to 21 in a year, and that in a very healthy way, namely with slow training.

And then it’s double again

For a long time I asked myself: How is this possible? Even when I just barely managed the half marathon after six months of training. How is it possible to double the half marathon!? I really thought it was inhuman. Not to complete. Simply not feasible. And today it’s really a must for me. And yes, if you want to call yourself a runner, you have to have run a marathon. Only this experience makes us real runners.

It is the supreme discipline, it is pure performance. For me, time doesn’t matter at first. Well, she didn’t matter. Today she already does. Admittedly, everyone somehow manages to run the half marathon. It’s a distance that – if you’re a little sporty – you can easily master. Anything above that requires really intensive training, which not only demands the body, but also the mind! The marathon is all about one thing: perseverance. And you can definitely learn that, just like in non-sports life.

Here, however, it is important that you let yourself be accompanied. From a doctor who does an intensive preliminary examination, with a trainer or a training program that is individually tailored to you. Because one thing is clear: running a marathon is not healthy, but training for the marathon is. And even if the run itself is unhealthy for the body, it’s still fun.

You learn that at the marathon

I was often asked the question: Why is a marathon a must for you? Why is that so important? You can just walk like that! Yes you can. But the 42 kilometers have several effects on many marathoners.

It’s not just that you push the limits, that you feel your body. The preparation requires absolute discipline. If you don’t have it, if you don’t learn it, you won’t have a chance to run a marathon. You also learn humility and patience very quickly. Our body shows us the limits on the way to the goal, even during the preparation. Humility and patience are the essential factors that you learn very quickly before and during the marathon.

There is also a big word: self-love! A marathon runner has learned to love himself. And not in a narcissistic, but in a healthy sense. If you love your body and your mind, if you love yourself, you listen to your body. Listen to the spirit. Both during training and during the marathon itself, you need to listen to yourself. You learn to know yourself, to listen to yourself through the marathon.

That’s why I love this discipline so much.

That’s how it works.

Read all of Mike Kleiß’s columns here.