Healthy Living is a Marathon - Not a Sprint

"Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance."
- Samuel Johnson

Today was my last long run (20 miles) in preparation for the Marine Corps Marathon which is just 2 weeks away. Some days on the long run you hit the "sweet spot" and your legs seem to carry you more effortlessly for a time. Today was not one of those days. The weeks of training have worn me out and every step for the first 10 miles felt like I was running through mud. My body wasn't cooperating and neither was my mind as self-doubt kept creeping in. Thoughts such as "You're working too hard, maybe you should stop early" tempted me as I struggled to continue. Yet I knew the disappointment of stopping early would probably hurt more than the soreness of my hamstrings. So I kept my head down, put one foot in front of the other, and kept going.

Preparing for a marathon is similar to living a healthy life. It's important to look at the big picture of where you want to go and then break it down into smaller pieces that you work on bit by bit. Like running, some days are easier than others. Some days it's easier to eat healthy - your motivation is high, you have a plan, and you execute it flawlessly. Other days are a struggle as temptation seems to be calling your name - whether from the goodies someone brought in at work or the gravitational pull of the drive-through that sucks you in like a deep space black hole. The important thing to remember is that these deviations are a part of life. The danger is getting stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset of "Well I had a doughnut this morning so I might as well eat whatever I want for the rest of the day." This is like saying well there is an accident on your way to work so you're going to drive from Virginia to New York to get to Washington, DC. Small deviations don't always have to turn into large ones. The important thing is to stop , recognize you have deviated, and get back on track as soon as possible. Of course this is easier said than done, but the more times you practice, the more it becomes second nature.

Remember that healthy living is more like a marathon than a sprint. Keep focused on your goal, putting one foot in front of the other, and don't quit. Eventually you'll reach the finish line.