What Running the Boston Marathon Taught Me About Possibility
I recently ran the Boston Marathon for the first time after 7 years and 4 attempts to qualify for the race.
I’ve documented the journey on my personal Substack, but I wanted to take a moment here to reflect on what stayed with me beyond the race itself.
In my work as a life coach, I spend a lot of time helping people open themselves up to possibilities they may never have imagined for their lives. Experiences rooted in joy, freedom, connection, and growth. Running the Boston Marathon ended up reinforcing many of the same lessons I see play out in everyday life.
Today I want to share 5 key lessons from my journey to Boston.
1. Possibility unfolds over time
Possibility starts as a seed. An idea. “That would be amazing”, or “I wonder if that could be possible”.
The seed then gets watered and the roots are planted over time. The journey to the Boston Marathon was over 7 years in the making. When I think back to anything I’ve accomplished or created in my life, it started as a seed first. I’ve heard it said that we create everything we have twice. First in our minds, and then in reality.
What we repeatedly focus on has a way of shaping the direction of our lives.
Get curious about what lights you up. Follow the threads and the interest. Don’t be attached to the timeline, but be committed to what you want to create for yourself.
2. Presence changes the experience
Wherever you are, be there. Not in your head thinking about what might happen, or what has already happened. Be here now. The times I was most engrossed in the experience were when I was fully present, hearing my name called out by the spectators, in full appreciation for the experience and the City that opens its arms to all of the participants.
And the moments that felt hardest?
When I was filled with doubt, pressure or uncertainty. I committed to the feeling, how I wanted to feel vs the outcome I wanted to create.
3. Support matters more than we realize
Nobody achieves anything meaningful alone. We aren’t meant to do life alone. I had so much support along the way, from my husband, my coach, my running friends, and the hundreds of thousands of spectators lining the course. I felt supported and encouraged. Friends, family and strangers all reached out with encouragement.
It reminded me how powerful encouragement can be, even from people who may never fully realize the impact they’re having.
4. Uncertainty will always come along for the ride
I used to think that if I planned enough, or thought through every scenario that I could overcome any uncertainty. Control was the antidote to uncertainty, or so I thought. But that’s not the way it works. Life is filled with uncertainty. The key isn’t to try to overcome it or to be certain about everything. It’s to expect uncertainty and trust that you can handle whatever happens. There was so much uncertainty leading up to the race with the qualifying process, injuries, and weather.
Think about anything you’ve ever accomplished in your life - did you have certainty about all of the details? Certainly not!
The uncertainty never fully goes away. We just slowly learn that we’re capable of meeting it.
5. Who you become along the way is the most important part
Whenever you are trying to achieve a goal, the goal itself isn’t the most important part. It’s who you become along the way. What do you have to discover about yourself? What will you learn? How will you grow? What areas of your life will improve or change because of your commitment to this one area? This journey for me was about patience, presence, persistence and possibility.
It was about letting go of outcomes and committing to a feeling.
To embracing the moment, letting myself be supported, and committing to the experience and the joy that was available through the process.
Running the Boston Marathon was an incredible experience, but what stays with me most isn’t the medal or the finish time. It’s the reminder that possibility often unfolds slowly, presence changes everything, support matters deeply, and uncertainty doesn’t mean stop. Sometimes the greatest gift isn’t achieving the goal itself, but becoming the person capable of stepping into it.
Want the Full Story?
If you’d like more of the story about my journey to running the Boston Marathon you can read about it here:
Substack Articles:
I was also featured in an Albuquerque Journal article the weekend before the race:
After the race, my friend Shelby Tutty interviewed me on my podcast to hear all about the race.