The Only Thing You Need to Run a Marathon

There are plenty of blogs out there that will sell you the latest gear—shoes with just the right cushioning, pants that compress muscles and wick sweat, bras that hold the tatas in place.

There are countless articles about proper nutrition for runners—the best protein sources, what to eat before, after, and even during a race. There’s a whole line of running gels—concoctions that come inside plastic packets meant to be squeezed into your mouth while running. Yum.

You’ll find advice for how to train—the right stretches, exercises for strength, how to run sprints for speed, and drills that will make you run faster and longer.

But all the best gear, nutrition, and training won’t be enough without the main essential of any marathon:

purpose.

Sounds trivial, maybe, but it’s not.

If you’ve ever run a long distance—or any distance really—you’ve probably asked yourself, “Why am I doing this?” If you don’t have a good answer, chances are you don’t have what it takes to keep going.

Your running purpose doesn’t have to be grand, but it can be and—I would argue—it should be.

I’ll bet many—if not most—people start running for weight loss. Running is an activity that can be done anywhere. You don’t need a gym membership or special equipment. Running requires almost no gear—a pair of sneakers and some comfortable clothes will work. And best of all, it’s something we do naturally. We learn to run right around the time we learn to walk and both happen before we’re able to speak our first words. Pretty amazing.

But just because you have access to and can run, doesn’t mean you will.

Weight loss, muscle development, better cardiovascular health, and bragging rights will only take you so far. If you want longevity you’ll need a deeper motivation and a sense of purpose.  

When I ran my first ultra-marathon, I had something to prove to myself. I was born with an incurable disease and for years I thought I would die in my early 30s. I ran 30 miles on my 30^th birthday to prove to myself that I was strong and healthy and going to live for much longer than I expected.

The training runs were hard—I was alone and often lost on the side of the road for miles because I have zero sense of direction. I trained in the winter in New England, through the snow and sleet and ice. I wanted to give up so many times, but I didn’t.

For me, crossing the finish line was a declaration of life, of setting my mind and body—however flawed it may be—to something and seeing it through. I thought if I could run 30 miles, I could go on living. So far, I’ve done both. Is that a coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

On the plus, you don’t have to be dying to make a commitment to life. Many marathons encourage runners to raise money for their favorite cause. Knowing that every mile will not only benefit your body and your health, but also help someone else, might be what you need to stay in the race.

Maybe your running purpose is a sense of community—the people who meet you on Saturday morning and complain about the cold alongside you.

Maybe your running purpose is sobriety. Getting rid of one vice is a great time to taken up a new habit.   

Whatever your running purpose is, make sure it’s meaningful to you—not to your partner, or family, or neighbor, or friends. What worked for me, may not work for someone else—hopefully you’re not also dying of an incurable disease, but if you are, let’s be friends!

Ask, ask, and ask again, “Why do I (want to) run?” If your answer comes in the form of should—I should lose weight, I should get back into shape, I should be healthier—try again. Keep asking. Figure out what’s really driving you to keep moving, even when the roads are slick, the wind is blowing in your face, and there’s snot all over your sleeves because you forgot to bring tissues, again.

Know your running purpose? I’d love to hear it. Post a comment below.