What running a marathon taught me that college didn?t

By Lucas DeForest

Three and a half years into college, it?s safe to say that I?ve learned a lot (for the amount of money my parents are paying, I better have). I?ve stayed up all night studying for exams, tested the limits of human caffeine consumption and figured out how to maintain a balance between work and a social life (somewhat). The exams, the papers, the cramming ? all of them taught me a lot about myself and what I?m capable of.

I had conquered a number of academic hurdles through the years, and I was ready for a new challenge. Fitness has always been an interest of mine, and I probably spent more time in the gym than in the library during college. I decided it was time to test my body in the same way I had my mind, and signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon. Six months of training and 26.2 miles later, I realize just how much I have left to learn. The marathon was grueling, exhausting, emotional and fulfilling, and taught me lessons that no professor, adviser or assignment ever could.

Pain is gain
Things that are worth doing hurt, and the marathon was really, really worth doing. I had worked my mind to the max at school for years, conjuring up term papers out of thin air and memorizing more flash cards than I care to remember. This was a whole new level of intensity and exhaustion, and this time, on a physical level. For the last six miles of the race, I felt like a car running on empty. I didn?t think there was anything left in me. But when I finally dragged myself across that finish line and someone handed me a medal, the feeling was pure ecstasy. I got my reward, I had my time (2:56:42!) and I had earned it. This is the same feeling I?m working toward in all my college classes ? someone handing me a diploma at graduation. The moment itself may be fleeting, but the pain you survive to get there makes it worth it.

The power of (long-term) preparation
College is sometimes about figuring out how to do as much work in as little time as possible. All-night paper writing and study sessions are common, especially as the end of the semester draws near. Then it?s 20 minutes-post final exam, and most students won?t be able to tell you the professor?s name. I didn?t have the option to cram like this for the marathon. Instead, I was forced to be disciplined in my training and preparation. I couldn?t expect to run 200 miles the night before the marathon and show up that morning ready to go. For months, I had to plan my schedule around running at the right times, at the right paces, for the right amount of times and on the right days. If I could work this same strict schedule into my study habits, I?d save myself a lot of anxiety at the end of the term.

Make a commitment and stick to it
I have thrown around all kinds of ideas for things I want to do during college. Get a paper published, join a performance art group, explore Philadelphia. But none of these plans have really stuck. This time, I wanted it to be different, so I made a commitment. I put my money down on that marathon and forced myself to make it worth the investment. Money is certainly not something I have in abundance as a college student, and I wasn?t going to let that $100 sign-up fee go to waste. I did my research, made a schedule and once I started training, my momentum pushed me right through to the end. It ended up being worth every penny.

Anticipation, not anxiety
The marathon was like a final exam in a lot of ways, but it differed in one big way. I looked forward to the marathon for months, while I usually dread the arrival of finals for about the same amount of time. What was so different about the marathon? I knew that I had done my training. I had done hard time for it and got to enjoy the pleasure that comes with anticipating an experience like that. The marathon itself was my opportunity to show off the fruits of my labor. It may be unrealistic to ever truly enjoy the anticipation of finals, but I could certainly lessen the dread if I knew I was putting the hours in each week to get there.

Doing anything for three hours straight is hard
This never really occurred to me until I did the marathon. I hardly ever do one single activity for three hours straight. I may be in class or at work, but there are always an assortment of mini-breaks sandwiched in there. Email checks, Facebook and Twitter updates, even a bathroom visit break up the monotony of other activities. The marathon was three hours straight of focus and physical exertion. It was a level of patience I?ve never had to reach before, but one that I hope I will utilize in the future.

Surround yourself with cheerleaders
College is all about the individual. Students making their own schedules, participating in their own activities and somehow finding a way to make it work. Sure, you?ve got plenty of people supporting you, but their contribution is lost in a sea of due dates, tests and homework. I may have done all my marathon training alone, but the marathon itself was certainly a team effort. Nothing prepares you for the mental and physical toll 26.2 miles takes on you, and it?s the crowd that gets you through. It?s the people handing you water every few miles, the total strangers screaming encouragement from the sidelines, the family and friends who came out to see you ? they are the ones who carry you to the finish line. What I realized is that these people are always there, just in more subtle ways. My parents may not come down to cheer for me through every all-nighter, but they are certainly there for encouragement whenever I need it. So are friends, professors, advisers ? all those people college students tend to take for granted. Taking advantage of the support you are offered makes all the difference when you?re reaching your limits.

Push yourself (harder!)
I had tested myself in a lot of ways in college. Tough classes, work-study jobs, extra-curriculars ? it always seems like you?ve gone as far as you can go. There is always another challenge waiting, though. There is always another opportunity to prove to yourself what you?re capable of. There is always another 26.2 miles to run.

Next stop for me: Boston. Bring it on, Heartbreak Hill.

Lucas DeForest is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a lover of Bravo reality shows and all things pop culture. Follow him on Twitter @ldefo.

You might also be interested in:

1. Students face unique barriers in marathon training
2. What Justin Bieber taught me about college
3. Five mistakes every college freshman SHOULD make
4. Napping: A college survival skill that is something to snore about
5. Which college athletes are the fittest?

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of USA TODAY.

Source: http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/campuslife/what-running-a-marathon-taught-me-that-college-didnt

maksim chmerkovskiy aurora borealis s.978 larry ellison go ask alice go ask alice nflx