The Business Leadership Podcast episode

TBLP133 | Breaking Through at the Berlin Marathon

I recently completed the Berlin marathon. I run because it helps me stay fit, help me train, and eat well.

Berlin marathon is my fourth marathon that I am trying to complete.

Why am I sharing my Berlin Marathon experience

Share defining moments that changed my life
Moment of clarity
Moment of bliss

For many of you who don’t know, a full marathon is 26 miles or 42 kilometers. We are running the Berlin marathon. I’m feeling good. I’m feeling ready and thinking that this is going to be the best race of my life.

It was about 10-12 degrees in Berlin. It was cold. I was on target to hit my goal at four hours. But at the 25K mark, halfway through the race, rain poured. Now my upper body started tensing; my neck started tensing. My hands were getting numb. If I rolled my shoulder, I could feel my nerves pinch, and a shock of electricity goes through my arms.

I was questioning my sanity. I was wondering, “Why do I put myself through this?”

An hour later, something happened. I’m in the pit of despair. I hate life. I looked down, and something changed. I released myself from all expectations, and almost immediately, I felt a release. I started smiling, huge smiles. I looked around. I’m running a marathon in Berlin, Germany, it was terrific. I finished the marathon.

Overall, I was tired but happy and, and I was celebrating.

The lesson that I take from this was I understood the goals that I had. I controlled my environment. I managed everything that I needed to do up until the race, which was the train, eat well, rest, prepare, do everything right. But what happened was I couldn’t control my outside world, which was the rain. But I allowed myself, my emotions to get affected by the rain.

And it was a moment of enlightenment.

A good friend of mine once said that when you had a moment of enlightenment, you are blessed. I was blessed with the wisdom, understanding, that release all my expectations.