Holidays can be so much more!

I am about to go on two weeks’ holiday. Not a long time I know, but I have been planning this holiday for close to 10 months and am very excited.

And the last 10 months have flown by! I find it hard to believe how quickly time goes as you get older. Yes, I know that this is a fallacy and it travels at exactly the same time regardless of your age… but what I think happens is that as you age, time becomes more precious, so it has the appearance of going faster.

So where am I going and why?

My beautiful partner decided that, regardless of the fact she could not run any further than 21.1km (her statement not mine) she wanted to run at least one marathon in her lifetime.

Donna has run a number of half marathons and has done the Kokoda Challenge in the Gold Coast Hinterland four times, so she is a fit and strong person. But she had an unwavering belief that she could not run any further than 21.1km.

However she decided – I don’t quite remember why or when (and no, it was not over a late night drink) – that she needed to challenge her belief in what her limits were and complete a full marathon.

I naturally thought that she would set her sights on the Gold Coast Marathon.

But this was not the case. She did not want to run with a large number of people and she felt that she needed to run in a place that was different and she would be distracted. So I left the decision on which marathon we would do in Donna’s hands. I was in charge of training.

Donna chose the Big 5 Marathon in South Africa. It is off-road and run through a game reserve (hence the name Big 5). If you would like to check out the run this is the link http://big-five-marathon.com/. It looks amazing and I am sure you can understand why I am excited.

Now I have not written the blog to boast about where I am going or what I am going to do on my holidays.

The blog has been written because, regardless of what you think you can’t do (in Donna’s case “I can’t run any further than 21.1kms”), your brain is an amazing organ. The power of the brain has either the ability to limit your capabilities or, if you remain positive and have a firm belief in yourself, extend your capabilities.

Since Donna and I started our training, she has run past the “brick wall” of 21.1km on at least five occasions. The fear of what it is like to run 22km has been replaced by a renewed confidence in her own ability.

Certainly she is still nervous and has a fear of running 42.2kms – and this has nothing to do with being chased by animals – but she no longer has the belief that she is not able to run and complete a marathon

I will get shot for saying this but I do think that it is important. Donna is 54 years of age and at no time did her age ever become an excuse for her to not attempt this challenge.

Donna’s change in attitude from negative to positive meant that she was able to run through the brick wall and will, I am certain, finish her first marathon and feel an enormous amount of pride in her own achievement.

Donna is further proof that you do not let your age or a negative attitude limit your life and what you are capable of.

Just a quick footnote: Donna has also told me that this will be her “one and only” marathon…we will wait and see!

Realise your Dream

The Realise Your Dream blogs are written by Peter Kelly and Mark Teale. More information about the authors can be found here