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Hello all! After a warm start to the week here in Chicago, the temperatures have started to settle, and with that, it finally feels like fall. This past Sunday was the Chicago marathon, which has always been one of my favorite days here. The city buzzes with good feelings. As a spectator whose clapping pales in comparison to the physical effort exuded by the brave souls on the other side of the barrier at our cheering spot at mile 25.5, I find the day to be lush with emotion. We are proud and inspired. We see bravery and determination and grit playing out right in front of our eyes. We call out to those whose names are on their bibs. We connect. There is so much togetherness on marathon day. Our society rotates around different checkpoints throughout the year. New Years, of course, is the time of resolutions. The end of the summer and the start of the school year is another period, even if you aren’t in school anymore. These intervals seem to naturally encourage a return to structure, a rethinking of routine. But then, there is marathon day. The spirit of the day is an amazing backdrop to day-dreaming. At some point over the past year, thousands of people made a commitment to run the Chicago marathon. And of course it’s not as simple as making that decision and then moving on with life, is it? With that registration comes months of dedicated training. Consistently following a schedule. Supporting one’s body with intentional recovery periods and sleep and good nutrition. I can easily get teary-eyed thinking of every person who steps out on marathon morning after all those weeks of preparing. And it gets me thinking, every year- What marathon moments are possible for each of us? What can we envision for ourselves? We can we actually allow ourselves to finally DO? In my barre classes our instructors frequently cue for us to turn inward. To not worry if our neighboring classmates are holding a forearm plank on their toes when we have dropped to our knees. Each of us is different, and there is no need for comparison. Running a marathon is a big deal. But what if our own individual marathon moments don’t involve spectators lining the streets to cheer for us, or crossing an actual finish line? What if our marathon moments are big because they are simply OURS, and moments where we are doing something new for ourselves that we haven’t committed before to doing? We know that Chicagoans can come out and cheer. I have to believe that the same level of support exists for each and every one of us. Wouldn’t you love for your neighbors to dream up something for themselves and actually take those steps to do it, and to know that they also have your back? No matter how big or small, we can honor and celebrate each other’s marathon moments. These don’t have to be over-the-top choices. What if your marathon moment is- -To eat more foods that love you back? Life itself is a marathon, if you think about it. What if you held on to caring for your physical body in that way? -To get up 30 minutes before other members of your family and collect your thoughts on paper before all the hubbub begins each morning? -To finally return to a creative endeavor that you loved doing when you were young, before you told yourself that story of not being good enough? -To take a walk around the block during work lulls when you’d typically reach for your phone and scroll instead? I find it impossible to witness other humans putting their physical bodies through such rigor on marathon day and to not feel into what else is possible for each of us. Big or small, there is something you can do for yourself today (my goodness now I am feeling emotional again…)! What will you choose? Know that we are all here to cheer you on.
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