You've Heard it Before - "It's Not a Sprint, It's a Marathon"

 Allyssa’s First Marathon

"From Half-Hearted Runs to Full-Marathon Memories: A Father-Daughter Story"

It was the fall of 2017, and my youngest daughter, Allyssa, a junior in high school, threw down a challenge that would change both of our lives. At the time, our relationship was, well, let’s call it “challenging.” But she noticed the changes I was trying to make in my life—like losing over 50 pounds—and decided to push me a little further.

She handed me a 90-day half-marathon training plan and said, “Dad, let’s do this together.”

What she really meant, of course, was, “Here’s the plan; good luck!” But I wasn’t about to back down.

Training "Together"

Now, when Allyssa said we’d train together, she apparently meant:

  • “I’ll start the run with you, then I’ll see you at the finish line.”

  • “Here’s your copy of the training schedule—good luck sticking to it!”

And honestly, I was fine with that. At that point, I hadn’t exercised at all, so just getting off the couch was a win for me.

Fast forward three months, and we both crossed the finish line at the Houston Half-Marathon. Allyssa, of course, finished much faster than I did. But we had our celebratory photo with our medals, and I couldn’t have been prouder.

The Full-Marathon Challenge

On the car ride home, I couldn’t resist planting a seed.
“Allyssa,” I said, “you’re closer to running a full marathon now than you’ve ever been. You’ve already done half—why not just keep training?”

Her response was classic teenager: “I’ll think about it.”

But I knew I had a point. If she stopped training, getting back into marathon shape would be like starting from scratch. So I made my case:

  • “You’re already halfway there.”

  • “The Houston Marathon is just two and a half months away.”

  • “Think of how amazing it would feel to say you’ve run a full marathon at 16!”

A few days later, she came back with her answer: “Let’s do it.”

Crossing the Finish Line

In January 2018, nearly 30 years to the day since I ran my first marathon as a junior in high school, I crossed the finish line of my first marathon in two decades.

Even better? Allyssa crossed the same finish line, completing her first full marathon at age 16—a year younger than I was when I ran my first.

Lessons from the Run

  1. Set Stretch Goals: Allyssa’s challenge reminded me that we grow when we push beyond what we think we can do.

  2. Accountability Matters: Having someone to train with—even if they’re faster—keeps you motivated and moving forward.

  3. Celebrate Progress: The finish-line photo wasn’t just about medals; it was about the journey, the commitment, and the memories we created along the way.

Real Estate Takeaway

Training for a marathon is a lot like building your real estate career:

  • You don’t have to be the fastest; you just have to finish.

  • Small, consistent steps lead to big results.

  • The journey is better when shared with others.

So whether you’re chasing leads or running 26.2 miles, remember: It’s not just about the finish line—it’s about who you become along the way.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reflections on 2024

Image
Reflections  on 2024 I was dreaming when I wrote this, forgive me if it goes astray.   But when I woke up this morning, I could have sworn it was Award's day. I believe it is safe to say that for most of us, 2024 is a year to forget.   A down year.   Honestly, not a lot to be thankful or hopeful about, but for others - it was their best year… their first year… their breakthrough year… their 24th year…   there was some magic in 2024. This is who we are celebrating today! Regardless of whether you are in the first group (that never wants to be reminded of 2024 again) or the second group (where something magical happened) - you deserve to be celebrated.   Whether you came in like a wrecking ball or you limped in like a biscuit and your goal was to simply survive 2024 - the fact remains - you are here.   You didn’t give up like so many others did.   Anyone who has been in the business awhile can remember the recession of 2008-2011.   T hose of yo...
Read more

What they don't see...

Image
They see the photos at the finish line, the medals, the t-shirts, and group pics. They see the hats, bibs and occasional placing trophy, but there is a whole lot more that they don’t see… They don’t see the 4 AM alarm going off to make it to a 5 AM training run almost every day. They don’t see the 4 AM alarm going off to make it to a 5 AM training run almost every day. They don’t see the countless hours running hundreds of miles training for our next race. They don’t see the “track” days where we run repetitions and push our speed faster than we ever have before. They don’t see the hills that we trained on to get stronger. They don’t see the tempo days where we run faster to increase our endurance over an extended time. They don’t see the Saturday long runs where we run anywhere from 10-20 miles. They don’t see our sacrifices in the kitchen, where we have to make choices that sometimes conflict with what we really want. They don’t see the 7-10 hours a week spent at the gym on ...
Read more

STOP! Be Honest With Yourself: Are You REALLY Hungry?

Image
  I’m not talking about kind-of-hungry. I’m talking about the kind of hunger that makes you willing to eat soup with a fork . Yeah— that hungry. I first heard that phrase from Kenny “The Jet” Smith on Inside the NBA, and it hit me hard. He was talking about the kind of players he wanted on his team. The ones who would grind, hustle, and show up no matter what. That same mindset applies to real estate. Because the truth is— hunger separates the top producers from the pack . Every year, I meet with hundreds of agents and I always ask: How much do you want to earn next year? The most common answer? $100K . But here’s where it gets interesting. I always follow up with one simple question: Why is that number important to you? That’s when the truth reveals itself. The agents who know their why —the ones chasing something deeper—are the ones who hit that goal and blow past it. But if the answer is “because it sounds good” or “I’ve never made that much before,” chances are… they ...
Read more