Fuel Yourself to Fuel Others

I just wanted to beat Oprah.

About 15 years ago, while young and in love, my husband (then boyfriend) and I decided to run a full marathon. Not too long before that, I had heard that Oprah Winfrey completed a marathon, and my goal in life (at the time) was to cross the finish line faster than she did.

The day didn't exactly go as planned. After several months of training, fueled by the camaraderie and support of our coaches, our team, and each other, Massimo and I felt prepared, but that day brought us very different experiences.

At just 3 miles in, Mass started having knee pain that left him wincing at every step. I, on the other hand, felt amazing. For the next 16 miles, I made it my mission to push him, cheer him on, cheer him up, and also succumbed to walking with him from time to time. 

I watched the clock ticking away as my hopes & dreams of beating Oprah slipped through my fingers. Finally, at mile 19, a much older gentleman (who smoked us, by the way) overheard us talking, looked at me and said "Just go!". I didn't want to leave Mass, but I had to finish the race my way, and so did he.

I ultimately crossed the finish line strong, sprinting in fact, as I approached the end. Did I beat Oprah? Sadly, no. Would I have, had it not been for Mass’s bum knee? Probably.

But my favorite part of the story is that Mass crossed the finish line too, on his own time, with the help and support of so many. (I still laugh at an iconic photo we have, where our faces perfectly express how we each felt at the end of the race.)

What does this have to do with leadership and/or personal health? Everything. I never would have started, let alone finished those 26.2 miles, had it not been for the accountability and support from our coaches, our team, the spectators, and especially Massimo.

We aren’t meant to do things (especially hard things) alone, and we need to fuel ourselves in order to fuel others. It’s a guiding principle in everything I do.