If at first you don't succeed...

2015年9月5日 (土)

Do you know how to finish the expression in the title?

If at first you don’t succeed…try and try again.

Very positive, right? Last year, after several months of training, I entered the Hokkaido Marathon 2014, my first ever marathon. I knew it would be difficult, but I honestly believed I would finish without too much trouble.Man, was I wrong! Like a robot with dying batteries, my energy drained to the point where I could no longer run. And then, just 5km from the finish, I timed out and was unable to complete the race.

I remember thinking a number of things. What happened? Where did I make a mistake? And…of course, maybe marathon running isn’t for me.

After a lot of thinking over the winter, I decided to try again. From the spring I trained harder and on race day I applied all that I had learned from last year’s failure to finish this year’s race. I did it! It was still very tough. At the end of the race, I couldn’t even run any more. My legs were too cramped! However, when I felt like giving up, I told myself over and over again: “This year, you’re a finisher.”

I’m not sure if I’ll run in next year’s marathon, but I’m certainly glad I didn’t give up after only one try. Studying English is the same – it takes a long time and a big commitment to reach your goal. So remember, if you don’t succeed at first…!