Jeff Widman (.com)

Someone asked me how I ran a marathon without training.

I’m not sure… it’s one of those feats that evokes “I wish I could do that” emotions–only to realize I accomplished it!

The 50 miles in 24 hours (with full packs) came first—that was hard!
(Once you’ve done the first 30 miles, the next 20 seem easy… which is probably why we didn’t worry about tending blisters—which is why we limped the final 5 miles.)

Pushing myself physically strengthens my stamina throughout my life–work, integrity, sports, studying. A marathon is one of the quintessential marks of an endurance athlete (Ironman next), and I’ve always wanted to run one. When my younger siblings invited me to run with them, it was a perfect example of strategy following vision.

How did I do it?
-With others. During the 50-miler, my buddy fell asleep mid-stride. Neither of us would have completed it alone.
-Build your mind. For years I’ve maintained a lifestyle of pushing physically pushing myself “Just a bit further…”
-Pick your heritage. My grandpa tells of being the slowest sprinter, but able to keep that pace forever.

By not training, I meant I hadn’t gone running more than once a month for the previous year. But a summer of manual labor kept me in good health.

It’s mostly mental.
Set a goal.
Strengthen your mind for the challenge.
Reduce the challenge (get in shape.)
Do it!

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