100 yards or 26.2 miles – is romance more of a dash or a marathon?

The first weekend of November marks one of my favorite athletic events – the New York City Marathon.  It is invigorating to watch thetriumph of human spirit as runners cross the finish line in Central Park – if you’ve never had the chance to experience it, I recommend the trip to NYC.

You have just decided to rededicate yourself to finding “the One”, are you hunkering down for a marathon or stretching for a sprint?

I won’t try to overplay the metaphor, but there are many parallels:

• The initial thrill: just like the runners first crossing the Verrazano Bridge to start the race, there is high adrenaline on your first couple of dates with a new romance.  A runner is just excited to be in the race – if you’re in the early dating phase, enjoy that you have the good fortune to be spending time with interesting people and are actively creating your own future!
• Hitting the Wall : You’ve been running for hours, the finish line is intellectually “close” but seems physically infinitely away, and it is the runner’s commitment to the goal and belief in themselves as a runner that gets them through this phase.  This is also where “sprint-like” goals come into play.  The marathon runner adjusts some of their focus to closer sprint goals – catching the runner ahead of them, making it to the entrance of Central Park,  kicking to the next water table.  If you’re “hitting the wall” in dating, what are a couple of sprint-goals you can go after?
• Finishing Strong: that final kick hastens success and makes it feel even more magnificent.  If you’re in a romance and you can see the “big next step” is on its way, this is not a time to cruise, it is a time to find your next store of energy and cross that line with POWER.

No matter where you are in your search for “the One” (and I hope you are in the race!), the pursuit of love is a combination of sprints against close goals while keeping your motivation rooted in the long term goal.  Now stretch those hammies, picture yourself breaking the tape, and ready, set, love!