In January, I decided to run a marathon in the autumn. It was obvious that I want to do it in a solution-focused way:

• with a clear picture of my preferred future,
• paying close attention to what works,
• and turning toward new experiences and learnings with lots and lots of curiosity!

Oh, and lightly! With ease! — that was the plan. I wanted the whole preparation to fit into my life “as a side thing,” alongside family, work, and friends.

At the start of my training, I knew very well — who, if not me?! — that it’s a great idea to have a professional companion when preparing for a challenge or a new task: a coach, a mentor, a supporter, a trainer who walks with us along the way.

So I thought hard about who or what I needed for the best possible preparation. An expert? A coach? A mix of the two? Someone I know? Offline? Online? Weekly? Monthly? When? About what? How?

I thought so long that in the end, I didn’t look for anyone. 😀 Maybe I was afraid they’d tell me that a marathon is a serious thing and you can’t just do it “as a side thing”. Is a hard thing and I should better prepare that instead of wanting lightness and ease…Or they’d drop a perfect six-month training plan in front of me, depriving me of curiosity, exploration, and self-directed learning. Nooo, obviously I didn’t want that!

Still, I told everyone everywhere about my plan, and soon it turned out that a coach friend of mine is not only a running enthusiast but also very passionate about healthy nutrition. We had a great conversation, and afterwards she sent me a few relevant videos on the topic. I thanked her and encouraged her to send more voice messages because during training I have plenty of time — and I actually enjoy! — listening to them.

After each run, during the cool-down walk and stretching, I regularly sent messaged back to her, sharing my experiences and asking questions. I would then listen to her replies on my next run: she shared insights and practical tips, asked questions, encouraged me, acknowledged me, and sometimes sent short videos.

After a few weeks of this back-and-forth, during a stretch I realized  how important what we were doing together had become to me! Simply putting my experiences into words meant reflecting and learning. My friend was progressing with me in small, digestible bites, celebrating with me, never overwhelming me with her knowledge. And she moved so naturally and authentically within my “light and curious” marathon vision!

I immediately sent her a voice message: “I’ve just realized something! This is asynchronous mentoring! And you’re doing it incredibly well!”

I especially loved that every topic was well recieved in our conversations everything — from “where can I find vegan protein bars?” to “this reminds me of giving birth!”

And all of it happened without scheduling, in a way that fit easily around family, work, and friends. Effortlessly. Joyfully. Almost incidentally as a side thing.

Then in October, I ran the marathon — and yes, lightly, with joy, curiosity, and lots of smiles throughout. Many friends texted or called afterwards: so, how was it, how does it feel to have it completed? Well — I said a bit matter-of-factly — it was great, but now I’m heading for coffee with a friend! I felt like life just keeps going, and the marathon was wonderful, but truly just one “side element” of the whole experience: the race itself was only one morning, while the preparation lasted for months, bringing at least as much joy and learning as the race itself.

Three weeks after the big day, I’m still looking at the race photos — okay, maybe it wasn’t quite a side thing as I thought…

But I keep wondering: if THIS was possible with such ease and simplicity… then what else becomes possible — with just as much ease and simplicity? And what else?