RACES AGAINST ACEs

When Jonathan Levitt started running back in 2013, he realized that he couldn’t go at it alone. So he joined forces with a coach, and found himself immersed in a community that taught him a lot more than how to run a marathon.

Life Lesson 1: Trying and failing is not really failing

Whether you have a lofty marathon goal like Jonathan, or you have your sights set on something a little slower-paced, the first step to achieving your goal is trying. “You can do more than you think possible,” says Jonathan, who applies this principle to his own life. And even if you don’t meet your goals the first time around, it’s still a learning experience. “It’s better than not trying,” he says. You can only discover how capable you are if you take that first step.

Life Lesson 2: The race is a celebration, not a test

Jonathan saw his first marathon as a 2,000-mile adventure, not 26 miles to the finish line. That is, he saw the race as a culmination of all of the training, experiences, and lessons he learned along the way. It was a chance to celebrate all he’d accomplished leading up to that point; not simply a test to beat. And we can look at life the same way. We can embrace the journey as well as the destination. “It’s less about achieving a goal, and more about the process.” He says. “Not how it feels to be on top of the wave, but how we get there.”

Life Lesson 3: Play MORE!!

Running has reignited Jonathan’s childlike sense of wonder. Despite the physically strenuous workouts he had to endure when he first started training, he found them fun. “We would be outside on a playground, or running around parts of the city I’d never been to and wouldn’t have seen otherwise,” he says. “Exploring more, being outside, spending time in nature—it was like recess for adults.” Adding fun and making room for play opens up perspective and adds connection to our lives—and Jonathan finds running helps him do just that. “I want as many people as possible to experience that.” He says. “Because it’s amazing.”