The Seattle Half Marathon taught me about my work
Over the weekend, my bestie and I finished a half marathon with the Seattle Marathon and it taught me something about resilience.
Mark Manson once wrote about the sh*t sandwich - the idea that no matter what path we choose, there will always be a downside to swallow. Even the best option comes with its own challenges.
This metaphor perfectly sums up what I learned during the race. We knew pain was inevitable. But our training helped us navigate it - learning when to rest, how we recover, and when to push through. Y’all, we will always be in pain and will always struggle… but we can actually feel really good about ourselves if we prep and train AND build supportive teams to help us along the way.
Running with my bestie, who’s also an arts administrator, made the journey unforgettable. Together, we tackled this physical challenge with encouragement, humor, and a shared determination. Accomplishing something difficult didn’t just feel good because we finished - it felt good because we did it together.
This experience has shown me that resilience is not simply about having the adequate discipline to make it through. It’s not even about having the best or most extensive plan. While those things matter, they’re not enough. Resilience requires partnership.
Partnership helps us handle the unexpected with curiosity and perspective. It cues our brains to focus outward - providing the distractions, reassurances, and laughter that make challenges feel doable, even enjoyable.
I believe nonprofit teams can learn from this. Projects, programs, and operations will always have their challenges. But with a shared commitment to supporting one another, teams can tackle hard things while finding joy in the process. We can prepare, train, and achieve our goals - and we can have fun doing it.
