26.2 Ways That Marathon Training Is Like Saving For FIRE
I’m a few weeks into my training plan for the Richmond Marathon in November, and it’s going well. The half marathon in Richmond last year was my first race, and I immediately signed up to do it again, but then I was having so much fun I decided to level up to the full.
Training for a marathon takes a whole lot of time. Over the past few months, I’ve generally run around 30-45 miles per week, which has given me lots of time to think about… just about everything. Time to pray and practice gratitude, and time to come up with better comebacks for arguments I had in elementary school. And I’ve spent some of the time considering the parallels between marathon training and pursuing FIRE. Here’s what I’ve got:
Marathon training and FIRE are long term goals that require time and dedication. I wasn’t born a perfect athlete and I haven’t hit (or played) the lottery, so this is going to be a lot of hard work. I can’t start prepping a couple weeks ahead of time and expect things to go well.
A marathon is 26.2 miles. An individual’s FIRE number depends on a lot of factors, but I tracked my spending and made some educated guesses about my potential longevity and the stock market to come up with a reasonable and specific number. My objectives for both goals are clear so I’ll know when I’ve hit them.
Before settling on each goal, I began by figuring out my starting point. When I started running last summer, I first attempted a 2.5 mile loop around the neighborhood. I had to take two walk breaks on that first run. When Mr. Sense and I started thinking about FIRE, we began by calculating our net worth and tracking our spending without worrying about making changes right away.
Maybe I’m not quite qualified to say this (since I haven’t run the marathon or retired yet!), but I’m starting to suspect that the journey is just as important as the destination for goals like these.
I’m meeting all sorts of cool people along the way to both these goals. Running brought me in contact with a woman from my church whom I’d met but never really talked to; now I’m out the door to run with her most mornings before 6am. My FIRE journey has also sparked new relationships and opportunities. I even got to co-teach a personal finance course with my mom through her church and meet some of her friends there.
I do extensive (obsessive?) tracking for both goals; I have Strava for my runs and other workouts and an enormous color coded spreadsheet for my finances.
It turns out that the library is a valuable resource for marathoners and FIRErs alike. I love finding new heroes who have pushed the bounds of these goals and devouring their writing and video content. My running friend just lent me Let Your Mind Run, by Olympic medalist Deena Kastor, and I tore through it. I enjoy the challenges on “The Running Channel” on youtube. I was introduced to FIRE by writers like Mr. Money Mustache and Mrs. Frugalwoods, and I read a wide variety of finance books.
It’s kind of weird how many people tell me these goals are crazy or unachievable– it sure seems like I’m on track to hit them both on the schedule I’ve created. Sometimes I think the negative comments are rooted in jealousy, but I try not to pay much attention. When I was in middle school and my classmates and I had to run the mile in gym class every week, I always pushed hard to get the best possible time (the top five boys and girls names and times were posted in the gym). I remember getting so annoyed when other kids would say they could have gotten my time if they wanted to, but they didn’t feel like trying. Now I hear plenty of comments along the lines of how running a marathon is actually bad for my knees and most people don’t want to be limited to the grocery selection at Aldi and Sharp Shopper. Okay, well, I’m doing it anyway.
Every time I come up with a new hair-brained scheme, like running 26 miles or spending well under half of our income, my wonderful husband rolls his eyes and then dutifully jumps on board. Guess who’s running his first half marathon in November? And also who hasn’t had a Chipotle burrito in way too long, thanks to his wife’s plan to be financially independent in less than seven years? I’m so lucky to be married to the best guy in the world.
Bikes are fantastic for both goals! Biking gives your legs and heart a workout without the impact stress of pounding the pavement on foot. And owning bikes also eliminates the need for a second car for our family, thereby saving us thousands of dollars each year.
My careful tracking reveals steady progress towards both goals, but neither one goes in a straight line. There are frustrating workouts and days that I end up buying something dumb because I didn’t plan ahead. Success requires pushing past the bad days and mistakes and getting back to it.
Not drinking alcohol helps with both– turns out alcohol is both an unnecessary expense and a direct hindrance to early morning workouts.
…But water is healthy and cheap. Staying hydrated makes me prettier and wealthier!
Marathon training and many frugal habits are both more enjoyable in mild weather, when I’m not having to shiver or melt during my workouts and my family isn’t dealing with my control issues on the thermostat (if it’s cold, put on a sweater; if it’s hot, just be hot).
Running mile after mile makes me appreciate my health– working legs, hard working heart, relatively young knees. FIRE makes me realize how blessed my family is financially– we have everything we need, plus enough extra to save for such an audacious goal.
I truly believe these goals are within reach for most Americans willing to put in the work. My family and I are so blessed, but we’re just regular people. I started out alternating walking and slowly running a handful of miles at a time. When we got married (not even five years ago), Mr. Sense and I were just going with the flow with our finances. We avoided credit card debt, but we had car loans and spent more on restaurants than we saved most months. The shift didn’t come from a new career or a big raise; we rethought our priorities and made it work.
We’ve fallen into a rhythm for both goals, and it’s just easier now. I don’t struggle with my alarm going off at 5:15am because I’ve adjusted and gotten used to an earlier bedtime. Mr. Sense and I both have learned to avoid sneaky spending with little tricks like having snacks on hand when we go anywhere and being wary of professional home repair quotes.
Sometimes we just have to embrace having achy feet and getting a little sweaty. Getting around town on foot or bike is good exercise and way cheaper than driving everywhere.
My willpower muscles have grown significantly. I already know I’m going to charge up that hill and walk right past that boutique. I’m enjoying the self confidence boost I get from repeatedly staying on track.
Even though some of the hard parts get easier, new hard parts show up. The long runs get longer and the home improvement projects get trickier. My husband is a little worried about which goals I’ll come up with next.
I’m pretty competitive, and that trait really comes in handy. I’ve got a secret competition going with a famous fitness personality (very secret, because she doesn’t know I’ve got my eye on her publicly available PRs on Strava). On the savings and earnings side, I get to compete against my favorite rival: last year’s Ms. Sense.
Competitiveness is helpful, but judginess isn’t. I try to focus on my own goals instead of wondering why everyone else isn’t doing the same things.
I try to brace myself for occasional disasters that aren’t really disasters. When my Achilles tendon started throbbing after a long run a couple months ago, I was sure my foot would probably fall off and derail my marathon dreams. Some ice and three days of rest were all it needed. A bogus charge from Enterprise car rentals threatened my sanity, but Mr. Sense worked with their awful customer service people and disputed the charge with our credit card, and now all is well.
God is in control. I’m going to do my absolute best to prepare for this marathon and save for financial independence, and I’ll trust God to deliver whatever is best for me.
Even after the race and after Mr. Sense and I get to retirement, I know I’m going to want to keep going. Exercise and frugality are positive changes in my life, not just problems I’m suffering through until I’ve hit my goals.
I’m working on balancing these big goals with my regular human life. And in this life, sometimes I stay up way too late even though I’m supposed to run a bunch of miles before it gets light outside. And sometimes I want to get coffee with my friends, even though I have less expensive coffee at home.
26.2. I believe it’s all going to be worth it.
