Journey

Last Saturday I ran in my first ever marathon relay for the Fargo Marathon. What an experience! First let me start by saying I am not a marathon runner… I’m barely a 10K runner. I’m not in it to win it, I’m in it to finish without embarrassing myself by tripping over another runner [which I did, but I didn’t fall] or having to walk [which I also did, but only on the uphill part of the run].

As I trained for my 6.2 mile leg I ran a couple of 5K ‘races’, built a playlist on my iPod that rivals the Billboard Music Awards and spent many hours running around Woodhaven and on a treadmill at the YMCA. Two Saturdays ago I ran 44 laps at the Fargo South track- not the highlight of my training experience, but when it’s pouring rain there are few options for getting 5.5 miles in.

By the time marathon day rolled around I was excited and a little nervous, but mostly I just wanted to get the run over with. I arrived at the Fargo Dome around 6:40 am, did some stretching… feeling totally out of place as people twice my age and half my body fat did high knees in the lobby and strapped on their water fanny packs. I took my place at the start point, well behind the 10 minute mile pacer, and off we went. Winding through the streets of Fargo and Moorhead lined with cheering spectators and enthusiastic bands, I had never felt more proud to be a part of such a great community.

Photo: Relay Team Smokin’ Asics (L-R) Nicole Young, Kim Krueger, Mindy Graham, Meghan Ibach

Growing up, I had heard the phrases: “Everybody got to where they are by starting where they were” and “It’s a marathon, not a sprint” on several occasions. These terms carried me through high school sports, college classes, Delta Gamma recruitment, Miss USA, the FM Parade of Homes, to name a few. Although I grew up watching my parents, then brother, build our families business I am still relatively new to this. I admit that most days I wish I knew as much as my dad does about, well, anything, but especially the housing market.

Last week this school of thought resurfaced on both personal and professional levels. My dad reminded me that good business is about the longevity. It isn’t about coming in first place every time, but rather slowly and steadily building your business model and team, doing a good job and keeping a steady pace. Our family has been doing this for 27 years and step by step we continue to build our community and help people live the American dream of owning a home. There are definitely days that I wish I had all the answers, but I know that learning to take the first few steps to find them is an important tool. So weather it’s running your first relay marathon or taking a moment at work to get things back into perspective, the journey really is just as important as the destination.