SILVA: Building my inner strength

I met a man at the gym the other day who recognized me from this column.

He said something that struck me.

"You must have some sort of strength inside you," he told me.

That was a new one. People have said many things to me through the years as I began running, training for the marathon and then eventually completing it.

"That's amazing" … "I don't know how you do it" … "You're crazy" … "Doesn't it hurt?"

These are the sort of comments I get when talking to others about my half-marathons and marathon.

The man at the gym really got me thinking. I've never really considered myself to have any sort of inner strength. I just run. And keep going even when it hurts.

I don't think of myself as being any stronger — physically, mentally or spiritually — than anybody else. I believe anyone — and I mean that — can complete a marathon if they put their mind to it.

But the more I think about it, the more I think that man at the gym is right. Running has helped me build my inner strength, or whatever you want to call it.

Finishing the marathon has changed me in ways that are hard to describe. Often, when dealing with some difficult situations — both physically and emotionally — I think back to Mile 24 of the marathon. I remember that feeling of pure mental and physical exhaustion. I think about how my legs felt like rubber and how I doubted my ability to finish. And I think about how I kept going.

I use it to remind myself to be strong.

This strength is not something that everyone has. But I believe it's something that everyone can gain. You may not be able to finish a marathon today. But with proper training, you can finish a 5K, and then a 10K, and then a half-marathon, and then a marathon.

I believe you have it inside you.

I never thought that I would ever run a marathon. When my good friend decided she was going to run a marathon many years back, I told her "you're crazy." I didn't see the point.

But I do now.

Pushing your mind and your body beyond what you ever think possible builds that inner strength that that man at the gym mentioned.

It's something that you can build and keep. And it will change you forever.

Running has done so much for my life. It's improved my physical and mental health. It has boosted my self-esteem. It has helped set a good example for my children.

And it's given me an inner strength that I never knew I could have.

Reach Jim Silva at jsilva@modbee.com. On Twitter: @mission26point2.