Life is a Marathon

By Jennifer Kelleher

Every November, the city comes alive in a way that’s hard to describe. Streets fill with runners, cheers echo between buildings, and strangers become teammates for a day. The New York City Marathon is one of those rare moments when you can feel the collective human spirit pulsing through every borough– determination, resilience, love, and the sheer will to keep moving forward.

I want to take a moment to congratulate everyone who ran this year’s marathon. Whether it was your first or your fifteenth, whether you ran for a cause, for healing, or simply to see if you could, you did something extraordinary. You reminded all of us watching from the sidelines what perseverance looks like in motion.

I’ve never run a marathon myself, but every year I’m moved by what it represents. There’s something deeply human about the way it mirrors life. Every one of us is running our own version of a marathon– facing challenges, pacing ourselves, hitting walls, and finding the strength to keep going. Sometimes we’re energized and full of purpose. Other times we’re exhausted, uncertain, or tempted to stop. But still, we keep moving forward, step by step, breath by breath.

One story that really touched me this year is that of Ben Pobjoy– a man who quit his corporate job and set out on a mission to run marathons around the world. Not to win medals or chase personal records, but to honor people. To connect. To listen and learn and celebrate humanity through each mile. Since then, Ben has run hundreds of marathons across continents, often dedicating his runs to others– everyday heroes, forgotten voices, and people who’ve inspired him along the way.

What I love most about his story is that it’s not about running fast. It’s about running with purpose. It’s about turning motion into meaning. It’s about using something as simple as a step, repeated over and over again, as an offering of empathy and love.

That’s the same energy I see in life itself. We’re all moving through our own courses, carrying invisible miles that no one else can see. Maybe your marathon right now is healing from something, starting over, raising a child, building a business, or simply holding yourself together through a hard season. Whatever it looks like, it’s valid.

You’re still showing up, even when it’s not easy, and that’s something worth celebrating.

Life isn’t always about speed or achievement. It’s about endurance, rhythm, and grace. It’s about learning when to push and when to rest. It’s about the people who cheer us on from the sidelines and the ones who quietly run beside us. And it’s about remembering that the journey, not just the finish line, is where the real growth happens.

So even if you’ve never run 26.2 miles (like me), you’ve absolutely lived them in your own way. Every time you’ve kept going when it would’ve been easier to stop, every time you’ve chosen love over fear or patience over frustration, you’ve run a marathon of the heart.

If you’re looking for a space to catch your breath, reconnect with your body, and be reminded that you don’t have to run alone, come join us at Ocean Bliss. On the mat, we practice the same lessons: endurance, compassion, and presence. We breathe. We move. We soften. We find our stride again. Not to cross a finish line, but to feel at home within ourselves. Because life, after all, is a marathon. And every step, every mile, every breath along the way is part of the miracle.

Explore our schedule and sign up for classes at www.oceanblissyoga.net. Call or text me with your questions or comments at 917-318-1168.