“It is the time you have spent on your rose that makes your rose so important.”
– The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
I studied Le Petit Prince in French lessons at school and, until this week, I’d completely forgotten the power and simplicity of its message.
This week marked the start of my 16-week training plan for the New York Marathon on 1st November – which coincidentally and fittingly for me – is my 50th birthday.
I’m approaching this one (my 10th marathon) very differently from all the others.
With a little help from ChatGPT, I’ve built a training plan based on a set of goals that feel much more reflective of who I am today. Not just how fast I want to run, but how I want to feel while I’m getting there. So, here they are:
- Cross the finish line in around four hours – a realistic goal that respects both my marathon PB (3:57) and New York’s notoriously tough course.
- Train with minimal running – focusing on quality over quantity and trusting that years of marathon experience, consistency and a strong aerobic base count for something, while still leaving room for the movement I genuinely enjoy.
- Stay injury-free – arriving at the start line healthy rather than overtrained.
- Keep doing the exercise I genuinely enjoy – continuing my HIIT, strength and mobility classes while adding rowing and hiking to build endurance without endlessly pounding the pavements.
- Fit training around my life, not the other way around – creating a routine that supports the person I want to be, alongside work, relationships and everyday life.
- Become stronger, not just fitter – prioritising strength, muscle mass and mobility as I approach 50.
- Train for longevity as well as performance – using marathon training to improve my overall health rather than sacrificing it for one race.
- Trust consistency over perfection – knowing that one missed session won’t derail sixteen weeks of good habits.
- Enjoy the journey – arriving in New York excited rather than exhausted.
- Practise what I preach – building a plan around small, intentional habits that compound over time.
If you want to see the training plan, let me know and I’ll happily share it.
So, what has all this got to do with The Little Prince?
The story follows a young prince who travels from planet to planet, meeting adults obsessed with status, numbers, power, possessions and achievement. Each one represents a different way we lose sight of what really matters.
Along the way, the prince learns an important lesson about his rose (which he leaves behind while he travels). He discovers that what makes his rose special isn’t that she is the only rose in the world, but the time, care and love he has invested in her.
It’s a gentle reminder that life isn’t about collecting accomplishments. It’s about creating meaning.
I very much see the parallels in my own life and the irony of setting out to collect my 10th marathon medal is not lost on me!
But this time feels different. Yes, I’d love to run close to four hours. But that’s no longer the point.
This marathon is about celebrating my 50th birthday in a way that feels completely authentic to me at this point in time. It’s about challenging myself, becoming stronger and staying healthy without it taking over my life, and most importantly, arriving at the start line healthy and able to enjoy the experience!
For years I believed it was the goal that gave the journey meaning. Now I see how it’s the journey that gives the goal meaning.
I’ve spent much of my life chasing achievements, convinced I’d feel a sense of success or transformation once I reached them. But more often than not, the feeling didn’t last long. The medal was hung up, the goal was ticked off… and almost immediately I asked myself “What’s next?”
This challenge is different for me. The daily habits are the reward. They are my version of the prince tending to his rose – the small acts of care and attention that make the goal meaningful.
So, perhaps our goals become meaningful because of who we become while pursuing them.
Have you read The Little Prince? It’s gone straight back onto my reading list – although I think I’ll tackle it in English this time rather than French!
What goals are you working towards? Are you finding more meaning in reaching them, or in the person you’re becoming along the way?
And one final thought. There’s a quote I love, even though no-one’s sure who actually said it:
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
Maybe that’s the beauty of setting goals. They give us direction, but the real gift is who we become while working towards them.
Happy Friday x
Not The Mayo Clinic 