BE PREPARED
TO GO THE
DISTANCE
by Ellen Rogin, CPA, CFP®
W
hile training
to run in
the Chicago
Marathon (I’ve done this
six times over about thirty
years), it’s occurred to me
that preparing to run 26.2
miles is a lot like preparing
for retirement. Preparation,
focus, discipline, and a plan
are all important. You can
do it on your own or with a
team of other runners for
support. There are also training
fundamentals, which are
important for both marathon
runners and people wanting to
retire comfortably financially.
HAVE CLEAR GOALS
Some marathon runners set
a goal of crossing the finish
line, others try to beat their
last bes t time or qualify for
the Boston Marathon. The
first time I ran, I just wanted
to finish the race, which I
80 | Eydis Magazine
did, but it was a miserable
experience! The next time I ran
in a marathon, I set the goal
to finish and have fun. I was
able to do this. At the starting
line, I met a great woman
from Madison, Wisconsin
who kept me company the
entire run. We talked until
we were too tired to talk
any more. I realized though
that training for the race was
really lonely. It takes a lot
of time on the road to get
ready to run 26.2 miles, and
doing it alone can be pretty
boring. Ten years later when I
regenerated my motivation to
run that far again, I decided to
join a running club. The entire
experience was a lot more fun
and with the support of a coach
and other runners I was able to
be a smarter runner. Clarity on
what I really wanted from the
marathon experience helped
me to reach my real goal.
When planning for retirement,
the clearer you are about
what you truly desire in your
retirement the more likely you
are to reach your goal. Many
people set a goal similar to “I
want to retire at 65.” This is
akin to me saying I want to
cross the finish line. What do
you really want retirement to