(no subject)
"...and maybe, just maybe, the marathon Gods will smile back at me and give me a 5:30. And if they don't...I'm okay with that...because my heart is there for the experience...for the cause...and to do something that once upon a time I never thought was possible...
...and that, my friends, is the beauty of the marathon."
The aforementioned quote is not mine, but from a stranger, Running Jayhawk, on Blogspot. I found her site from a Runners World message board. I've been so inspired the past few days by reading the trials and tribulations of other anonymous runners, many of them training for their first marathon (most for the Chicago and Marine Corps, both of which I was locked out from, but...). I've discovered the depth of what I already knew at a higher theoretical level-others are encountering the same physical and mental obstacles that face me. The same physical ailments, sure, but also the mental doubt, the doubt in self, which permeates the runner's mind. They say that unless you've ever trained for a marathon, you can't understand what this means. Well, I've learned this year.
It's not stories of people finishing a marathon that motivate me the most, though there are some incredibly touching tales. It's the revelations of people who do not think they can continue, mentally or physically. I take no joy in others' injuries or lack of motivation, but it's nice to know that you are not alone in the world. Others are struggling with the same doubts, same aches, and many others that I have yet to encounter. When you are nearly alone at 7:30 on a Saturday morning, struggling in the summer heat, it's difficult to imagine hundreds of others doing the same thing.
All for that same goal "...to do something that once upon a time I never thought was possible......and that, my friends, is the beauty of the marathon."
Well said.
Up next: 16.5 miles on Saturday. I've felt really strong this week, either due to my new motivation, or vice versa. My stepdown week run was shorter than planned, but I compensated by running 3 out of 4 days and feel strong today. I'll take today and tomorrow off and see what happens. Over lunch, I bought some supplies to help with chafing, blisters and energy issues that either have caused problems in the past or could soon rear their ugly heads. If I run 16.5 this Saturday and 18 next weekend, I'll clear a major mental hurdle. At that point, I think I'll feel confident about being ready--only 4 more miles of training and 2 months in which to run them.
Oh, and I'll also actually register for the marathon as well.
:)
...and that, my friends, is the beauty of the marathon."
The aforementioned quote is not mine, but from a stranger, Running Jayhawk, on Blogspot. I found her site from a Runners World message board. I've been so inspired the past few days by reading the trials and tribulations of other anonymous runners, many of them training for their first marathon (most for the Chicago and Marine Corps, both of which I was locked out from, but...). I've discovered the depth of what I already knew at a higher theoretical level-others are encountering the same physical and mental obstacles that face me. The same physical ailments, sure, but also the mental doubt, the doubt in self, which permeates the runner's mind. They say that unless you've ever trained for a marathon, you can't understand what this means. Well, I've learned this year.
It's not stories of people finishing a marathon that motivate me the most, though there are some incredibly touching tales. It's the revelations of people who do not think they can continue, mentally or physically. I take no joy in others' injuries or lack of motivation, but it's nice to know that you are not alone in the world. Others are struggling with the same doubts, same aches, and many others that I have yet to encounter. When you are nearly alone at 7:30 on a Saturday morning, struggling in the summer heat, it's difficult to imagine hundreds of others doing the same thing.
All for that same goal "...to do something that once upon a time I never thought was possible......and that, my friends, is the beauty of the marathon."
Well said.
Up next: 16.5 miles on Saturday. I've felt really strong this week, either due to my new motivation, or vice versa. My stepdown week run was shorter than planned, but I compensated by running 3 out of 4 days and feel strong today. I'll take today and tomorrow off and see what happens. Over lunch, I bought some supplies to help with chafing, blisters and energy issues that either have caused problems in the past or could soon rear their ugly heads. If I run 16.5 this Saturday and 18 next weekend, I'll clear a major mental hurdle. At that point, I think I'll feel confident about being ready--only 4 more miles of training and 2 months in which to run them.
Oh, and I'll also actually register for the marathon as well.
:)