Usually, when asked why I decided to train for a marathon, I would say things like, “To prove something to myself”, or “To do something I never thought I’d be able to do….”, but the real reason, which I find a little harder to explain is – “Because you can’t cram a marathon.”
In other words, if I haven’t been consistent in my training, no amount of inspiration or finesse or just plain last minute smarts is going to get me across that finish line. There is no secret trick here, I just have to keep running, again, and again, a little more every week, and in the end, I will be someone who can run 26.2 miles.
And a marathon is a finite thing. 20 miles is not a marathon. 26 miles is not a marathon. In order to have done this, I have to go all the way. I'm proud of my progress, but the fact that I’ve done more than I ever thought possible for myself is just a starting point.
Running is not creative. Running is not complicated. Running is as straightforward as putting one foot in front of the other until you’ve gone as far as you set out to go.
Simple as that.
For someone who works in creative bursts and recuperative lulls, this has to be one of the most difficult concepts, both to grasp and to execute, that I could possibly undertake.
Yikes.
Ran 3.5 miles yesterday -
time 40? –
temp 37? –
wore sugoi, black tank, fleece pants, footie socks
Just glad I did it. Still needing to catch up on distances for my long runs. Fearing the double digits – they just feel like a point of no return….
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2 comments:
you are absolutely wonderful. and, as ever, my hero.
Thank you! You light up my life as well!
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