This Sunday I'm going to attempt to finish a marathon. I have run three half marathons (each one progressively slower), I have a few triathlons under my belt (haven't drowned yet), I sort of followed my training plan (16 weeks is a long time), I have run 20 miles in one day (it hurt), but nothing... nothing, seems to compare to this next challenge looming on my not too distant horizon.
If the 20 mile training run is anything to judge by, I will be in large amounts of pain by the 16 mile mark, by 20 I'll be struggling to keep moving forward and for the next 6.2 miles I'll wonder why I ever willingly signed myself up for something that tests every ounce of my mental and physical strength.
I think the answer is this... From time to time I think a little struggle in life is necessary. We need to know we're capable of overcoming challenging situations. As we explore our physical and mental limits we may yet find a small piece of the never ending puzzle of who we are. These last 16 weeks or so have been challenging to say the least. I have given up and then rallied, turned an ankle, limped, fought back tears of failure then found pride in a good run. I have held on to moments of runners high, walked too many times to count, gave up my weekends, slept all afternoon to recover, iced and rolled out, forgot why I ever liked running, and then remembered. No matter how much it sucks sometimes, the good will always outweigh the bad. That's why we keep running. I am a healthier happier person because I do this. I'm in the best shape of my life. I can run for 5 consecutive hours. I no longer say to myself, "just another 5 minutes," I say "only one more hour." Even if I'm not fast, even if I finish last, even if I have to walk a hundred times... I'm capable of so much more than I ever thought possible, and the will to keep going is what got me here. At the end of the day it's worth the struggle to fight through pain and boredom, sickness and every type of emotion, to come out the other end knowing you're capable of meeting a challenge head on and defeating it. You run... run some more... and keep running til you cross the finish line... and the next one.... and the one after that. You pick how many races to run and plan how you'll get to the finish, but what you discover about yourself along the way is what will keep you coming back for more.
In running "slow and steady" doesn't usually win you any races, and definitely doesn't look particularly impressive in the race results, but it does get you across the finish line, and in this day and age the Tortoise and the Hare both get medals.
I'll be embracing my inner tortoise this weekend :)
Here's to a great race weekend!
listening to: Man on Fire/ Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
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