But that is the simple answer.
A marathon is so much more than that. It is more complicated, and at the same time, it is more basic.
A marathon is all of these things:
- A marathon begins years, months, weeks and days before many of us take our first step running. A marathon, for many, is a, "maybe one day" idea. It is rattling around in our brain as a goal that we might get around to doing when the time is right.
- The strange thing about a marathon, is that, although the finish line seems impossibly far away, also seems within reach. How else can we explain the amount of people that run marathons? Many of us have signed up for them without having accomplished that distance before, and we place all of that trust in our training that we will get there, ready to do it. This is still amazing to me.
*I do know one person that decided to "practice" the marathon distance prior to signing up for the race, to be sure that he could cover the distance. His only flaw was that he did his "practice run" 3 days before race day. He still finished the marathon, but he was quite sore by the end of it all. Definitely not recommended.
- A marathon "is crazy!!" Or so I'm told. All the time. When I am told this, I just nod and shrug it off. I don't expect everyone to understand that it isn't crazy. Things like jumping out of an airplane are "crazy." Spending many years/months preparing your mind and body for an endurance event actually seems sensible. But, to each his own, right?
- A marathon is long runs in crappy weather.
- A marathon is long runs in lovely weather.
- A marathon is speed work where your lungs are on fire.
- A marathon is speed work that makes you mentally tough enough to push your legs beyond what you ever thought possible.
- A marathon is easy runs with friends filled with laughter and chatter.
- A marathon is alone time to run for miles and think about everything, from upcoming lesson plans, to blog posts, to hopes and dreams.
- A marathon is 5am runs.
- A marathon is the fear of injury.
- A marathon is blisters, ugly feet and ice baths.
- A marathon is going to bed early (through discipline, or pure fatigue).
- A marathon is a choice.
- A marathon is peeing in a corn field.
- A marathon is calculating pace/splits (math on the run).
- A marathon is obsessively checking the weather.
- A marathon is hoping and praying your Garmin will work properly on race morning (or maybe that's just me...)
- A marathon is accepting things we cannot control, like long traffic lights in the middle of a tempo run.
- A marathon is a forgiving and supportive family.
- A marathon is "character building."
- A marathon is physio/massage therapy.
- A marathon is choosing a haircut based on whether it can easily pull back into a ponytail (true story).
- A marathon is pure mental strength from mile one.
- A marathon is about moving forward.
- A marathon is sunscreen, sunburns, and after-sun lotion.
- A marathon is being inspired by training partners and friends.
- A marathon is full of diversity.
- A marathon is never boring. No two races are ever alike.
- A marathon is emotional. I have cried many tears, smiled happy smiles, dug deeper into my heart and mind than I had ever thought possible. I have felt indifferent, frustrated and defeated. I have felt exhilarated and triumphant.
- A marathon bonds runners together. In training, in the race itself, and in recalling stories long afterward.
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| A marathon is running to the finish line |
A marathon is always a part of us, whether we have done one, two, or a hundred and two.
Love this post!
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