My second marathon goes off in 14 days, less really, if you go by hours. Training for a marathon is an extremely personal business, especially if you do it alone, like I do. That is, I run alone but I train with Edith, who inspires and directs me through it all. She wouldn’t want me to say, I couldn’t do it without her, I could but I might not.
I started training for this run in February. After the last one, my knees were pretty well blasted. It took a number of healthy massages and exercises to get them back. I did two 10Ks in in March and started back running three to four times a week. In May, I went back to Bar Harbor for a week and did a few ten mile runs along the marathon route.
But the summer training was plagued with mishaps and missteps. It was brutally hot in Chicago all summer and I am constitutionally unable to get up at 5AM to run. I had to run on an indoor track often and my upper limit for running around and around in an LA Fitness facility is sixty laps. I had two stomach mishaps and two miserable colds which took two and a half weeks out of my routine. I had a trip down south where the running was brutally hot too.
But otherwise, i’ve been great physically. Edith has shown me how to get strong and how to get faster. I’ve been doing progressive sprints and I have actually run at the speed of 11.5 miles per hour for 20 seconds. Eleven point fucking five! To me, that’s like flying. I felt like I was liquid when I was doing that speed.
But my speed isn’t what it should be. It took me 4 hours to do 16 miles today on my last long run until the marathon, hereafter called, just the “race.” My heart’s desire is to do the next one in 4 and a half hours. Clearly, that is not what the odds tell us what my likely final time will be but I refuse to say that it’s impossible. I have learned that Impossibility is just an opinion.
More tomorrow.
Catt Scratches 
Jill,
“running for real” lower case emphasized, is what you do and do well. Fear is a motivator but dreams are far better. As you prep and focus on the goal remember one thing and one thing only. You are doing this for you. Over the course of the run, as you very well know, many thoughts and impressions will occur to you. Enjoy each and every one of them. As you said, you are alone and alone with your thoughts. Each mile represents something to you. Each steps gets you further toward the realization of the goal. Speed is not necessairily a factor, though we as efficient people love to make it one. Accomplishment holds far greater rewards. That being said, the countdown continues. The question is what is the countdown representing. I think that that question can only be answered at the start and the finish lines and everything that lies in between them.
“Paco Taco Jimenez”
By: steelwheelsny on October 1, 2012
at 8:23 am
OJ, Thanks for reminding me why I do this. I run this Marathon because I want to feel part of Maine, which has become my spiritual home. I run this marathon because of the scenery. I run because it is my language and my religion. All else is static.
By: jillthecatt on October 1, 2012
at 8:47 am