The Miracle

So the countdown to marathon day continues. As of today we are about 11 days away. I am in my "tapering" phase of my training which means I have been decreasing in my weekly milage. It has been a bit frustrating honestly, I want to get out and run more but I also don't want to push myself too much. I realize that on marathon day I will be running 6 miles longer than my longest run so I need to be fresh. I am looking forward to loading up on carbs, although I do that pretty much all the time anyways.

I read a quote a couple of weeks ago that I really enjoyed.

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to begin" - John Bingham

I've been thinking a lot about crossing that finish line and how awesome that is going to be for me but I realize that this, for me, is greater than just making it to the finish line. For me the real victory is that I believed in myself enough to get this far. Two years ago I couldn't imagine that I would ever be doing this but over those years I have allowed myself to grow and believe that I am stronger in many ways than I thought I was.

I've been reflecting a lot the past couple of weeks about what I have learned from this experience and it has amazed me. This is more than just about running, it's about pushing myself. It is about becoming stronger both mentally and physically. They say that running a marathon is as much mental as it is physical. So is the training.

I've pushed my limits and as a result I have learned that I can run faster than I once thought possible and I can run further than I once imagined. Now I believe that with enough work and dedication that there is no limit to what I can do. I've discovered amazing things about myself, things I haven't yet figured out how to express, but I will.

This past year has been one of pain and joy. I've hurt in many ways but in each way I have come out stronger. Physically, mentally, emotionally, I have become a stronger person because I challenged myself.

In less than two weeks I will stand shoulder to shoulder with thousands of others at the start line in downtown Phoenix. I have no expectation that I will win that race but that is not what winning means for me. By being at the start line I will have accomplished a great deal. Nevertheless, my goal is to run and finish, and by so doing I will confirm that I can accomplish what I once thought impossible. I can't help but wonder what emotions I will feel as I cross that finish line. When I ran the half-marathon in San Francisco, crossing the finish line was such a great feeling. I felt both humbled and proud. I had accomplished a major goal in my life.

I wonder if crossing the finish line at the full marathon will feel twice as good. I will let you all know if a couple weeks. It's both exciting and a bit scary to see the number of days on my training calendar dwindle. No more long runs to practice, just short light workouts. This Sunday is a "light" 8 miles. It seems not that long ago that 8 miles seemed almost impossible, now it has become routine.

I read an article about the funk some people fall into after they finish a marathon trying to figure what's next. I have already extended my training out and made some goals in the spirit of the new year. I plan to PR (personal record) at 5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon. So a couple of months after my marathon, I want to revisit the half and see how well I can do there.