OWL-DRAGON

Goals


The local weekly paper runs an occasional column written by Amy Binder. In her latest column Amy wrote a about not wanting to do a marathon or even a half-marathon. I wrote the following as a response:

Running just for fitness is great and if that works for Amy great but here is another perspective.

Goals help both with motivation and with interest. Boredom – compared to what? Sitting and watching life past you by. Choose your course carefully. A run need never be boring. If you don’t mind headsets listen to music or a book. If you do mind headsets write your next column or that book.

Racing any distance but especially racing the long distances turns a solitary exercise into a community event. The half marathon is a good distance. It tests without breaking but don’t forget that every distance has that “what was I thinking” point. Those moments really mean nothing unless your dissatisfaction persists after the race. That is less likely to happen if you train properly: this means long, slow running, but also speed work, stretching, weights, nutrition, and rest. Ten mile training runs probably will get you to the half but it’s better if you have done the race distance or better before the race. On the other hand a marathon doesn’t really require more than a good base and a couple of twenty milers. A small minority insists you should have a training run of 26 or more. My Boston qualifier was at Philadelphia after a disappointing NY so there may be something to the super long run theory but the injury risk is high. There are lots of good training programs out there – including Galloway’s walk run method. When done with care injuries can be prevented. Many aging runners like the longer distance precisely because of the more sedate pace. Your hamstring is more likely to be stressed by speed than long, slow distance.

In the Philadelphia area we have the perfect trifecta of running: May - Broad Street (10 miles), September -Philadelphia Distance Run (13.2), and the Philadelphia Marathon (26.2).

Runners like to jokingly use the term addiction, but that is a misnomer. Running is in fact a practice. An exercise that engages body and mind and rather then a flight from self is a mirror to the soul. Will I get out of bed before dawn on a cold morning and conquer my demons? Will I face down my doubts at mile twenty that another 10K is impossible?
This is not the dependence of addiction but the independence of the disciplined soul.

Why run a marathon? Because it is hard. Because it will challenge every fiber of your being. Because it will provide not just a momentary high but a continuing insight into your core being. Think of how many of your days are forgettable – but that marathon day will be etched in your memory forever. Rather than time dragging (well ok maybe some of those last miles) I am always amazed by how quickly time flies during a marathon. The pain is momentary; the accomplishment is forever.

Run for fun and for pleasure but also run for challenges and for the test of who you are.