My motivation this Monday is my friends / acquaintances who have completed marathons - okay not especially deep or inspired logical stretches need be applied here. I am due to run in less than two weeks now, off the back of injuries that have hampered my training so I have been looking for an extra lift. Already I am armed with motivations, the ones that made me sign up and train in the first place. Now though I find myself wanting to hear / read stories of ordinary runners, first time runners, runners with injuries and how they motivated themselves to ignore training set backs, step onto the start line, run freely, and complete.
Sounds like I am having a confidence crisis? Well in some ways perhaps... as I posted yesterday I won't run until the day of the marathon and that will be a first attempt to 'complete' a planned run in some 4-5weeks. Some things I am happy with...
- I know that I have the base aerobic endurance fitness and overall strength for it
- I know from reading about / hearing / watching the scale of a marathon
- I know I have the intelligence to listen to my body and not break it (well break it too badly)
- I know that my organisational preparations are on track (hotels, parking, kit, etc.)
- I know that I have support (family on the day, friends in spirit and sponsorship)
- I know that I am motivated enough to complete regardless of time (currently my finish time projections run through a series of times over an hour window at least, best through to worst cases)
What I don't know is will my current injury play any part on the day? Will that first mile be as far as I get? Or will I get halfway? Three quarters? Okay, anyone who starts has some form of finishing worries, and I'll be stood there like everyone else on the line wondering what 26.2 miles ahead will bring. So in some ways the motivation I am looking for is that which persuades me that standing there in the first place is sensible having not run for essentially 5 weeks (but having trained every other which way)... ???
Dry, scattered cloud, moderate breeze - lovely spring day.
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