I have never run an "official" marathon since starting to run again. I have run over a marathon distance a couple times in my long runs over the past year, but have never ran a race. Next Saturday I'm running my first official trail marathon as a training run for my 50k training.
I've been having a nonchalant attitude about the event. Don't get me wrong. I respect the distance. Through my training I have grown the confidence to know that I can do the distance. I also know that it won't be a cake walk. In the past three or four weeks I have done a twenty mile run each week. The distance never seems to get easier, but I do finish the runs with plenty of gas in the tank.
I guess I'm just having the realization that I'm overlooking the accomplishment of my first marathon because it's a stepping stone along the way to a much bigger goal. Part of me is thinking that the perspective I've adopted might be a little wonked. Of course, signing up for a 50k before I've proven myself at the marathon distance might be a little wonked too.
The Eagle Creek Trail marathon isn't going to be a slouch. It's a 6.5 out and back that you have to do 4 times. People I know that have run it say that it's more of a mentally challenging race as opposed to a physical one. Most of the people reiterate that it's still a marathon and the physically grueling challenge is still there.
I suppose what I would like to accomplish is to finish the race uninjured and have fun doing it. I just hope I don't let myself get sucked into a competitive macho-dickwad mode. I need to be a little conservative and just keep my training pace. This will ensure me success on the big day. The big day that I've been almost dangerously overlooking.
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