When looking at my races I didn't set any PRs this year but I still had a lot of fun and did a few classic to me races and other brand new ones. I did races with friends, did a few alone, and always seem to have my community of runners and non runners to come back to. Many people may be reading this on the eve of running a big race...there is a big one here tomorrow in Virginia and seeing all the posts of these people who are anxious, excited, crazed and scared make me so giddy with excitement! YOU ARE READY!!
Running a race is a lot like planning a wedding or being pregnant. The build up is huge and so is the preparation! You can talk to so many people and there are a million different ways to do the same thing. You have to figure out what works for you, what you are comfortable with, what you can sustain...and then trust in you. You have to build your community that will help you with the tough decisions and emergencies and know that sometimes you have to look at things from a different perspective. But with all things the hardest part is showing up. You are there...you have shown up..trust in that!So all of you racers or future races...when it comes to race day eve...know you are ready, know you have sacrificed for something, know that this is the fun part, know that this is what you trained for, know that the nerves are just you ready to tackle the goal ahead of you. Know that you are supposed to feel this way and you need to bottle all of the energy for tomorrow. Remember that you can't control the weather or how your body will react to nutrition or cramping or chilly temps. None of that can take away from all that you have put forth.
I may be talking a little extreme...I tend to go a bit overboard when putting myself into a race...but either way...we all have goals, A, B and C goals. We want to do good...we want all this work to be worth it...we want to do a little better than the last time we ran this distance. When you toe the line tomorrow remember all the people that joined you on this journey, remember how important they are to you and this process. Know that they are there with you virtually and cheering you on and that they know how much you have sacrificed to tackle this goal. You have shown up...and they believe in you...know it is time to believe in yourself.
This next part is just as hard to write as it is to read. Remember that this race is just a race...that you are there in a moment of time and as important as it is...you are healthy, you are strong, and there will always be another one. Know that plans change, and goals shift, and tears are sometimes shed in more than just happiness. And in that moment of what feels like mass disappointment, you are stronger than you ever knew. All that you have gone through is not for nothing and this race is not just another medal to hang or a notch on your belt. It is just as much a part of you and sometimes may have felt like a full time job or the birth of a baby or wedding celebration...and being upset is understandable! You still need to celebrate the tough losses...they are the building blocks to stronger finishes down the road.
So kick butt in all you do...be proud of this commitment. This is a big deal, this is not for everyone, and not everyone can understand all that is the crazy mind of a runner or other endurance athlete. Trust in the process, you are ready, you have more than shown up.
0.5% Percentage of US Population that have run a marathon
570 Total number of US marathons held annually
581, 811 Total number of people that finish a marathon annually
Embrace the suck...choose you...show up...be inspiried by shalane flanagan.
