I was strictly a recreational runner, never ran track, and maxed out around 5 miles on a good day. While I enjoyed getting out, I remember saying on more than one occasion that I'd never run a marathon. The idea of churning my legs for 26.2 miles seemed ridiculously hard and out-of-reach.
Now several years later, I'm starting to think about which marathon I'll run in 2010. This will be my 7th overall. I've ran about 30 races of varying distance over that time. And though I'm not particularly speedy, I do love the sport.
I often hear the same reaction that I used to have to marathon running. "You'll never see me out there." "That doesn't sound fun to me." "I could never do that." Or my personal favorite, "You're crazy."
My usual response is, "I never thought I'd be a marathon runner either. Try it, you might surprise yourself."
Why couldn't I or many others like me imagine ourselves running a marathon? It's because of that daunting number, 26.2. It's hard to wrap your head around being on your feet that long. It's still sometimes difficult for me to fathom covering that distance.
The advantage the veteran marathon runner holds is mindset. When I'm out there on race day, I'm not thinking about how hard it is to run 26.2 miles. That's too big to take on. Instead, I'm thinking small: Am I currently running at my goal pace for this mile? Am I nourished and hydrated? How is my body holding up? Yes, that big number is in the back of my mind, but my focus is on the things within my control.
By dividing the race into minutes and miles, finishing a marathon becomes a manageable task. By doing the little things right along the way, the big thing takes care of itself. It also helps you keep your sanity over course of the race.
When we're feeling overwhelmed by a big goal, sometimes it helps to think small.
