Slightly behind that level of nervousness are the few days leading up to race day. The entire waiting game is what I'm calling 'staring down the barrel' and it drives me crazy (in a good way)!
For those of you who somehow don't know, I'll be running in the New York City marathon on Sunday, November 6th along with over 45,000 strangers / new best friends. A few years back, the thought of running 26.2 miles was beyond comprehensible, yet as I sit here staring down the barrel, my concern has shifted from 'will I finish' now to 'how long will it take'? The funny thing is, after the race I will inevitably think, 'wow, I could not have run any faster since I am so dead tired', but next year, I'll reflect back (while hopefully training for an even faster time) and laugh, thinking, 'that wasn't so bad in New York...but NOW this will be the fastest I will ever be able to go'. Rinse and repeat. I'll put it out there, my medium term goal is to time qualify for the Boston marathon (currently set at 3:05 for my age category). I'm nowhere near that yet, but check back with me in a year or two, and I hope I'll be able to tell you that I'm much closer to making it a reality.
If you've never watched the finish of a marathon, or any endurance sport for that matter, you really are missing out on seeing something incredible. 99% of the runners will not receive any monetary prize, endorsement deal, or anything of that sort, yet all of us will still be pushing, pulling, and willing our way through to the finish line. What is it that drives someone to push the limits of their body and mind? The beauty is that its deeply personal - some do it for a friend / family member, others run 'in honor of', some want to test their limits...but whatever it is, I applaud you! If you are in New York and want to witness your first one, come out on Sunday! You can help cheer me on...and secretly I will be using your smiles / cheers as fuel to push myself on. I am runner number 16374, starting in wave 1, and aiming to run a sub 3:30. I look forward to seeing you out there and promise you won't be disappointed =)
