TITLE: Thoughts Early in a Run
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: September 05, 2009  3:10 PM
DESC: 
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BODY:
I ran my Sunday long run this morning, so that I can
adjust the coming week's schedule for a Saturday
half marathon.  This week's long run called for 18
miles.  After a week of hard runs, I approached this
morning gingerly.  Slow, steady, nothing fast.  Just
get the mileage under my belt, get home, rest and
move another week toward my marathon.

About four miles in, my legs were feeling a little
sore.  A lot of miles lay before me.  Rather than
get down, I had a comforting thought:  All I have
to do is just keep running.  Nothing fancy.  Just
keep running.

It occurred to me that, at its simplest, this what
a marathon comes down to.  Can you <EM>just keep
running</EM> for 26.2 miles?  All the training we
do prepares us to answer affirmatively.

Racing a marathon is a little different, because
now time matters.  But the question doesn't
disappear; it only takes on a qualifier:  <EM>How
fast</EM> can you <EM>just keep running</EM> for
26.2 miles?  In the end, you just keep running.

It was a beautiful late summer morning for a run.
Cool.  Sunny.  I just kept running.
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