How Far Do You Want to Go?

Navigational Art and Directions By Colleen Yorke, © 2015.

Sometimes we hit that point in our lives, where everything we do seems pointless. With a little over a week away from the marathon, countless hours of marathon training, it is not uncommon for some of us to get cold feet and wallow in our own B.S. We have added a considerable amount of base mileage, we have spent many weekend mornings up early and on long runs, we have suffered through intervals of speed work, and we have patched up during our recovery days. Miles and miles of broken and buckled up sidewalks, chasms and mini-mountains we run every day. Rain and mud, winds and dust - how can this possibly be fun? Our non-running friends do not 'get' us. 

Second Street Tunnel, Los Angeles.

Regardless of whether we are a newbie or seasoned road warrior, we all have our reasons for running, and it is important to not lose sight of what crossing that finish line means to us. As we get closer to race day, we are likely to be more sensitive to the emotions we feel, not less. Yet, as with everything else in our lives, by facing our emotions (and our fears), we grow. We have come this far, and the only way to define our limits is to go beyond them.  

How far do you want to go?