Thursday, October 1, 2009

Why doing a marathon?

Not even two years ago I started running. I guess you couldn't call it running then, it looked more like a desperate chicken trying to do so. I started while I was in the gym and I it was no more then ten exhausting minutes on the threadmill. When my gym membership did run out, I decided to do something different to put my energy in. For weeks, I did not go further than two blocks from my house and was actually afraid to go any further.


That year I started university in England, so I had to leave my home and friends behind and start a new life in a diffrent country. At first, I was desperately homesick but as I went for some slow runs in the Sussex landscapes, I noticed that running helped me to stay focused and deal with all my frustrations. It became more than just a way to stay in shape.


I suddenly managed to run for half an hour and more without noticing  and it became an addiction.I decided to join a 10 k non competitive race in Brighton. Soon, this wasn't enough and decided to do the ING half-marathon in Luxembourg. I was afraid I would never manage to get trough the finish line but  I did! I even managed to be the 119st out of approximately 1500 women runners with a time of 1 hour 53 minutes. I was happy because my main goal had only been to cross the finish line. This was the motivation I needed and I joined other races, 10 k's and another half-marathon in Germany.

But, there still was this myth about the marathon. I did read some articles about marathons and was quite impressed and fascinated by the distance. When I found out about the first Brighton Marathon I decided to join. So now, there is no going back. I am afraid and really nervous when I think about running the actual race and facing the long training period. I don't know if I can cope with all the training and I do need to keep on going for half a year.

 Well, enough for now, might post more later today.

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2 comments:

  1. Pol WinandyOctober 1, 2009 at 8:58 PM

    Go Paule. You can do it.

    However, this post still doesn't explain why you want to run the "mythical marathon." Maybe you won't know until you cross the finish line.

    I'll be following your preparation.

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  2. nekosasu (erm, den Adam :P)October 2, 2009 at 1:33 AM

    Your motivations for running actually remind me of my mum. She used to be very passive and extremely unathletic, but someday, she suddenly started running as well. These days she runs her five miles almost every day, claiming it's the perfect way for her to let out steam, clear the mind and stay focused (she used to work at a home for Autists, now she works at a home for the aged, both very demanding and stressful jobs) while doing something good for the body.

    She's not very ambitious, though she did participate in the ING marathon for the last 2 years. Granted she did "only" the team run - still, not bad for an almost 50 year-old lady.
    ...not comparing her to you in this aspect xD but yeah, in her case, running does keep her active, fit, it may even be rejuvenating! (I prefer swimming though, but that's beside the point. :P)
    But having a grand goal on top of that (in your case, finishing the marathon and possibly aiming for a good ranking too) might help you endure any hardships and persevere in your everyday life too - I find that very admirable.

    tl;dr: Go for it. I wish you the best of luck, and don't be afraid, you can and will definitely do it. ;)

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