My story is about running a marathon and learning that it’s not really about the run.
Seven years ago in October, one of my best friends, Carolyne, ran the Marine Corps Marathon. It was her very first. This was a big deal for her as we all knew this was an attempt to get her life back together after a painful divorce. A full marathon is 42 km and Carol is no athlete by any means. Carol did not run: She pranced, she skipped, she galloped… but she didn’t ‘run’. And here I was, too self-righteous for my own good, thinking, “If Carol can do it, I know I can.”
So the following May, in 2004, I began my training to prepare for the Toronto Marathon. The recipe for proper conditioning is: the right pair of running shoes and socks, dry fit gear that didn’t chafe, good electrolyte balance, slow progressions never exceeding 10% per week, mixed in with some cross training, proper stretching, and a splash of good hydration. You will survive the unrelenting torment so long as you keep those factors in check and never push beyond your limits.
But preparing for a marathon was so much more than just the physical training.
