That's right. We have all taken crazy pills and signed up for the 2011 Marine Corps Marathon which is held annually here in DC. Yikes! Just looking at the above picture gets my adrenaline pumping. I'm pretty sure we're all feeling a tad nervous, but it's exciting that there's a bunch of us who have signed up together and can encourage one another.
If you had told me around this time last year that I would be signing up for a marathon, I would have laughed and said, "No way! Absolutely not!" But last May I started to get into running (having never really been a runner before), and I have been both surprised and encouraged by how slow and steady persistence has gradually led to increased speed and distance abilities.
Everyone has different reasons for wanting to run a marathon. Mine include the following...
1) This is sort of a bucket list/pre-30/pre-baby thing. For the last few months Travis and I have been training for the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler this April, which will be my first race ever. We've talked about how cool it would be to complete a marathon and figured that we're almost halfway there with the 10-mile race training, so now may be the best time. No kids, we're not getting any younger, we're already running a fair amount...when else would we do it?
2) I read somewhere that less than 1 percent of the world's population has run a marathon. Something in me just wants to be part of that "less than 1 percent." There's something about pushing yourself and accomplishing a goal that you didn't ever think that you could accomplish.
3) Oprah did it (she ran the MCM sometime in the 90s)...So can I! Just kidding. This isn't really one of my reasons.
4) This race is pretty much right in our neighborhood, and it's also in the list of top ten marathons for 1st-time marathoners to participate in. So we thought that we should jump on it while we live in DC.
There you have it. We have committed. Now comes the training...
I don't plan on writing much about our marathon training because I realize that it doesn't totally interest people who aren't into running. But if all goes well, in early November I will be able to write about our first marathon, the fact that we completed it, and that it was a positive experience. That's the goal!
With any luck, there won't be blood. But there will be sweat. Lots and lots of sweat. And there may even be tears. Actually, knowing me, there's a pretty distinct possibility that there will be tears. Nonetheless...
With any luck, there won't be blood. But there will be sweat. Lots and lots of sweat. And there may even be tears. Actually, knowing me, there's a pretty distinct possibility that there will be tears. Nonetheless...
Marine Corps Marathon...HERE WE COME!!!
2 comments:
Good luck on your marathon! Those are all great reasons to be running one. I've done some in the last few years and the feeling of accomplishment after completing it is phenomenal. Training can be a bit rough, but you guys will love it!
Kuddos to you, Jillian! I'm it will be an exhilarating experience (once it's over and you've recovered) ;)
Post a Comment