Oh Wise 10K, Teach Me About the Marathon!

I ran the Smelt 10K Saturday. I wasn't expecting a great time as I've done NO speedwork lately. My focus has been lots of long slow miles as I ramp up for my marathon. Priorities, you know. :) Last year I finished the same race in 56:13. This year I finished in approximately 57:58 (final results have yet to be posted). Not great but not bad. The most exciting thing about the Smelt Run this year is it marked the end of February and the beginning of March. March is the month of my marathon. I am so excited I can already feel the butterflies storming my stomach. Yikes! If I'm already this excited there's gonna be full-grown eagles flying around my stomach by race morning!


This 10K taught me a lesson about myself. I've realized I really enjoy the longer distances. Shorter races are exciting and I'll still run them but, let's be honest, they hurt. They require hard effort the entire way. I have to focus all my mental energy on keeping pace, breathing correctly and pushing through. True, long slow runs also require all of the above but in a much more relaxed manner. Those details don't occupy my every thought. On a long slow run I'm able to let my mind wander and ponder. I can pray, I can dream, I can even compose an entire blog in my head! I can think of nothing if I choose. I can take the time to look at the scenery around me. I can listen to the birds chirp, watch the squirrels as they scamper across my path, and gaze in awe at the hawk or even eagle as they soar overhead. If I'm running with someone I can carry on a conversation. There are so many reasons to enjoy the long slow runs. My goal for this first marathon is just that - to enjoy it. I don't want to get so wrapped up in my finish time that I forget to have fun. I want to appreciate the scenery of the canyon and river as I run their path. I want to "meet" others who are running the marathon. I want this day to feel like the celebration it is. Yes, I may have pain in the end, I may have to use all my mental energy to climb the last long hill, I may have to knock a few bricks out of a wall in order to succeed but my plan is to succeed. So I guess the hard effort of the 10K is good for me. When I come to those last 6.2 miles of my marathon, I will remember that hard effort is also within my capabilities and I will run to the finish.