You may have been running a while and be quite proud of it. You're fit and healthy, and you enjoy the thrice-weekly habit you have developed. Then one day someone asks you if you've ever run a marathon, and it's like a slap in the face. 'No,' you respond, almost in shock, 'I haven't. I don't think I could. Twenty-six miles. It's too much, don't you think?'
After a while, though, the question still bugs you. For some reason it really got under your skin, and you're not sure why. Then it dawns on you: running a marathon is a challenge, and you've been avoiding the challenge.
To be sure, you don't have to run a marathon to be a runner. Lots of runners never marathons. But avoiding the challenge-- ah, well, that's another story.
Maybe you're an experienced runner who's run marathons and other races. But you've always shied away from testing yourself at big races such as New York or Boston or Chicago. Or perhaps you've come close to breaking the three-hour mark but never quite managed it. You've always stepped back from the commitment it takes to break that magic barrier.
Challenges in running come in many shapes and forms. They're different for different people. But here's the rule: whatever stretches you, as a runner and a human being, is good. Never settle for good enough. When the time comes, answer the challenge.
What challenge are you avoiding?? What is your marathon??
* taken from Runner's Book of Daily Inspiration.
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