Plans are taking shape. Friends are making the necessary arrangements to come and support me. In that regard, I am very lucky. I have somebodies who are willing to back, if not match, my freak. There’s a tiny bit of anxiety building up inside me. I have tried to follow my training plan as religiously as possible, but there is just no telling what race day is going to be like. So far, I have remained injury free, for which I am grateful.
Yesterday morning, I ran what was my longest run ever: 30 kilometers. Three and a half hours of virtually non-stop running. I was out the door by half past four in the morning. It was still pitch dark. I was mostly alone on the road for the first hour. It was quiet and meditative. Running is really as much mental as it is physical. 26 kilometers was the longest distance I’d run before yesterday, and 29 kilometers was the target, so I told myself that after three, I should have no trouble finishing the rest. I’ve done it before. It is obviously easier said than done, but the run felt relatively easier this time I even managed to run one kilometer more than target. Perhaps I’ve gotten the hang of long-distance running including recovery, fueling, and hydration.
One of the reasons that compelled me to move to my current apartment was the quick access to East Coast Park. ECP is the perfect place to train for a marathon. It is 12 kilometers long, so one can cover 24 kilometers back and forth. The park also has drinking fountains spaced out every few kilometers, which can help mimic race day hydration points. Even so, training for a marathon amidst other life commitments can be draining. I spent the whole of yesterday sleeping which, in itself, is a privilege not accorded to many.
I wish I had a more profound reason for deciding to run a marathon, I don’t. It was a purely logical choice. I’ve ran a few halfs so perhaps I can try my hand (or feet) at a full. But the process has inadvertently led me on a journey of self-discovery. Those hours-long runs taught me to be patient with myself, to push my body physically while respecting its limits, and to expand my mind’s capacity to adapt to challenging situations. Something I have carried on to many other areas of my life.
