While having drinks with friends last night to celebrate their achievements at the recent Gold Coast Marathon, I got chatting to one of them who had completed her debut marathon and was still on a high one week later.
Now as in my previous piece, many of us can associate with that high for a week or so after a marathon or longer (strangely I don’t seem to feel it after shorter distances even if they are a 21km race).
My friend was very kind in her words to me concerning some encouragement that I had been providing her with during her 12 weeks of marathon preparation. I was quick to point out though that it is great that she completed her goal and did so well, ultimately she did the work herself and I really can’t take any credit for it.
During the conversation, it emerged that she was having some problems motivating herself concerning the longer runs in the training program and fighting a few injuries as well as having other friends ‘telling her how to run', she was only able to make strides forward in her training by following the adage of finding the reason or reasons why she ran.
You see we are all unique in why and how we run. It is no good someone telling you that you should run like them or for the same reasons as them, as we all have our triggers that can set us going. Seeking out that which truly motivates you or ‘puts the word fun into your run’ is the key to ensuring that you not only stick with the sport, but that you truly embrace the spirit of the run.
To run only for victory is your own choice, but by looking deeper into and embracing the beauty of the sport you may find that it puts you in touch with something inside yourself that you never knew existed and that once you have reached that place you will want to go back to it time and again.
Open your stride to open your mind. – Sean Muller
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