I participated in another marathon recently. In some ways, I hadn't trained as well as I would've liked in regards to overall mileage. But in regards to race training/speed training this year, I felt I was maybe better than ever for marathon season.
Each year for the last six years, marathon season for me starts in late August/early September and culminates with the Honolulu Marathon in early December. I also usually participate in the Marathon Readiness Series (a series of five races of varying lengths) throughout the autumn to prepare myself for the marathon. This year, as I was running personal bests in most of those races, I figured I ought to "go for it" in regards to the marathon and see if I could set a personal best. Cruising through 18+ miles, I was going to easily set a personal best for this marathon. However, as the longest marathon readiness series race this fall was a 30 km (18.6 mile run); my cruising at this fast pace had never been tested beyond this distance. Sure enough, at mile 19, my thighs started cramping up. The last seven-plus miles of my marathon was a cycle of: cramp, stretch, walk, run, cramp, stretch, walk, run, etc. with more and more frequency of cramping - and throughout more of my lower extremities as the race continued. I did wind up finishing. I did wind up still getting my personal best time. But I sure had to work for it.
As I celebrated the finish of this marathon with my family (see attached picture), as I celebrated with my daughter's gymnastics coach (who finished a few minutes behind me) and many of her gymnastics teammates, and as I continue to celebrate right on through Christmas and New Year's with NO RUNNING and A LOT OF EATING, I know that there will be other marathons in life.
Today, I talked with a dear friend who - for the last year - has been taking care of a sick uncle. Recently, the uncle's health took a turn for the worse, and my friend and his wife moved in with the uncle to help take care of him. This morning at 2:30 am, as my friend and his wife had to turn uncle in his bed to prevent bed sores, they realized that he had passed away. Though my friend and his wife are tired, I think that there must be a certain amount of joy and relief. Joy that they had given their best in taking care of uncle; relief that this season of care-taking is over. As I thought about my friend, I realized...my marathon was so much easier than his marathon. His marathon: he had no chance in whether he would run it or not, he had no choice in when his marathon got harder or know how much harder it would get, and he had no knowledge of when the "finish line" would be, though it turned out to be today.
We all run marathons; with the marathon of life being the most important one. In the various seasons of our life, we run marathons, also. Though there are many aspects of marathons which could exasperate, frustrate, or discourage us; take the time also ... to celebrate the marathons of life.
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