Toeing the line for a marathon is no sure bet. The runner will dutifully plug in miles of training, enduring sweaty mornings and achy legs. Yet months of work can be suddenly negated 20+ miles into a 26 mile race. A cramped muscle, popped blister, or simple overwhelming fatigue can leave even the swiftest of harriers a mere shadow of themselves hobbling along to the finish line.
But the runner sets off anyway each morning. They plug away at their distant goal, understanding the inherent possibility that all the investment could be for nothing. One must maintain a buoyant belief that each extra mile, every situp, or early night’s bedtime somehow plays into this grander picture of success on race day.
With risk also comes opportunity. 26.2 miles of racing brings an aura to it. There’s something special about training for a race distance that is farther than you’d ever run in a training run. A distance vast enough that you’d rather not drive it if you didn’t have to. Achieving your goal can lead to an overwhelming amount of satisfaction.
The key to reducing risk as a runner lies not only in building maximum fitness throughout training but also how to efficiently expend this energy throughout the race. Too ambitious too early in the race can lead to “blowing up” or falling off pace later in the race. Too conservative early on can leave the runner having to waste effort weaving around slower runners, often leaving them without a partner to match pace with. The goal must be aspirational enough to strive for, but attainable enough to reach.
Training runs can serve as benchmarks for these goals. Prior races can as well. But when the gun goes off at 8 AM and your feet have to start moving forward, only you can decide how fast they should be moving to find the balance between ambitious and cautious. So the runner hedges their bets and finds a rhythm that seems right, not knowing what the future will hold.
The energy marathons generate is unmatched by shorter running races. Droves of spectators will wake up early, coffee in hand ready to watch these gambles play out. 300,000 spectators will line the Twin Cities Marathon course this Sunday, cheering on friends and family or just soaking in the festive atmosphere that the weekend creates.
8,000 runners will toe the line tomorrow, tapping into this vibrancy as each individual sets off aspiring for their own goal. Kate and I will be among them, ready to take our chances. If you know anyone racing (and even if you don’t!); get out there and immerse yourself in the best weekend of the year for runners in the Twin Cities area. It’s truly a sight to see so many fellow humans experiencing the joys (and pains) of stretching the limits of their bodies. There’s great info on course maps, athlete tracking, and more on tcmevents website if you’re new to the event. It’s one you don’t want to miss.
Hope to see you out there!
Happy Twin Cities Marathon weekend,
John and Kate