My inner aspirations went from "Yeah, some day I'd like to run a half marathon" to "S***! I'm running a half marathon" in 2013, when my AmeriCorps teammate got herself, me and two others a free entry in exchange for arriving to the course site at 5 a.m. race day to work the registration table. With that circumstance leading me from my average 5-mile jogs to a 13.1-mile journey, it's uniform that my path to a full marathon happens in a similar way: an agreement I can't back out on.
I haven't run a marathon yet, and the furthest I've run is 14 miles. I've seen me doing one in the future in a body equipped with abilities I do not currently have that I would, eventually, get in time. The problem with that semi-passive approach is, unless you make a commitment, the goal will only dangle in your future for all eternity. My commitment came at the Fifth Third River Bank Run's sponsorship party, two days before the infamous 25K, where I met Don Kern, whose feet have seen a whole new genre of running terrain.
To my fortune (or misfortune depending on the level of fatigue you catch me at), talking to Don bumped my "I'll get to running a marathon several years from now" idea to "I'm running the Grand Rapids Marathon this October. S***!" As a result, I'll be writing about my training as I evolve from half to full marathon competency, and invite you to follow along whether you, too, are running the marathon this October, thinking about running a marathon, or enjoy my delightful writing tone.
I have another invitation for you: Join me at the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon, October 23. Start by signing up—you'll be surprised how motivated you are when you've already paid an entry fee and given your size for a t-shirt that will let everyone know you participated. Now get to training and I'll see you out there.
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