How To Run A Marathon (without crying)

While searching through running sites for inspiration, I found this quote by Lauren Fessenden -

"This is not about instant gratification. You have to work hard for it, sweat for it, give up sleeping in on Sunday mornings."


Hard work? Sweat? No instant gratification? But I LOVE instant gratification.

My favorite nut job always told me during marathon training, "If it was easy, everybody would be doing it".

The last three marathons cry out to me not to do it anymore. But, as the saying goes, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" (and the weak follow blindly along).

Marathon #4 - Akron, Ohio

As of this posting, there are 215 days, 21 hours, and 35 minutes left till the 2009 Akron Marathon. The nut job I spoke earlier of has already signed us up. "It's a nice flat, fast course," he told me last year before we ran it. He enjoys lying to me.

I'm hoping to survive it this year with a little more grace. No panting like a St. Bernard at mile 15, no crying at mile 18 and above all else, no crawling at mile 25.

And qualifying for Boston would be awfully nice, too.

Why should I think this year will be different?

Because I'm going to try harder. More miles, more core strength exercises and of course my nut job running friends will always be there to give me more hills.

And maybe, just maybe, more dark beer at the end of the tunnel.

Inspire Me

If you have any favorite running quotes you would like to submit, please post them in the comments section below. I'll need all the inspiration I can get.

Thanks, and happy running.