As a runner, you are in a never ending process of self improvement. You are always looking ahead. What’s next? What else can I do to get better? I caution you, however, that when trying to achieve the next goal, that it is measurable, achievable and reasonable. That’s not to say you can’t set an ambitious goal that will require long term and difficult process to get you there. But it’s imperative to understand what is a reasonable or otherwise a completely unrealistic goal. The last thing you want is to hope for something that you cannot possibly achieve. For example, many avid recreational runners attempt to run a marathon even when they are ill prepared or injured. They hope for some miracle to pull them through. Mind over matter, right?
Um, not quite.
There’s a reason you need to be prepared. And if you are not, don’t delude yourself that somehow something amazing will happen and you will be awesome just because you willed it to happen. Unfortunately, the probable and the harsh reality is you’ll end up having a miserable experience filled with disappointment and pain.
Don’t do this to yourself!
No, you can’t wing a marathon. You have to be prepared and ready to tackle 26.2 miles. It will be a huge physical and mental challenge which will make you question your sanity. I’m sure you’ve seen these “inspirational” stories that usually go like this. “I was running 10 miles or so as my long run, and then I got hurt but I figured I can still do a marathon in two weeks.” Really? Does that sound reasonable? This person then goes on describing the grueling process they went through trying to complete the race. It usually involved crying, calling a relative, experiencing enormous amount of pain and so on. But they crawled to the finish line and that’s all that mattered, right?
Is that what you really want?
I don’t know about you but I would rather not go through that. So, be prepared and don’t fool yourself into thinking that even if you are not ready that by some miracle you will have a good experience. You won’t. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment. All you’ve accomplished was not dying. Hardly a fitness goal.