Enjoying the Marathon

A couple of years ago in a moment of deep insight, I penned two ancient secrets of mastering the art of distance running. They are....(ready?!)

1. Start running.
2. Don't stop until you reach the finish line.

Maybe I should add a third?
- Try to enjoy it.

Yesterday I ran my fifth marathon. I craved an escape from work. I wanted a long run...

So I made the journey by moto, bus, taxi and plane to Khon Kaen in Thailand's North East. I ran the 42km about ten minutes slower than my PB set at the Gold Coast last July (i.e. just under 4 hours for this marathon). It wasn't speedy. But it was a good run. Why? I'm starting to enjoy the marathon. What I mean is: I'm not just enjoying the feeling of having done a marathon but the actual process of running it. I'm running freer and I hope that later this year I'll run faster too!

In clear contrast, I remember when running my first marathon I wasn't at all appreciative of the people who turned out to cheer their family members/ friends/ anyone wearing four inch shorts. When someone yelled, "Good job!" I wanted to reply, "If this job is so good, why the heck aren't you running?!" When a stranger at the 20-mile mark called out, "Looking good!" I almost turned and screamed, "Are you kidding me?!" Sweaty, tired, stumbling along with dried Gatorade caked around my mouth, I knew that I did not look anything close to "good". My response, "Seriously, this nutter needs to get her eyes/ brain checked."

There for sure used to be a little part of me that hated the perky crowds cheering in their PJs with a take-away coffee cup in one hand and a camera in the other.

Now, I don't mind it. I like running. I know I'm not going to win and I'm absolutely not going to stunning at 30km. But when yesterday's marathon started at 4:15am and a few thousand people from a small city in North East Thailand turned out in the dark to support the participants, I figured I should enjoy it. Each time I passed a group gathered around a band, monument, temple or at a major intersection, I grinned and waved at the crowds like a mid-pack rockin champion!!! They smiled, blessed me with encouraging words in Thai and one young woman even yelled "beautiful" in English when I was waaayyyy past the 20 mile mark....

That's the secret: Start. Don't stop. Try to have fun.