A Blog

Running a Marathon

Posted on May 2, 2024

I’ve been running on and off for a few years. I don’t know exactly how it began, but I know the turning point was the first time I ran 10k and realized that a) I could do it, and b) its quite a distance.

Usually, I take a hiatus during winter because of the cold, combined with a condition I have with peripheral circulation. Sometimes I resume, sometimes I don’t.

A couple of months back my partner introduced me to a local running group that did trail running. To be honest, I’ve usually discarded it as a bit unnecessary, but I’ve realized it’s a very effective way to enjoy nature.1 Since then, I run regularly in the hilly woods where I live.

I spoke with a friend of a train run marathon he ran a few years back. It’s not far from us and some years ago we hiked the distance. The profile is quite flat and, from what I remember, the trail was rather solid. My impression was that it has been a low-key event, which suits me pretty well and I started thinking that maybe this would be a challenge to train for.2 It felt like a nice challenge. It’s pretty flat and I can comfortably run 10 km already, with sporadic runs approaching 20 km. But they are on a hiatus this year. My partner, suggested a different race…

Now, always suppress any urge to act anything you are not. Like, when your friend asks you what distance you are running, don’t reach for the longest. Because your friend may ask you to run that with them.

So here I am, planning for the greatest physical challenge I’ve ever considered. And likely ever will consider. 45 km, 1200 m elevation.

Goals

I only have the following goal:

  • Finish the race.

I have some aspirational goals3:

  1. Finish without walking more than 4 times.
  2. Finish with an average pace faster than 7:00 min/km.

I know this has all the signs of an age crisis. But I refuse to accept it.

  1. I don’t think you need to be effective when enjoying nature. In fact, I think it’s better to not trying to be effective, and instead let yourself be immersed in nature. But, with kids, work and trying to make the most of the waking hours, trail running is a good way to get out in nature, instead of running on paved roads. ↩︎

  2. Having a race, target distance, target pace or other goal is pretty good motivation to get out and run. When you are striving for something it is easier to get out even on those days when you rather want to stay inside because it rains, its cold, you’re tired, you have other things to do, … There is a purpose to the suffering. ↩︎

  3. If at all, I’m running this race with a friend. He is way more fit than I am. But its primarily a race we’ll run together and any goals are secondary to the shared experience. ↩︎