Marathon

( Exploring the legend of Marathon ....

Was it during the Spartan Wars?

Did the messenger run the distance (26 miles?) to deliver the news of the approaching army and then drop dead?

Why do we train for this race nowadays?

What outcomes do we expect?)

A marathon is run over a distance of 42km and just the thought of running so far causes my legs to turn to jelly and my chest to ache. I have never been a confident runner, but when I did run as a child I much preferred to sprint a short distance to get it over with rather than run slower over a longer distance.

I find it impossible to imagine ever wanting to train in preparation for something so momentous as a marathon. Why would a person want to push themselves to such extremes of pain? Why would a person willingly endure such pain and anguish?

Even if you began to train some 6 months in advance it would be disheartening to know that at the end of the marathon you would still feel absolutely exhausted, drained and tired.

I understand the idea of going to a gym and gradually seeing an improvement in overall fitness, but the thought of athletics training is way too daunting for me.

I know that athletes push themselves to go through the pain barrier beyond which they then reach a state of euphoria. However, I cannot envisage being able to push myself so far. 

What am I afraid of? 

Is it the exhaustion which I know I will feel after I have exerted myself? 

Or am I merely questioning why a person would feel the need to push his/her body so far?

Sunday Scribbling #316 - Marathon

24.4.12 Timer set for 15 minutes