Marathon Goals

The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon is three weeks from today.  Yesterday was my final monster training run.  Twenty miles covered and three hours of time spent running leaves plenty of time for thinking.  If I am not conscious and aware of my thinking my brain turns into a scrolling laundry list of physical complaints:  left knee hurts, right instep burns, right knee hurts, hitch in my side, sweat in my eyes, left calf feels like a cramp in the making, left knee hurts, right instep burns, right knee hurts, hitch in my side, sweat in my eyes, left calf feels like a cramp in the making, and on and on and on.

Yesterday I devoted some of my run to setting goals for the real marathon.  I already have my time related goals set, so I was thinking more about qualitative goals related to being in the moment and enjoying the experience.  In setting my goals, I tried to concentrate on positive statements.

I will run the entire 26.2 miles.  I want to end the race saying I ran the whole way and did not walk at any point.

I will be aware of the race route.  The race route travels some nice neighborhoods and parks that I am familiar with as well as some areas that I am less familiar with.  I want to be as aware as possible of these settings.

I will take time to acknowledge the volunteers who make the race possible.  Without the volunteers who give their time, there would be no Knoxville Marathon.  I want to be sure that I acknowledge these hardworking folks who make it possible for me to be running the race.

I will be aware of my fellow runners.  Even though we are all running the same race, each runner is running their own race.  I want to be aware of those around me and what their race might be.

I will stay positive.  My body will hurt.  At times, I may doubt if I will finish.  But, this is a goal that I have set for myself.  It is something that I will see through til the end.