Now that my mountaineering desire has been somewhat satiated by my Riffelhorn climb, I think I might get back into endurance running. It was so much fun to do a 10 mile run today.
It allowed me to easily get in today's step count.
I've even begun entertaining the idea of running another marathon this fall. The last one I did was in Fort Worth. I was one of the last runners out on the course that day. I did manage to finish under the time limit. But it was a struggle. I'm not someone who thinks finish lines should be open all day long. A cut off time is perfectly reasonable. The marathon distance is the ultimate challenge. Running is still my passion, my hobby, my sanity if you will. I finally feel ready to start marathon training again. A marathon symbolizes the Cadillac of accomplishments. You can't be out of shape and complete a marathon. That's just not happening. I've missed doing the marathon. I have no clue if and when I'll be able to qualify for Boston. I've tried to do this 20 times and failed each time. Merely the idea of running another marathon makes me tired. You are running a silly marathon! Between you and me, I don't think I have what it takes to make it to Boston. But I can still try.
I'm looking into the Honolulu Marathon in December. There's no time limit for the event, and running it in December promises cooler weather than in, say, July or August. It's a clearly marked course. There are many water stations with electrolyte drinks as well. It's almost a flat course (except for Diamond Head).
There are 47,000 runners. (I like big races.) They even have malasadas at the end.
We'll see. I'm asking the Lord for wisdom. I would love to qualify for Boston. My chances are quickly dwindling as I age. Boston is elite and exclusive. Only about the top 5 percent of marathoners get a bib. These are people who've made running a lifestyle. What's more, they just lowered the cutoff times by 5 minutes. But if we had no challenges in life we'd be bored. You have two choices. You choose your challenges. You make it happen. Or else you do nothing and wait for life to throw something your way. But then you're on the defensive.
Would you rather create your own challenges and chase down the dreams you want, or wait till you have to fight your way through whatever life throws at you?
The choice is yours.