Reason for choosing to RUN a Marathon

Every marathoner has been asked "WHY do you run marathons?" I have a lot of reasons, one of my reasons is that I love the feeling of the accomplishment. President John F. Kennedy's quote "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard" sums it up. No matter how many marathons I have run, I still have a hard time getting myself to do my long runs, get up early for my long runs, do my speed work, eat well most of the time, and register (commit) to the race. It is so worth is after the long runs and especially after the marathon. I do not always run the race in the expected time (sometimes I surpass it), but it is always an experience that makes me feel so good afterwards.

For anyone reading this that is not a marathoner, I have to say that I felt this way with the numerous 5K and 10K's that I did when I started running. I still enjoy the 5k's and 10k's because it is still a challenge to figure out what pace to run and just get the whole race "right". My favorite race distance is a half-marathon. If you are trying to get yourself to work out (or run) consistently, you should register for a race a couple months out. It does wonders for your motivation and self esteem. Start out with a 5K, then go to a 10K and then a half-marathon. It is great to surprise and amaze yourself!!