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| Gaping for air after my half marathon last year. |
So there it is. The decision has been made and there’s absolutely no going back. I’m doing a marathon.
And not my usual type, either. Usually a marathon for me would culminate in hours of time needlessly watching a sequential smorgasbord of reality television shows or YouTube videos.
I guess that’s part of the reason I’m looking at completing what I know will be a huge challenge. Inactivity is something I’m becoming increasingly comfortable with, wrongly.
That’s not to say I don’t do active things. I go for walks, go to football trainings and last year completed my first (of a fair few fingers crossed) half-marathons in November.
It was definitely one of the more challenging things I’ve done, particularly after a number of injuries along the way, but it was incredibly rewarding.
But it seems that 21km run wasn’t rewarding enough!
Marathons have never really been something I’d usually consider doing, especially for fun. “Paying to run – it’s the con of the century!” you’d hear me say, alongside less reasoned statements like the Hurricanes winning the next five Super Rugby titles.
But there’s been a small fire flickering away ever since I finished my first half-marathon. Call it curiosity, call it naivety – but there’s something that I find incredibly exciting about being able to say I conquered a marathon.
Maybe it’s because I’m not quite built for ‘endurance’-type events. Or that a few people I know probably snigger at the thought of this…er..’solidly built’ guy running 42km non-stop.
The excitement isn’t in the inferences, it’s in the ability to prove people – and myself – wrong. I did it on November 3, 2013 and I’m keen to prove them twice as much.
If you’ve read my blog before then you’ll know that these sorts-of lines of thinking aren’t new – particularly when it comes tackling these sorts of things. I make no mistake for that, it’s whatever you need to fuel you. Motivation, like perspective, comes in any shapes or forms.
The phrase almost veers into cliché territory, but for me completing something like this will be the end of a metaphorical journey as well as the physical, mental and emotional one.
I’ve singled out 2014 as the year I choose to focus on myself and to do what I can to become a better person in general. I could go on about that for months, and if you’re genuinely interested then feel free to send me a message ha, but for those who like skim reading (which I’ve just cottoned on to!)
I’m hoping that when I cross that line on November 2, 2014 to have finished a deeply metaphorical journey of self-discovery.
And so back to this semi-authoritative statement dispersed throughout a cathartically convoluted blog post. I want to publicly thank everyone who previously helped me through my half marathon and now call on those keen to help keep me accountable.
Keep asking about my training.
Listen if I digress with disharmony.
Smile along the way with me.
Welcome to my journey J
