Is Distance That Important? By: Joella Baker

Marathon runners, what is their greatest fear? Getting injured before the race, not hydrating or eating well enough, or something else? For most, the main concern is the distance, 26.2 miles. It's definitely a long way to go, especially if you.re shooting for more than just finishing. However, after all the marathons I've run, I've realized over the years that it's not so much the distance, but more your personal fitness level, overall endurance and ability to withstand a little pain, or sometimes a lot of pain, when you need to. So how do you know if you.re ready for 26.2 miles? Well, everyone dwells on the inevitable 20 mile run. The one run in any beginner training program that let's you know if you.re ready for your race. Your first 20 miler can be overwhelming, scary and downright intimidating. However, don't let it scare you. After all, what does the 20 mile run ultimately accomplish? For the beginner marathoner, one thing, confidence. When it's all said and done, the 20 mile run let's you know that even if you have to walk, you can get through the last 6.2 miles of any marathon. For the experienced marathoner, what does the 20 miler represent, possibly a great training run, but on the other hand, it could represent dread, misery and even injury. So, how do you know if the 20 mile run is something you actually need?

For all of you first time marathoners, as your coach, my job is to prepare you enough in all your other runs that the 20 mile run isn't an issue when you do run it, or better yet, I can have you prepared enough that you don't even need the 20 mile run to finish the marathon. In looking back on all my races, I ran one of my best marathons with my longest run being 13 miles. Jeremiah and Jillian both ran a very tough Red Rock Marathon in amazing times with their longest runs being 15 miles, if that. The key to all of this, is the quality of miles you run. Making every mile you run count for something toward your goal is far more important than running miles just to run them. Really, going out and just running a few miles for the heck of it doesn't really accomplish much. Make every mile count.

With that being said, it's very important to run the hard workouts hard, easy workouts easy and to focus on quality, faster long runs. Most often times, you'll benefit more from running a really good 15 miler at a faster pace and feel great at the end then to run a very slow 18-20 miler and be miserable. Remember, running a marathon is 90% mental.

At some point during your marathon you will be in pain, you will hurt and you'll want to quit. At that point, is when you need to allow your brain to overtake your body and just run. You need to decide how badly you want to get to that finish line. You need to look back on all the tough runs you.ve finished to even get you to where you are. Honestly, the pain will go away, and if it doesn't, then just remember that the pain probably won't get any worse. Most of all, when you cross the finish line and get that medal, you'll be so happy. You'll forget you wanted to crawl to the finish and you'll celebrate the fact that you finished and accomplished something extraordinary.

Running your first marathon or any marathon, for that matter, is a journey. It's a journey about your life and what has meaning to you. About your fitness level. It's a journey in what motivates you and keeps you going. When you run your first marathon, every step you take is a step closer to a finish line that will change your life forever. After you finish that marathon, you can tell people you did it, you accomplished your goal. You trained, you worked hard and you earned the medal at the finish. Most importantly, running a marathon is a journey into your soul. How much can you endure, how strong are you mentally and physically to take on the challenge of 26.2 miles and what will you learn about yourself and the human spirit along the way? Every marathon has a story and every runner in every marathon has a story. Some are stories of triumph, some are stories of defeat, but in the end, every person, weather they reached their goal or they didn't is a winner for even trying.

Don't get upset if you miss a workout or you don't run well one day. There is always another run, there is always another race. The important thing is to enjoy what you.re doing and even when things get bad out there and you hurt and you want to quit, think about why you run and why you chose to run this marathon. Think about all the long training runs, cold and snowy mornings, 10 layers of clothes, icicles on your eyelashes and in your hair. Think about all the cross training miles you.ve completed or the days you wanted to simply rollover and press the snooze button and not get out of bed. Think of the sacrifices you.ve made to get to that start line and how proud you will be, but most of all how proud your family, your friends and I will be when you cross that finish line. You.re all amazing for what you do and what you train for. No matter how fast or slow you may be, you.re all doing something amazing. Enjoy every moment, savor the journey and don.t give up until you cross that finish line. Happy running everyone!