The spirituality of running is what has kept me in love with the sport for so long. By "spirituality" I don't mean religion. Instead, it is the communion with nature, the human community, and the humbling experiences running provides. But while abstract concepts are wonderful to ponder in front of the computer or at the tail end of a perfect run, my goals get me out the door every morning before sunrise.
To motivate myself through the winter I've been reading back issues of Runner's World Magazine and researching ultramarathoning. This morning I came across an old article on Dean Karnazes. He was telling the interviewer about his training schedule for his 50 marathons in 50 states streak and his schemes for the future. While I was initially humbled (see: even reading about running can humble you), thinking "I could never run like that", it made me think about my own goals. I may not have the means or the physiology to do what Dean does, but - dammit - my goals (and everyone else's) are no less meaningful.
For the sake of full disclosure and further motivation, here are my running goals right now:
1. Break 3:40:00 in the Shamrock Marathon in March to qualify for Boston
2. If #1 doesn't work out, break 3:40 at some other marathon
3. Run the Boston Marathon
4. Run a 50 mile race this year
5. Run a 100 mile race eventually
6. Qualify for the Western States Endurance Run
a) run 50 miles in under 11 hours
b) run 100 kilometers in under 14 hours
c) complete any OFFICIAL 100-mile trail race
d) complete three 50-mile runs, completed within the cutoff times of
those races, but in not more than 12 hours, and during the qualifying period
7. Run the WS100
Please share your running and non-running goals with me.
3 comments:
Wow, those are some awesome goals. I, also, want to qualify for and run Boston, but at this point in life 26.2 is as far as I care to go. Your number 1 goal of hitting the 3:40 mark this year is also what I want to do in May (Eugene). If not there, then at the California International Marathon in December.
Good Luck!
It's so inspiring to see other people setting high aspirations and having ultimate faith in these "fragile vessels" we were born with.
Best wishes at the Shamrock. I'll be there too doing my very first 1/2 marathon :-). You'll probably recognize me as the girl on the stretcher at mile 8 ;-).
Wow, those are some great goals. Keep up the training -- I look forward to checking out your progress. (By the way, I stumbled onto your blog via my google aler for "ultramarathons." If you're not already a member of the ultra listserv, you might consider checking it out.)
Post a Comment