Reasons
Why Berlin? Why now?
I know that at some point over the next seven months I'll be asking myself why I decided to do this. At the moment it feels like an entirely logical progression, so I need to write it down now, to remind myself.
Why run that far at all? Simply because I always wished that one day I'd be able to, and because I want to prove to myself that I can. It's one of those dreams that has never really gone away. I used to only dream it one day in April, but it's been getting more and more persistent as I've got more into running. I've worked so hard to get this body and this level of fitness that I want to see how far I can push it. I want to test myself to the limit. And I know that I can do it.
Why do it in Berlin? I want to run a big city race. I want a course where there are crowds and bands and support every inch of the way. I need them to get me round. I looked at doing a September marathon in the UK, but it was a full/half event, and all the reports I saw about the full race were that once the half marathoners leave the course it gets very lonely out there. I don't want lonely. I might be running alone, but I need to be able to see other people, run amongst them, and be running in something that's the focus of the city for the weekend. I want to run the race for the experience rather than for a good time, so I want to run something that's worth experiencing rather than a pure "runner's race".
Why Berlin and not London though? Simply because of two factors. London is ballot entry, and I don't know if or when I'd get a place. Maybe next April, maybe not. Certainly not this year (and I wouldn't really have enough time to train for it anyway). Berlin is (as far as I can tell) guaranteed entry once you've paid your registration fee, and flights over there are cheap enough to be on a par with the cost of a train ticket to London. I'd need a hotel if I did London anyway, so even though I'm going abroad it doesn't work out any more expensive or complicated really. There is the small problem that I don't speak a word of German, mind you. The timing also works out well, it lets me train over summer when there are lighter nights and mornings, and when I should find it easier to fit the training runs in.
Why do it now? Because I believe I can. I've always wanted to do it, and I would always be aiming for it, consciously or subconsciously. I've been looking at training plans and they are achievable from where I am now, in the time I have available. I have the base mileage that I need to launch into a three or four month plan, and I have seven months to go so can even afford to take some time after the half marathon to relax a little at the level I'm at at the moment before starting to build my mileage up again. No-one can run a marathon straight off, it's not like I should be able to do it tomorrow. Most training schedules build up from precisely what I can do at the moment, and I can do it relatively comfortably. The whole point is that you build up to a peak. I'm fit enough to do this now, so why shouldn't I? I'm not going into this blindly, and there is absolutely no reason, NONE, why I can't do this.
If I don't do it now, what if I never get the chance again? The date works. The flights work. I have someone who's volunteered to come with me and support me while I do it. I want to do it, and I'm going to do it.
I know that at some point over the next seven months I'll be asking myself why I decided to do this. At the moment it feels like an entirely logical progression, so I need to write it down now, to remind myself.
Why run that far at all? Simply because I always wished that one day I'd be able to, and because I want to prove to myself that I can. It's one of those dreams that has never really gone away. I used to only dream it one day in April, but it's been getting more and more persistent as I've got more into running. I've worked so hard to get this body and this level of fitness that I want to see how far I can push it. I want to test myself to the limit. And I know that I can do it.
Why do it in Berlin? I want to run a big city race. I want a course where there are crowds and bands and support every inch of the way. I need them to get me round. I looked at doing a September marathon in the UK, but it was a full/half event, and all the reports I saw about the full race were that once the half marathoners leave the course it gets very lonely out there. I don't want lonely. I might be running alone, but I need to be able to see other people, run amongst them, and be running in something that's the focus of the city for the weekend. I want to run the race for the experience rather than for a good time, so I want to run something that's worth experiencing rather than a pure "runner's race".
Why Berlin and not London though? Simply because of two factors. London is ballot entry, and I don't know if or when I'd get a place. Maybe next April, maybe not. Certainly not this year (and I wouldn't really have enough time to train for it anyway). Berlin is (as far as I can tell) guaranteed entry once you've paid your registration fee, and flights over there are cheap enough to be on a par with the cost of a train ticket to London. I'd need a hotel if I did London anyway, so even though I'm going abroad it doesn't work out any more expensive or complicated really. There is the small problem that I don't speak a word of German, mind you. The timing also works out well, it lets me train over summer when there are lighter nights and mornings, and when I should find it easier to fit the training runs in.
Why do it now? Because I believe I can. I've always wanted to do it, and I would always be aiming for it, consciously or subconsciously. I've been looking at training plans and they are achievable from where I am now, in the time I have available. I have the base mileage that I need to launch into a three or four month plan, and I have seven months to go so can even afford to take some time after the half marathon to relax a little at the level I'm at at the moment before starting to build my mileage up again. No-one can run a marathon straight off, it's not like I should be able to do it tomorrow. Most training schedules build up from precisely what I can do at the moment, and I can do it relatively comfortably. The whole point is that you build up to a peak. I'm fit enough to do this now, so why shouldn't I? I'm not going into this blindly, and there is absolutely no reason, NONE, why I can't do this.
If I don't do it now, what if I never get the chance again? The date works. The flights work. I have someone who's volunteered to come with me and support me while I do it. I want to do it, and I'm going to do it.
posted by YP at 7:15 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home