The 2:50 Marathon

The reality is… I haven’t wanted anything bad enough in a long time. Whether that’s healing from my past or running extremely well in a race. I haven’t wanted it enough to make consistent changes. Every time I say, “Today is the day I’m changing my life” it lasts a few minutes, then tomorrow comes, and making the necessary changes becomes too hard. Today has to be the day! I can do this!

 

Changing is always going to be hard if you don’t consistently do the hard things day after day after day. That’s been my dilemma in many circumstances. It’s easy to eat a few strawberries on Monday after you just bought them. But what about on Thursday and Friday when they look a little dried and you’re tired from the week? It becomes hard. Push-ups, sit-ups, planks are easy in the morning, but after you’ve been working for eight hours a day and finished your workout, getting on my hands to strengthen my core isn’t my immediate favorite thing to do. Drinking more water, reading, sleeping more…all of these are possible, but have been difficult to consistently do.

 

You have to have a bigger motivation, a purpose, a calling to things that are hard for you. That’s why now I’m setting my sights on a 2:50 marathon of all things. If you would asked me three years ago when I started my monthly races, it would’ve been the furthest things from my mind. Yet… if you would asked me in January of 2020, if I’d still keep my monthly blog going through September 2024 I would’ve liked said no. Or what about my daily journaling? Today is day 1,290! So… my question for myself is why can’t I run a 2:50 marathon?

In April I ran just under one hour and twenty two minutes in the half marathon. It’s not the fastest half marathon I’ve ran, but it’s a time I haven’t ran in years. It got my dad and thinking…maybe a 2:55 marathon is possible. 

As of twenty-four hours ago, after reading Run Elite, I want to run a under 2:50. It would shave off eight minutes from my previous marathon, or about 15 seconds per mile. I genuinely believe it’s possible. I have just under four months to do it. I’m in a good apartment. I have a school and students I rave about consistently. I have three years of consistent running under my belt. I’m smarter. I think I have a chance at it. 

                  How bad do I want run a 2:50 marathon? How bad do I want to eat better? How bad do I want to strengthen my core? How bad do I want to strengthen my mind? How bad do I want to strengthen my heartbeat? I’m writing a blog aren’t I? Now is the time. This time…

I want the 2:50 Marathon!