The Marathon Can Humble You

"I've learned that finishing a marathon 

isn't just an athletic achievement. It's a state of mind; 

a state of mind that says anything is possible."

 John Hanc, running writer

If you ask me half a year ago that I will be participating in a marathon race, I would have laughed off that suggestion. For a person who finds it hard even to complete a 2-km jog, that is almost like a mission impossible to the power-of-two. However, let me just say that it was a twist of coincidence. We, the Chiba-Kun Ambassadors were invited to participate in the first Chiba Aqua Line Marathon early this year. Unlike the normal participants who will have to go through a lottery draw to be selected as part of the 15,000 runners in the race, our places in the race is guaranteed. Without giving a second thought, and how grueling a marathon can be, I submitted my name.

I admit I regretted my action at first, but realizing that it will be unpleasant to pull out after registering, I told myself this it is. I’m gonna go all out and give my best in this race – my first ever marathon in my entire life. Prior to this, I have never joined in any race, be it a 10km race, half marathon, nothing. And immediately I am throwing myself into a marathon race. Sounds very overly optimistic, ain’t I?

How I will fare in the race is not my main concern now, although my target for my first marathon is just to finish the race within the regulation time. I started my training a couple of months ago, by running an average of 2-3km every few days in a park where I am currently living. There is a 650-m running track around the park, and that became my running place for some time. However, I realized that such distance is not enough if I am talking about training for a marathon.

So on one fine evening, I decided to take a detour from my usual spot and pheww, it was certainly a great experience. Running on the bridge that goes across Arakawa River and along the road which stretches along the river exposed my with the elements that I will certainly meet during the real race. A fantastic course for my intensive training, I thought.

And as a bonus, there is the magnificent Tokyo Sky Tree and on a clear day, Mount Fuji is also visible during my run.

Beginning from this week, I have put up a training schedule, in countdown to my race in late October. Hopefully, on October 21, 2012, I will be able to cross the finishing line at the Kisarazu City Hall Office, hence completing my first marathon in my life.