I had one of those very brief, deep REM, just before waking dreams this morning. It was mundane in substance, but at the same time strangely revelatory in the possibility it presented. In the dream, it’s a few days before a marathon. But unlike the typical head case I am, my mindset is instead a lot like it’s been before my little races of late: pin on the bib, line up, and just resolve to run my best. No pre-race nerves or expectations. In other words, the race, the distance, is No Big Deal. It’s just a race.
I wonder if I can get to a point where I look at the marathon as just a race. It’s always been this huge, horrible thing to deal with, like a tsunami or a carjacking.
I’ve managed to get there — meaning the “Eh, whatever” attitude — with the half distance and even slightly above (I’m not freaked out by 25Ks anymore, for instance, although a 30K still gives me considerable pause). But maybe the nature of the marathon makes this impossible. It’s just too fucking far. Or is it?
I’d be curious to know if other people who race a marathons to the best of their ability (and train and taper accordingly) are able to come at it with a nonchalant attitude, and how you’ve achieved that state of mind.
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Races Like a Girl 