I’ve run 2 marathons and 2 half marathons. I ran the Atlanta half marathon in 1991 and 1995, the Tybee Island marathon in 1997 and again in 1999. I never had time goals. I was always content with competing and completing.
As I was nearing the finish line of the 1997 marathon I saw my wife with the kids. My son (3) started crying for me (at least that’s what I want to believe) so I picked him up and ran the last 400 yards with him. I ended up finishing in 4:03 and crossing the finish line with my son in arm was more satisfying than completing the race.
About 7 Years after the 1997 marathon I wondered if I could run a marathon in under 4 hours as a 40 year old. My legs aren’t as fresh as 10 years ago and I haven’t run for more than 15 minutes in years. It’s an incredible challenge to run a marathon; it’s a challenge to simply run for 30 minutes now but I need a challenge to motivate me to get back in motion. A wise person once said that “the absence of movement is death” and and I am hard pressed to think of a truer statement.