I’m sitting down with Deborah, Coco and YOU for coffee. God willing, I’m in Tokyo by now. Since we’re 15 hours ahead here, it’s already race-eve. The plan for my day includes light touring, rest and attending pre-race dinner festivities. Since I’m writing this before I leave, I’m going to wax philosophical.
Tokyo Marathon Coffee
Over coffee I’d share with you my marathon philosophy. I liken marathon training to a work of art. It’s more science than it is art but bear with me. Training consumes us for 4 months give or take. That’s a huge commitment of time. The training process is like weaving a sweater or painting a picture. Every workout is a brushstroke or strand of yarn in the sweater. Some of them are long, vibrant and thick, some are frazzled and grey, some may be missing altogether. Nevertheless they are all part of the journey. After 16 weeks of weaving your “sweater” of workouts, you sit back and regard your work. Did you weave a masterpiece?
The race is the celebration of all those weeks and months of work. The aches and pains, maybe injuries, the doubt, the sacrifices you made to prioritize your training. On race day you have that body of work (your “sweater”) to bolster you mentally and physically and carry you through to the finish.
When the going gets tough out there on the Tokyo racecourse, I’ll think about the “sweater” I spent the last 16 weeks weaving and use it to metaphorically remind me of the journey I completed to get to this day. I’ll be celebrating with 33,000 of my newest running friends.
Find updates on my Tokyo trip over on the MHS Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram.
See you on the flipside! What would you tell me over coffee?
I can’t wait to see that sweater you’ve weaved!!!
Enjoy the event and run strong!
So excited for you! Enjoy every part of the race tomorrow!
I’ve never run a marathon before, but I definitely think that’s a great way to approach it! Super excited for you!
I really like that sweater analogy. So proud of you
Love the analogy Marcia! I’m so excited for you! Enjoy every moment of it!
As a knitter, I’d say your metaphor of marathon-training is pretty spot-on 😉 Best of luck on the race course and enjoy your Tokyo time with the daughter.
I am so excited for you and cannot wait to hear all about the race.
I keep getting confused — not seeing an update on IG so I’m assuming that you have finished & are taking a well deserved rest.
I love your analogy. I know you worked hard for this, that you pushed your way through so much crap weather and so much more . . . you are one tough cookie, Marcia. Can’t wait to read about it!
I love this imagery! And I love that I know you rocked that “sweater” today — or yesterday? –I can’t wait for the full recap. You dealt with so many hurdles in your training, but you stuck it out and got it done. You deserve to rest on your laurels — at least until you get home and re-boot for London!