My Running Chronicles: There's No Such Thing as Just a Half ...

There was a Facebook post about whether or not someone could pace someone for a marathon. There was a marathon and a half marathon happening on the same day. Someone responded with "I'm running just the half."

There is no such thing as just a half or just a 5K or just a 10K or just any distance. We are runners and as the motto of my L Street Running Club says, "No pace too slow. No distance too short."

After my wonderful 8 miler on Saturday, Tom and I started talking about our goals. I know in every fiber of my being that I could and he could and we could run another marathon if we put our minds to it.

There is a Japanese Proverb about climbing Mt. Fuji.

I googled it and found the following:
With over 300,000 people climbing her summit during the summer months, Mt Fuji thrives on the Japanese proverb “A wise man will climb Mt Fuji once; a fool will climb Mt Fuji twice.”

I've run a marathon and not just any marathon the Boston Marathon. Been there. Done that and got the t shirt and the medal and blisters and black toenails and memories to last a lifetime.

It's a miracle that I am back on the roads and training for my first half marathon in 6 years!

I'm loving the journey and I'm loving experiencing the sense of both mastery and challenge as we get ready to run the Bermuda Half Marathon in January.

13.1 miles challenges me but it's still fun and exhilarating. I don't have to worry about early starts because I just have to finish the half in the time it takes everyone to run a full marathon. I am planning on crushing it and having the best time of my life as we traverse the amazing course through Bermuda.

In Saturday's training run I experienced a beautiful duality of being kind and gentle with my body especially given the heat but also feeling a sense of fierceness and connection to all that is.

I am not setting a limit on what I choose to do. I am choosing a goal that I can enjoy and is very challenging for me.

I remember having a conversation with Bill Rodgers at the Hyannis Marathon Weekend. He said as only Billy can say, "I like the Half. It's a great distance especially as we get older. It's still challenging but you can have fun and you don't beat your body up as much as when you are training for and running a full marathon."

So there you have it - straight from the champion's mouth.. 13.1 miles is going to serve Team McManus just fine because there is no such thing as just a half ... we are going to crush the entire 13.1 miles and cherish every mile along the way.