A Tortoise or a Hare

I did my last long run, a twenty-five miler, before next month’s marathon. I did about sixteen with my neighbor over the real hilly part, and finished the last nine relatively flat miles on my own. I did not run with my son or dog because there was a good chance of rain, and I’m not sure I would have made it very far; the last five miles were especially tough. Lesson learned; it may be better in the next marathon training cycle to not be satisfied with a twenty mile run, but to incorporate another twenty-five miler into my training. I know there is something called “marathon-day magic” when everything will come together, but yesterday was a rather humbling experience. Now I must concentrate on the mental aspect to maintain my confidence in running strong for twenty-six miles. I may reshape my initial race-day strategy and remember that it is better to make steady progress than to fade like a rabbit.