One (Long or Short?) Month

Boylston Street, Boston MA

One month from today, God willing, I'll run the 26.2 miles from the center of Hopkinton MA to this very spot in downtown Boston. In the ten weeks since my first long training run– a hilly 14-mile loop in light snow– I've covered nearly 350 miles, trained in two different time zones, and competed in one cold, windswept race. Turning in early on Friday nights, I've claimed Saturday mornings as sacred time to extend my endurance, to savor some spectacular wintry sunrises, and to exchange the burdens and fatigue of the preceding weekdays for the restorative toil of many miles on lonely country roads.

Lately my training has been significantly affected by some knee pain, which could be symptomatic of anything from overuse to stress to an imminent injury. Sidelining myself for days at a time, developing an early morning relationship with the ice machine in the kitchen, and trading a few weekdays with 5 to 7 miles of running for 45 minutes of walking a loop around the campus sports complex has been frustrating and distressing. I appreciate my running so much more now that, suddenly, I can no longer take it for granted. This year, even more than my first experience in the event last year, my participation in the Boston Marathon could be the fulfillment of a spiritual journey even more than the result of a methodical sequence of physical training.

With Marathon Monday a month away, I feel that I must gamble a bit. Decreasing my mileage, and concentrating on icing and stretching during the week, hopefully gives my body enough opportunity to rebuild for a long Saturday morning run. I tried this approach last week; covering 16 miles at what felt like an easier than usual pace, and surviving a spectacular slip and slide on black ice (I didn't fall!), I ran the same average pace as I did at Boston last year. I have faith that the strength and endurance I've developed are ready for April 18... now I'm just praying that my body holds together as I navigate an ever-sharper balance between work and rest, in my sixth annual round of marathon training.

Whether the coming 30 days feel long or short, I've got my eyes on the prize, but even more, on the providence and blessing of God, who enables and inspires me to run.