The beginning of the end

Autumn has advanced on us with startling rapidity, drawing the summer to an abrupt end. The temperatures are cooler and I find myself seeking out those warm pools of sunlight that I assiduously avoided a few weeks ago. Cotton has given way to flannel and fleece and the glossy fashion magazines that flashed swimsuits and sundresses just yesterday, now advertise leggings and leather boots.  And each verdant leaf that matures to a vibrant red or orange or gold brings with it the message, that marathon season is finally here.

We are now at the peak of our training and have consistently run 16-20 miles the last few weekends. Our legs are weary and the muscles are incessantly fatigued for lack of sufficient recovery time between consecutive long runs. The dwindling daylight has made it a challenge to be consistent with the weekday mileage and it’s taking me an unbelievable amount of self-goading to lace up and head out to the trails alone at dusk when I’d rather be headed home to hot supper and the loved one. The team has been riding an emotional rollercoaster of disappointments and personal triumphs. We’ve seen our best runners drop out or take a hiatus due to injuries and cheered and rejoiced a strong comeback from others who had to sit out the previous months.

With five more weeks to the MCM marathon I have now begun my official countdown.  We have two more long runs to go - a 18 miler and a 21 miler over the next two weekends before we begin to taper down to smaller distances just before the marathon. I am tempted to run faster, stronger and longer but I know that at this crucial time, my focus should be on avoiding injuries and conserving my body and strength. I am excited that very soon I will be able to reclaim my evenings and weekends and devote more time to the friends and hobbies that have seen so little of me these past few months. The nervousness too is slowly beginning to take root and many a night I lie awake in anxiety and disquietude.  Some of you have sent me such wonderfully encouraging and kind emails or messages; I have them carefully conserved in my ‘Folder of Inspiration’.  I reach out to them often when I am paralyzed with the fear of failure; and as I read them I hear all your voices reassuring me that true achievement lies in having had the courage to try. They calm and steady me and I’m certain that even if I had command over the world’s best lexicon, I would fail to find words deep enough to express the gratitude I feel for you.

I am also immensely grateful to all my donors who have generously contributed towards my fundraising and benevolently supported my goal. Those of you who are yet to do so, I request you once again to join me in this venture to help send a disadvantaged child in India to school.  It takes so little to make a positive difference in someone’s life and I ask that you donate just a dollar if you believe in education, charity, running or have simply enjoyed reading this blog.

Finally, every aspiring marathoner has a story, whether they run to compete or to complete. If you’ve ever wondered why we do what we do and what really drives us, I encourage you to watch this beautiful documentary called the ‘Spirit of the marathon’ I have embedded below. It’s long (about an hour and forty-two minutes), but spare an evening and I promise you that in the end it will leave you inspired and you may perhaps even shed a tear.