It’s almost July and that means it’s time to commit to a marathon training schedule. It’s also time to psyche myself up for the months ahead. I look for inspiration everywhere. Here are some places I have found it lately:
I loved the movie Spirit of the Marathon that came out last year. So I just re-watched it online (available for download at Amazon.com for $2.99). They cover all kinds of runners from elite to Boston hopefuls and first timers. Following these people through their training for the 2005 Chicago Marathon we see the good and the bad. I still cry when they cross the finish line. These people make me want to run.
I recently read Liz Robbins book A Race Like No Other on the NYC Marathon and wished I had read it before I ran it last year. I loved the back stories on the runners, vivid descriptions of the neighborhoods and volunteers. If you are doing NY, I would read it. Although it left me wondering if she ever considered running?
Picked up a copy of Running Times. There is a great article on how to run a breakthrough marathon. The concept of focusing on the middle of the race made so much sense to me. I also really enjoy reading anything Rachel Toor has to say about running. I can total relate to her essay on the back page of this months issue about running outside vs. inside. I also have far more ideas outdoors, perhaps creativity needs to breathe.
And then there are the blogs…there are so many by runners and I am just beginning to discover a few. Runners telling their stories and posting their runs reiterates for me that a huge part of training success (and blogging for that matter) is showing up every morning willing to do the work. Here are two favorites so far:
The Happy Runner: “This is the true joy in life…the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap…”
– George Bernard Shaw
The Complete Running Blog: bloggers with a running addiction, runners with a blogging addiction.
What inspires you?
