My frustration with one particular run with my faster running husband that week kicked off a whole lot of philosophic thoughts about why people physically push themselves in the first place … I felt I had nothing to prove to myself on that front, so why do it ? To find an answer to that question I wondered what those accomplished runner friends of mine are motivated by. Self worth leapt to my mind. But enjoyment ?

Clearly, I had made up a limiting belief that you cannot train for marathon and enjoy the process.

That week I wrote a letter of resignation to my running coach. Luckily for me, he asked me to come to the training anyway and I did.

He explained to me that he did not expect me to push myself so hard as to stop enjoying my running – quite the opposite. He encouraged me to run exactly the way I enjoy it and take longer – so what. The simplicity of his argumentation was powerful to me. I was left with little to say and an anticipation for my next leisurely training run.

Amazing how we sometimes make up rules about things like my “when you train for a running event like a half marathon, you no longer can enjoy your runs”.

I have meanwhile run many times and enjoyed lots of them. In fact, I now set my goals such that they are just the right little stretches for my level of ability (not my husband’s or anyone else’s !), and I feel so proud when I manage to run 5 minutes longer than last time.

A few weeks ago our local newspaper published an article about the Romantik-Marathon that is being held in our region (Füssen/ Schwangau – Alpine Germany) once a year in July. The paper stated that only very few people from the region run it and that 90% of participants come from elsewhere. Determined to change that they were looking for 8 local people to apply and get trained by professionals to run it in exactly….3 months !

To cut a long story short, to surprise my husband I applied – after all we moved here 9 months ago and that kind of makes us “local”, doesn’t it ? . I entered both myself and my husband (who always needs all sorts of physical challenges to stay balanced – luckily I don’t have that problem) for the half marathon and guess what ….they selected us. God knows why….maybe they liked the fact that we chose to move from busy, dusty Dubai to the Alpine region at the border of Germany and Austria….maybe we were the only ones applying …..who knows.

I am totally thrilled ! I love running in the beautiful countryside of our chosen dream location, but I would not have committed to run a marathon or half marathon. Well, whether I like it or not,  now I AM committed and strangely, it feels great.

I guess, it must be this great feeling that comes from having a clear goal or a purpose. The next 3 months are dedicated to running.

I am excited to meet the other 6 runners and in 3 days we are all going to be introduced to each other – how exciting !

I am also excited to keep you informed about my experiences as I prepare for the big event (will keep blogging here). Already I seem to be more of a runner ( I love the idea of thinking of myself as a RUNNER). After returning from our holiday in Dubai yesterday at 5 in the afternoon, we immediately put the running shoes on and went for a 40 minute run around lake Hopfen (a beautiful lake in our neighbourhood). My feet were aching and I could feel all those hotspots.

Today I went for the next one: 50 minutes across the fields this time. I dug out a pair of  NEW running shoes that I had in my cupboard for more than a year and so far never used. An experienced runner-friend 0f ours however advised me to wear a different pair of running shoes for each day of the week I am training, so I remembered those lonely new shoes. Using such a “professional” shoe-strategy so early on in my preparation felt great .

I will keep you posted. Wish me stamina !