Getting to know yourself

A fellow runner, whose opinion I really respect, posted this on Runners World today:

"Get to know yourself as a runner better before making commitments you may regret."

I think it's so true. This comment was in response to a beginner's post stating that he'd been running for 3 weeks and he asked if it was to early to start training for a half-marathon in February.

I'd seen that the lottery for the 2010 NYC Marathon opened today, and I was so tempted to enter. But, I realized quickly that I was crazy. I've never run a marathon. Heck, I haven't even run a half marathon yet. And I'd be crazy to run my first marathon at the biggest marathon in the world. Talk about biting off more than I can chew.

Running is such an individual experience that what works for me may not work for you. And of course, vice-versa. I think a lot of it for runners, both novice and advanced alike, has to do with wanting to have your cake and to eat it while running. Everyone runs along a different path in the journey that is running. Enjoy that run to your goal and take it as you put one foot in front of the other.