Last month, I registered for my first full marathon. I’ll be running the 2015 SLO Marathon in San Luis Obispo, CA, my home town. I can’t express how excited I am for this race and to finally get to run where my family has an opportunity to watch and cheer me on.
That said, I’ve started to become absolutely terrified. Terrified of the course. I know it well. There are long stretches where it’s straight. There are long, steep hills, most notably the one you hit at mile 3. At mile 20, you’re still out in winery country, nowhere near the downtown finish. And to top it off, I won’t know a single person racing the marathon.
That’s the scariest part.
Up until now, I’ve been able to count on seeing someone I know in a race. If I struggle or hit the mental dark place, there’s going to be someone to pull me out of it. I feel like in a marathon, it’s just a given that’s going to happen. It won’t be the same to have people supporting me on the course. They won’t be able to run me in the last six miles. That makes me incredibly nervous. Not the training, not the distance. The fact that if I struggle, I’m alone.
I’m so ready for this. I’m excited to kick off training and start logging those high miles and just experience it all. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t considering moving up my first full to a race where I will know people out on the course. I’m not sure the course would be any easier (Little Rock, for those who know that course) but I at least would have someone there to drag me if I needed it.
Outspoken Runner 
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