So, as per the last post, I ran the Berlin marathon last weekend, and lived to tell the tale. My net time for the course was 3:58:21 – not Kenyan territory, to be sure, but I was satisfied with it. I certainly wasn’t expecting to run under 4 hours; of course having done it before (personal best: 3:43:52) I knew it was within the realm of possibility, and I did feel pretty good for the first 25km or so. But I also knew there was potential for problems – it was hot, for one thing, and my training year has not been absolutely smooth sailing. In fact I developed a cramp in my left thigh at 27k that felt potentially threatening, but a bit of walking and light massage seemed to quell it and it didn’t resurface, at least not noticeably.

In a week’s time I will run a marathon. It’s not my first, so the nervousness is mitigated a bit, and even though it’s been a while I know I’ve trained enough to finish and have a reasonably enjoyable time doing it. Nevertheless it is still a challenge, a mountain to climb, and it still takes some willpower and mental stamina to follow through…