Lessons from the 26.2: What I've Learned from Running Marathons

Ever since I was a little girl, I loved to run.  As in, I never walked from place to place, even if it was to get out of the car and walk into the grocery store.  No, instead of walking like any sane human being, I ran.  Full speed.  I remember watching my sister's softball practices when she was in high school.  If her teammates hit a foul ball or overthrew a base, they would yell to me, "Hey, Haley, you wanna run?  Wanna grab that ball for us?"  Before the words were out of their mouths, I was racing for that ball.  So, it just seemed natural to try running competitively when an injury sidelined me from soccer in college.  Before long, I was attempting my first marathon.  However, I've found that marathon running, like life, involves a lot more than simply sprinting across the parking lot.  Here are some lessons I've gleaned from my experiences.

1.  Never try to keep up with the Kenyans.  Not only will you be unsuccessful, but you will also get tired really quickly - and you still have 26 miles to go.

2.  Make sure to download more than eight songs onto your MP3 player.  That eight-song loop is going to get really annoying in about three miles.

3.  Once you've downloaded more than eight songs, make sure your MP3 is charged so that you can actually listen to your 372 tunes.  It really stinks when the thing dies after the first mile of a mountain race before you even hit the first hill.

4.  BodyGlide is perhaps the best invention ever.  Use it.  If you refuse, you will find yourself not only chafed but also stinging from sweating into the rawness.