The Wall

I have been reading about races and long-distance running and so many mentions of hitting THE WALL.

It sounds intimidating. Some make it sound inevitable. Some make it sound avoidable. Some say it barely exists.

In sprinting and middle-distance, there simply was not time to hit the wall. Other runners, yes. Baton hitting hands, yes. The Wall, no!

So, this is all new. I am not sure if it is physical, mental, or both.

I am not really sure how to prepare.

I do the LA Roadrunners training for the Los Angeles Marathon. I try my best to follow the schedule, even with physical issues.

Still, the unknown is ... well, the unknown.

Some people say they cope with knowing they will have special people cheering them on; I will not have that at all.

Some people have past experience; I do not. My longest run so far is 16 miles.

I am not sure what to do. After all the problems of 2009, I can not abide the thought of failure.

In some ways I am reverting to the Servite days. I am finding songs. I am playing the mind games. I have been forcing myself to go, even when my mind and body say no.

I have been thinking about how that team of Servite Friars was so united and how we would do things that seemed so hard.

We shall see. how I fare against the wall.

The 4 Ds. Desire. Dedication. Determination. Dedication. Once a Servite Friar, always a Servite Friar.