Why do it at all?

I am a slow runner.  Very slow.  Extremely slow.  Tortoise slow.  Slow.

Really, I'm slow.

I am a back of the pack runner.  When I line up for a race, I go to my assigned corral, which is based on your expected finish time, and I go to the back of it.  If there are any corrals behind me, those people will pass me as we cross the start line.

But I'll pass them again around the halfway point.

What I lack in speed, I make up for in endurance and sheer determination.  I love my long runs.  So far my person record for distance is 14 miles, and it was a great experience.  I can't wait to get into the 20 mile (and longer) runs in my marathon training.

But, like I said earlier, I'm slow.  It's not so much a race for me, as a test of will.

Will I last the distance?  Will I be able to finish?  Will I be able to walk after?

I know I'm never going to win anything other than a finisher's medal.  And that's fine with me.  As long as I beat the closing of the course, I'm good.

My goal each time I toe the line at a race is to beat myself.  If I've never done that distance before, then I want to finish.  If I have, I'm running to set a new personal record (PR) in that distance. 

Since I'm relatively new to running and races, the PRs will be happening for a while.  It's only natural that I'll continue to get stronger and (relatively) faster for a while.  Well, we can hope, anyhow...

But no matter what, I'm going to continue to run and race.  Because to not do it would be the ultimate defeat.