The 2020 Boston Marathon was supposed to be my return after running it in 2018. The year of the epic winter storm. I wanted to experience a nice New England spring. I wanted the full Patriots Day Boston Marathon spring spectacular marathon experience!
I got a rescheduled to September, a cancelled marathon and now a virtual marathon. A Covid 19 marathon. I’ll run it. I need my run training motivation back.
July is my normal return to running month. Start my preparation for the CIM. I know in my heart this year’s CIM will be cancelled. How can you run a safe marathon now?
The world has changed. The world is still changing. Marathons will return. Someday. I will keep running. But without the motivation of a marathon on the calendar, I must find the joy of training.
How does one find the joy? How does one define passion? Is it discovered? Or is it made? Is it a gift endowed upon us? I think joy in running, like joys in life, are earned. Uncovered, rare and precious.
So, to run 26.2 miles in September’s virtual Boston Marathon, I start my usual training. I’ll think about where, when and how my 2020 marathon will go. I can plan the details on my runs. I will dream of Boston.