Favourite marathon quote, for any of you who are inspired for next year…..

“Right now, as you read this, millions of other people also want to walk or run a marathon. They dream about it at work, in their car or while watching television. They think about how it will be, how it will feel to be at the start and what it’s like crossing the finish line. But they are just dreaming. They are not doing it. You are.

On race morning, when you are on the starting line with your number on, surrounded by others just like you, you will know what they can only imagine. You will feel it, see it, smell it and experience it. Unlike those who only dream, you’ve earned the right to be part of the experience.

By getting to the start line you’ve already placed yourself in the top echelon of athletes. You may not be in the top tier of that race, but as a long distance athlete, you are fitter, better trained and more disciplined than 99 per cent of the population. Remind yourself of that when you start to obsess about pace or finish time.

The miracle truly isn’t that you are going to finish, but that you had the courage to start – not just the courage to start the race, but the courage to start this odyssey of training and self discovery.

The medal you receive is symbolic of that courage. It becomes a powerful icon in your life. Once they place that medal around your neck, no one can ever make you give it back. Wear it proudly.”

(Thanks to Sarah Lees, a blogger on The Running Bug website, for the quote, which I pinched from her last pre-marathon blog)

I feel a bit emotional after reading that again. The 2013 ballot opens on Monday! Go on…… Do it! You know you want to! xxxx