A rough marathon only strengthened my love of running.

I knew by mile sixteen of the OC marathon here in Southern California that for the first time in several years, my ego would have to suffer, in addition to my body. There was no longer a chance to PR, and that was my goal — to improve over my previous 2.43 marathon earlier in the year. I don’t sign up for a race unless I believe I have a shot at setting my personal best time. At some point, this mindset will have to shift, but for now, it defines my approach to racing. The first half of the marathon went okay, strong wind notwithstanding.