The ritual of training for another marathon now felt like a refuge. I loved building up my fitness as I worked toward 115-mile weeks, experiencing the slow revelation of being in better shape than I had thought, still capable of more than I expected. Whether you’re an elite or a first-timer, that’s the magic of marathoning, the recognition of your own potential that had been there all along. There was such satisfaction for me in hitting that first 18-mile long run, then 20-miler, and so on. Race day is fun, but training gives you moments of the extraordinary in the ordinary.
