Ok, so the title of this post is taken from an article in the Wall Street Journal. As I am now into the last two weeks before The San Francisco Marathon, I was intrigued to read what race the WSJ found so scary. Turns out the nightmare of a race is The San Francisco Marathon. The marathon that Lena and I will be running in just under two weeks. The marathon that I am hoping to join club 26.2 by running.

The article goes on to talk about how hilly the course is and how it lacks big sponsorship like the Chicago and New York marathons have. It also talks about how some runners tend to shy away from it because they cannot get a PR (personal record/personal best) time on this course. I say “don’t be such a wuss”. I’m the first to admit that I love using technology with regards to running. GPS watch, special hydration formulas, and easily absorbed nutrition have all played a part in my training for the upcoming race. But when I am out there running 15, 18, or 20+ miles at a time, I simply enjoy the run. My pace per mile is more of a “sanity check” for me. If my legs start feeling like they weigh 20 pounds heavier than when I started, it’s usually because I have increased my pace-per-mile. As I mentioned above, this is my first marathon attempt. I’m not really concerned about how long it takes me to cross the finish line..but that I do.

For all those runners out there obsessed with their finish time, don’t you think you can still feel you had an accomplished run by merely completing one of the toughest (and arguably most scenic) urban marathons in North America?