Running The Tangents

Every runner knows the marathon is 26.2 miles. That is how far you run to cross the finish line. Except it isn't.

There is such a thing called the tangent. It is the length of the course in a perfectly run race over the shortest possible distance. In order to do this you must run perfectly straight lines from corner to corner over miles and take each turn perfectly to run a minimum 26.2. I am usually at 26.4 or more.

But in marathons as in life, nobody runs the tangents perfectly. Nobody.

We all make mistakes, in what we have done and what we have failed to do. Whether in training, racing, or life--we never execute perfectly. You miss workouts, or you go out too fast in a race, or whatever causes you not to do your best. Accept it. You can't change it. All you can focus on is what your are gonna do today.

I read in an IronMan training book one time (I forget which one) that you should never try to make up for a missed workout. Just get back on schedule and do the right thing today. You can't change yesterday. I think that is good advice.

So while nobody runs the marathon in a perfect 26.2, the important thing is to get to the finish line. That is a good lesson to remember whether you run marathons or not.