The one thing before and during the race

Two days ago I devoted a post to a listing of great books about the Boston Marathon. This training season I read Marathon by Clarence DeMar. Originally printed in 1937 (reprinted in 1981), the autobiography provides a glimpse into DeMar the man and the marathoner. He also has a few interesting insights on life as well, like the need to keep running in balance with the rest of your life.

But here's the passage I really enjoyed, and hopefully will help you tomorrow...

There is, however, one thing that I've always needed and which everyone else that I've ever known has needed, and that is concentration, both just before and during the race. Without concentration no one can be ready to throw all he has into the race and no one can do everything he is capable of in the contest. What printer, what business man, what editor, what school teacher wants distraction when he is working his hardest.

-from Marathon by Clarence DeMar

Work hard. Good luck tomorrow. See you after the race.

One more quote from DeMar...

Do most of us want life on the same calm level as a geometrical problem? Certainly, we want our pleasures more varied with mountains and valleys of emotional joy, and marathoning furnishes just that.

7-time Boston Marathon winner Clarence DeMar