Breaking through the wall  • October 25, 2006 | 10:23 p.m.

Every marathoner has that point when every ache and pain seems magnified by the factor of 10, when your legs feel like lead weights, when cramps set in, or when your mind goes into overdrive saying, “You can’t go another mile, much less 6.2 more!” This point is called “the wall.” And for those who have been there, you usually run smack into it anywhere from mile 16 to mile 24. At that point, when you feel that your body is ready to give out and you’re ready to give in to that feeling, you have two options: quit or go on. Most of us, go through “the wall,” and continue running, though somewhat slowly and painfully. Besides getting an injury, facing “the wall” is one of marathoners’ biggest fears.

In my four previous marathons, I’ve been very lucky. Maybe that’s been due to good training. But before a race, you never really know if you’re going to have a good marathon, or a not so good one.  My husband has run my four marathons with me, and every time without fail around mile 22, he hits “the wall” — hard! Smack! This time, he’s determined to beat it. Maybe women are just better at endurance, whereas men are better at speed. I know that’s subject of debate, but that seems to be the case with my husband and I. This time, I’m confident he won’t have that problem because he has the right attitude and he actually seems to enjoy himself more when he runs long distances. That’s what I think is the key to getting past “the wall”: living for the moment and trying to have fun throughout the challenge. It also helps to find support every way and everywhere you can, and especially drawing extra energy from the cheering crowds.

Anyway, “the wall” is very real, as are other aches and pains that go along with it. But, as with all challenges in life, it’s best to try not to get worked up about them. At least, that’s my philosophy. At this point, I can only put on my best performance with the confidence and the determination that I have built up over the last 15 weeks of training. I know Karen, in her training, recently broke through “the wall.” Now all that’s left is putting one foot in front of the other for, oh, about 26.2 miles, but who’s counting? With marathon day, November 5, fast approaching, I know I’m counting every mile. But I’m also confident we all have the right stuff to finish the race. We just have to prove it. I can’t wait! 

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