Respecting the distance?

This, is always the mantra for runners. Either a 10km, half marathon, or full, it's chanted and embodied in the soul of every runner. But, have anyone thought of not respecting it?

You can go further, if you just thought otherwise.

"Do not respect the distance"

This ought to be the mantra for those doing the ultra marathon 84km this coming saturday.

A marathon is indeed hard. Lance Armstrong mentioned that his first marathon was the hardest. And I personally think, if you can run a marathon, you are at your fittest physically.

Make that double, and most will be wondering "no way in hell" they'll do it. Or opt to do it. I could speak from experience how it felt to run that distance. You'll hit the wall a few times. There will be also times you want to quit. Pain will be your closest friend. Sometimes you feel like you are making great progress, sometimes you are in the valley of hopelessness. You'll have to run, even if everything in your body wants to stop.

And that is why, respecting the distance, which translates to respecting the limitations of your body, cannot be applied here. In mathematical equivalence, it's like searching for the explanation of infinities, that most mathematicians do not dare to explore. It's looking into the unknown reservoir of your earthly body, and trying to find if you have anything else to spare.

It's hard. But I bet most will make it. Not because of physically overcoming the challenges, but with sheer unbreakable determination.