At Chautauqua this year, Yolanda Leroy…her name is prounounced LEE-roy. I’d always flaired it up in my mind, having never actually said it out loud and just having read it in market guides and mind-pronounced it as luh-ROY…anyway, Yolanda LEE-roy of Charlesbridge Publishing said that writing is a lot like training for a marathon. There are the training runs, which you don’t really have to be proficient in, you just have to do them. They help you build up the resistance to go the 26.2 miles on race day.

I ran the Chicago marathon in 2002 so Yolanda LEE-roy was speaking my language. One of main things running through my mind during the marathon was “I did what it takes to finish.” I had trained well. I had done the tough stuff. I had slogged away by myself for hours in the blazing sun, just staying on my feet to finish numerous training runs. When I crossed the line in Chicago, I was more proud that I had done what it takes to get there than the fact that I had endured the marathon itself.

I’m training again now. Training to run the Disney marathon in 2006. For some reason, I feel less prepared. In a little worse shape. I keep trying to remind myself that it just comes down to these daily runs. Just staying on my feet for the duration of each individual run. Just teaching the muscles what they are in for. Then on race day, the endurance will be there.

It is kind of like writing in a way. It all comes down to those daily “runs” on the computer. Just putting it down on paper. BIC for the duration. And when it comes time for the marathon itself…the final revision…the strength/endurance/knowledge will be there. The writing muscles will work.

So here’s to my butt on the road and my butt in the chair for the next 4 months. I’ll keep you posted on the training (and the results) of both.