#endurance-running

#endurance-running

Doing hard things is inherent to endurance sports. As we become more capable in our chosen discipline, it feels natural for some of us to do things faster, farther, and more difficult. We climb onto the precipice of our previous capabilities and take a step beyond for the very purpose of not knowing how we will land. Then, rarely, maybe once or twice in a lifetime relationship with sport, we begin something hard, somehow already knowing that we will do it.

It's easy to get excited when we see good performances by runners we aren't familiar with, or runners we are familiar with racing distances we don't normally see them do. When someone puts down a good performance that we aren't expecting, it can feel like it came out of nowhere. We become surprised and impressed all at once, and perhaps we sensationalize things.

Ten days shy of her 41st birthday, the mother-of-three from Wicklow turned in a remarkable run that typified the class, courage and commitment that has defined her career, finishing ninth in the World Championships marathon in 2:30:16 - her best ever finish at global level across any surface.