1,397.4 miles to get to this point. Tomorrow I am racing a marathon for the first time.

Everything so far has been designed to lead up to this race. The training gradually built up to reach full strength this month. The workouts were specific to this course’s terrain. The research into logistics, the headlamp for the tunnel, the TP for the ten mile stretch with no other option. Finally the intensity slowly backed off to enter this race fully rested. Everything has been for tomorrow. This is the culmination of nine months work.

Yet tomorrow doesn’t really matter. If I hit my time, nothing about my life will change. I will still have diapers to change that evening and an office to get to Monday morning. If I don’t hit it – even if I were to trip and sprain my ankle at the start, it wouldn’t change any of those things either. Nor would it take a thing away from the work I have put in so far.

Tomorrow is a test that was designed to help justify the hard work. The training was the goal. Like a piece of silver, pounded and refined until the impurities work their way out – training towards a goal is how we refine ourselves. The result isn’t important, the process is. The only reason we must race is to keep ourselves honest.

Tomorrow I find out if I’ve been honest.