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Dear Readers,

I don’t know exactly how many races I’ve run in my life, but I know it’s a lot.

Notice that I said “races I’ve run,” not “races I’ve raced.” There is a difference.

When I say I’m going to race something, that means I plan to put in an all-out effort. I have a time goal in mind, and I’ve planned my strategy in terms of pacing and fueling to get there. I want nothing left in my legs when I cross the finish line. (I may want to vomit there too.)

If I’m racing a marathon, I’ve most likely put in 18 weeks of work for that four hours or so I’ll spend on the course that morning. If I crash and burn, it’s painful — mentally because I’ve felt like I put in so much work for this one thing and failed, and physically because bad races hurt too. But the times when I’ve put together the perfect race and set a new personal record? That feeling is magic.