"Because it is there."

George Mallory, an English mountaineer who led the first three attempts to summit Mount Everest in the early 1920s, was once asked by a New York Times reporter why he was so intent to climb the mountain. His four word response quickly became iconic: "Because it is there."

A few people have asked why I want to run a marathon. Where mountaineers have used Mallory's response to justify their own summit fever, "Because it is there" does me little good. Sure, the road is there, as are barking dogs, trees, squirrels, cars, other runners, walkers, and bicyclists. But at the end of the run, there is no scenic view…

Trolltunga, Norway

So, why do I want to run a marathon? The snarky is: Why not? But this answer deflects the more truthful answer: Because I want to prove to myself that I can run a marathon.

About a year ago, this whole running races thing started with a simple 5K event and quickly gained momentum like a semi-truck barreling down a mountain without brakes. In fact, Chicago was not the first time I contemplated running a marathon. Last summer, I followed a Facebook friend who trained for and ran the Marine Corps Marathon. As he logged his miles, I wondered silently to myself if I could do it. As one 5K race became two races, which quickly morphed into several 5Ks, a 10K, and a half marathon, not only did my confidence grow, but I became curious if I could run further. Moreover, I needed that next challenge.

I am a firm believer in setting goals: professional & personal. Each day, I usually have a set of goals in the form of a never-ending “to do” list that typically deal with school-related matters and my aspirations of reaching tenure one day (or whatever form of tenure exists in the UW system). Other goals are more personal in nature. Making Jody happy and treating her well each and every day; trying to minimize the number of sweets I eat each week day; and living a healthy lifestyle. To these goals I have added a marathon.

Has it been a fun experience so far? Not always. The two 20-milers that I have run have been grueling tests of endurance like I have never experienced. I'm not sure what will happen when I add six more miles. I will be happy when the race is in my rearview mirror, but it will not be long before I wonder what is next and need another goal for next year.