In fact, there are many people who have completed more marathons in far shorter amounts of time. There are those who have run 100 marathons in 100 consecutive days with average times quicker than my own—not to mention those who have done things like complete over 100 ultra-marathons in extremely difficult conditions across deserts and mountains. To me, these accomplishments are even more interesting.

But on the other hand, completing even just 100 “normal” marathons is almost impossible for the average runner. Assuming they start after the age of thirty and don’t structure their lives around running—only completing two marathons a year—running 100 will take them 50 years.

That is why I decided to share my own experiences with marathoning. Average marathoners and extreme marathoners share a lot in common, despite the varying difficulties of the challenges they set for themselves. Both can, for instance, relate to spending many hours on training and competition—time which is usually reserved for solitary thought and not frequently shared with others for a variety of reasons.

Sometimes, these are simple considerations, observations, or reflections about life. The thoughts come because the mind can’t be turned off during hours of running. But after all, why would you? The most interesting thoughts come when our brains have fresh air.