Hitting a wall is usually something most people avoid. It doesn't matter if you're driving a car, riding a bike, running, walking or shadowboxing. Hitting a wall is bad.
Ok, so there's a scientific explanation on wikipedia that attempts to explain why runners 'hit the wall': http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonk_%28condition%29
But I've hit a difference wall, really it's more of a rut. My training milage has stagnated. Trying to run longer miles has become more difficult. Not that I can't do it physically, but there's only so many hours in a day with some small fraction of them available for running.
My first Chicago marathon was back in 1999. I was undertrained, and it was cold. Just cold enough that your legs would freeze up if you slowed down for the aid stations. Getting back to a running pace was a gradual process. At mile 20 there was a large brick wall with a opening in the middle. A sign hung overhead "Run Through The Wall!". It was actually just off the street in an adjacent parking lot, so you had make an extra effort to physically run through the wall...but it was worth it.
But the best part about this experience is actually making it through the wall; mentally and physically. The success of running a marathon isn't determined on race day. It's determined every morning between now and October.
A Gatorade commercial sums it up best:
"You have a choice. You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the
sweat off of your face."
3 months and 15 days to Chicago Marathon 2007.
I'm a bit behind on my training, and a bit behind on my fundraising. But the fun is just beginning...
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