Recently, a friend of mine asked me what ever possessed me to want to run a marathon.
My house sits at mile 6 and mile 20 of the Bayshore Marathon route. This past spring, on May 23, 2009 I witnessed my first marathon and cheered on the runners who ran past. During the course of several hours, a parade of anonymous people raced by in a mixed symphony of voices and footfalls filling the air. I watched people of all ages, shapes, sizes, colors, genders and walks of life combine into one beautiful stream of humanity. From ultra-athletes competing for cash prizes, to athletes striving to qualify for the Boston Marathon, to weekend athletes and former couch-potatoes who decided to exchange their remotes for Reeboks --- there were 2697 finishers combined between the full and half marathon distances, with many more runners starting both races.
I watched the runners and was intrigued by the common thread binding them together in this one experience. On every face, I saw similar looks of agony and pain and effort and joy and determination and perseverance. I was curious. I was inspired. I was awed.
Then I saw the most incredible moment. I saw a man who must have (with no exaggeration) weighed 500 pounds. He was running the half-marathon (I could tell because he wore a different colored race number). He passed my house at mile 6, nearly halfway through his goal of 13.1 miles. He wasn't a dead-last straggler hanging onto the threads of hope to carry him the rest of the way. He was respectable and honorable in his pursuit and effort. It was evident that he had trained because he actually was running quite well. I could see the determined concentration on his face. I never learned his name. I didn't even write down his number. I don't know his story. But I imagine that his story is similar to everyone else who wants to make a difference in his/her own life. Somewhere along the way, he was inspired.
On that beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, I stood in my yard and watched this single event bind this stream of people together. At that moment, I knew I wanted to dip my feet into this river to find out the attraction. I didn’t know yet what time and effort they had all invested long before arriving to the start line on that day.
I got a small glimpse tonight…
Today I had an incredibly hard and long day at work. People from all sides clamored for my attention and wanted me for what I do and not for who I am. They sapped time and energy away from me as I solved problems and fixed things and assisted others with issues. By the end of the day, I was drained. I drove home at 6pm in the pre-winter darkness, feeling tired and heavy. I thought about my training schedule for today: 2 miles. Not a lot, but the way I was feeling, it felt like the entire marathon loomed over my head. I just wanted to unwind and relax.
When I got home, I sat down on the couch to relax and immediately I felt lethargy invading my body! I shouted to no one in particular, “GET OFF THE COUCH!” and jumped up, quickly put on my running clothes and was out the door as the adrenaline rush carried me out to my car.
Once I arrived at the Civic Center, it was like seeing an old friend! The paved path was dimly lit with lights speckled along the edge. I stretched, pushed Madonna into my ear with my iPod, set my chrono and started to unwind. With each step, my heaviness and fatigue melted away and I left them swirling like fallen leaves on the ground. I relaxed and found delight in the rhythm of my legs, hearing my feet slapping the ground, feeling the rhythm of the path, up/down hills, crossing the bridge, passing the shadows of trees. My girlfriend told me, “You'd think running in the dark would be scary like running with your eyes closed in your dreams, but it's one of the safest soothing things I do”. I agree! It’s one of the safest, most comforting sensations...like being held tightly in the arms of a loved one. I was SO glad to see my friend tonight!
All day long, people demanded time and energy of me and wanted me to do things for them. I realized when I sat on the couch starting to feel comatose, that the best thing I could do in that moment was to GIVE to myself in a way that no one else had done all day. Running truly keeps me honest by incorporating good habits to keep me conscious about how it’s going to affect my run. Last night, I made sure I slept well; and throughout the day, I made sure I ate and hydrated well. So the least I could do, was take that energy that I KNEW was stored and waiting for me to tap into and convert it to movement. I’m so glad I did!!!!
Tonight, I ran my first sub-14 minute mile (13:48)! I know it seems inordinately slow to those who run a 7, 8 or even a 10 minute mile. But considering I started running regularly in September and my first mile took me 20 minutes to run/walk, I am thrilled with my progress. Tonight as I ran, I had an epiphany: I wasn’t JUST running the 2-miles for the day. It really isn’t about doing JUST the training for the day. Every time I run, I’m doing “homework” for my Bayshore Marathon exam! So the better and more consistent I do my homework, the better results I’ll have on my exam!
On nights like tonight, after a long hard day at work, I think about the "exam" awaiting me on May 29, 2010...I also think about how an un-named man (along with thousands of others) helped inspire me last year to realize that if he (they) can do it, then so can I. Maybe next year I’ll be that un-named woman inspiring someone else to “pay it forward”. You really never know how your life is going to touch someone else…
I could never possibly thank everyone who has inspired and invited me, simply by their enduring example, to run. But each time I put on my running shoes, I pay tribute to each and every one of them, by honoring and combining their effort with my own.
We all run alone; but when we run, we merge into one stream of humanity. This is what has possessed and inspired me. This is what I'm learning and understanding so far.
And I've got many more miles to run...
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