I realize that I have a bit of catching up to do. I have written several personal encounters
and lessons that running has taught me.
I keep most of those as a private dialogue for myself. I have endured countless runs across this
great country of ours with limitless insights that are applied in life much in
the same way that others have their quiet time to reflect on life and search
for answers in the Scriptures. Running
is sort of my escape to think about where this life of mine is heading. I do read my Bible and often do think about
the relevance toward my life during many of my long runs in solace. To write about all of what I have learned
would consume so much of my writing that I do not think I would have time for
much else. I have rather decided to
recount my experiences from all of my marathons and a few other key races. I am currently on a journey to run a minimum
of a marathon in every state and our nation’s capital. I will start with the
first race that started this crazy task.
I had never envisioned the thought of being considered as a
long distance runner considering the fact that my body does not fit in the mold
of what most would consider a runner to be.
Most successful runners are between the sizes of 130 to 185 pounds and
are very lean. I on the other hand
struggle to stay below 210 lbs. I had
taken up running to stay in shape and enjoyed the camaraderie that is shared at
most distance races. I was there to
experience the running culture that can be found at a race of any
distance. Everyone is usually in high
spirits and is very encouraging of one another regardless of how fast or slow a
person may run. The important part is
that you are there. I recalled a
conversation with a family member about how I would like to run a marathon
someday. Instead of encouragement, I received
a sharp chuckle upon being told that I could not run a marathon, it is much too
far and I do not have the body to do such a task. So I signed up to run the Knoxville Marathon
on March 29, 2009 just to prove a point.
I followed a strict training plan and did not miss a workout. For approximately 16 weeks I pushed the body
further and harder than it had ever been pushed before. I began to do some races along the way at
greater distances to prepare for this adventure, a 10 miler, a half marathon
and a 30k. Each race was met with
success and I even did a 23 mile training run 3 weeks before the big day.
I remember the morning of the race down to the detail of
what I was wearing. I had went to Dick’s
Sporting Goods and picked out a matching green Nike singlet with a pair of
matching shorty shorts and a headband for the big day. First lesson learned, DO NOT WEAR SHORT
SHORTS FOR A MARATHON! By the end of the
race my large thighs had rubbed together so much that they looked like bloody
red strawberries. Lesson number 2 and 3
especially for Knoxville is not to run too fast at the start and to study the
map beforehand. The course is very hilly
during the first half. I remember having
all the extra energy from tapering plus the adrenaline rush of the event. The first mile I ran in 6:30 and it felt
awesome. The joy that comes from the
first marathon is overwhelming. My
fondest memory came around mile 8 when I came up a big hill and saw my family
standing on the sidewalk cheering loudly, it made me feel like I was running on
air. That lasted for about another 10
miles until I had my first big learning experience, The Wall. You may hear a lot of people talk about the
wall and I can testify that it is real.
Somewhere between mile 18 and 20 the body runs out of fuel and does not
want to run anymore. Somewhere around
this point I did something I had never done in a race before, I walked. The pain that comes from this point on is
hard to describe. I have broken bones,
been burned and even fought is 5 cage fights and yet, have never experienced
this type of pain and fatigue before.
Not only was my body broken but I was an emotional wreck. I cried, not from the pain but from something
else. I recalled being overcome with
emotion at the simple fact that people in the surrounding neighborhoods were
coming out of their homes to cheer on the runners and even offer them fresh
fruit and other goodies to help me finish.
Yards were adorned with motivational posters and screams of encouragement,
even pats on the back. This was one of the
most beautiful human experiences that make me love marathoning.
After crossing the finish line I was hurting bad but with a
great sense of accomplishment. Many
people put running a marathon on their bucket list; lo and behold I could put a
check on that box. This was to be the
end of this endeavor until I had a conversation in the recovery area. Many people were coming up to me surprised that
I chose to run the marathon and be finished already. I ran the race in 3:18:22 and finished 31st
overall. I did not think much of that
however, someone pointed out that I was only 8 minutes from qualifying for
Boston. They had suggested that if I ran
a marathon somewhere flat, I could shave off about 10 minutes. I had been told that many people run their whole
lives and never achieve a Boston qualifier.
From that point on, my next challenge had been laid at my feet, to qualify
for Boston. If someone my size it not
supposed to run a marathon, what would be said if I could get a Boston
Qualifier? So little did I know that
this would turn into so much more.
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