On Sunday, I ran my 22nd half marathon in five years. It was a lovely, overcast morning and perfect for running. Running for two plus hours gives you a lot of time to think. It is one of the things I really like about running. Here are some random things I thought and observed on this run:
1. I noticed a lady and man holding hands in front of me. My first thought was, oh brother, you gotta hold hands during the run? Really? Then they abruptly cut in front of me and I saw that the lady had a distinct limp and a brace on her left leg. I looked at the back of her shirt and it said, "I survived a stroke." I realized that they were not holding hands lovey-dovey. They were holding hands to help her keep her balance and keep going. I ran over to her, patted her on the back and said, "You go girl!" She replied with a garbled, "Thank you." I immediately started to cry and continued to do so for the next mile. My contacts clouded over and the rest of the race was a bit hazy for me. I couldn't stop thinking about that women, working to overcome tremendous odds, out there on the race course. What an amazing example of the human spirit and what we can do when we set our minds to it. I will never forget her.
2. I was probably on about mile eight or nine and I had been off and on following or going ahead of this guy wearing pajama pants! Hard to miss a person in a half marathon in black and yellow plaid pajama pants! He ran up along side of me and said, "Boy, you keep a pretty good pace for walking!" I looked at pajama pant guy and said, "Gee, I thought I was
running!" I was so pissed off, I took off and left him in the dust never to be seen again! I may be slow, but, damn, I
run! Having several more miles to think, it dawned on me that he had probably been watching me for several miles. In fact, in my long races, I run a mile and walk a minute. It's how I make sure I have plenty of gas in the tank to finish the race as strongly as I can. Maybe, instead of a slight, he meant that he had seen me slow to the walk every so often and I was still keeping up with him and his pajama pants! Maybe it was a complement, but in my near exhausted state, I assumed the worst. Good life lesson. Quick to judge is usually not the way to go.
3. I also started thinking, could I run
65 half marathons by the time I am
65??? Given that this was only #22, it is a BIG challenge. When the race was over, I tossed the idea at my husband and his first response was, "Why would you want to do that?!" Sensing my annoyance, he thought a moment and said, "Why don't you try for 75 half marathons by the time you are 75? That gives you 10 more years and you only have to run an additional 10 races." Hmmmm, it's a thought, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that I will still be running half marathons at 75! It would be a joyful blessing, but who knows? Most 75 year olds get tired walking through the grocery store. Maybe I could be the exception. Now wouldn't be something? My thoughts return to the stroke lady and the notion that anything is possible.
The race is over, but these thoughts will stay with me for a long time. None of them are really about running. They are more about life and pushing your limits and working toward goals and never giving up. More
life thoughts that can apply to anyone ~ runner or not.
