NYC Marathon Thrills! And other Runs

I ran Friday and Saturday,  back on the Griffin loop then a modest little out and back Saturday early in the morning before clients.  It felt as if a delicate balance had been achieved between my perpetual struggles and a feeling of comfortability out on the roads,  not enough for anything very long, but...long enough.  So many runners are racing or preparing for races.  I think I've had it in mind all along that if I could pull out some consistency,  I could train for Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, at least the half, in early 2014. 

So when a big marathon comes around like NYC on Sunday,  it's a chance to get re-ignited with the passion of my chosen sport:  NYC is legendary.  And this year, with even more importance, coming back from last year's last minute cancellation due to hurricane Sandy, and in homage to Boston,  48,000+ runners left the starting line!  In a chilly 46 degrees and a head wind,  they left their respective corrals and headed into history as they started up the Verrazano bridge. 

Meanwhile,  I woke up to early light thanks to daylights savings time and the usual beautiful skies of fall in SoFlo....glad to have time on my side but feeling fatigued as hell.   Running consecutive days no matter how modest is hard on me,  so I figured just to let my feet tell me where they wanted to go as I headed out past the park and into the heart of Emerald Hills.  It felt extra tough getting 'into' my body....I cut short at 56th and turned south, taking a pit-stop at little Oak Park where all the ducks and geese congregate hoping for a hand-out, and meandered past Park to pick up a side-street turning towards home.

I knew I didn't have it in me.  I pat-patted down streets eerily silent in the early morning, as the slight breeze, still cool at the edges, rustled an occasional palm or brought the bark of a fenced dog to my ear....I got lost in my thoughts and followed my body's lead, turning up towards Park once more and a last stretch of pulling out just a bit of speed,  a little lift to my feet, as I rounded it out for home.

I didn't think they were broadcasting live!  So when I settled in with breakfast and coffee...there!  the start of NYC!  WOW!  I saw Meb getting emotional at the national anthem,  the rest of the Kenyans and others at the front of the pack (both men and women),  the long long knots of runners in their respective time corrals (oh how I know that feeling of pulling up the rear, waiting forever to finally make it just to the start line!), until BAM! the Big Gun goes off and so do they!

Now:  imagine a caliber of running so amazing that for 26+ miles they can sustain something in the range of a 4-5 min. mile CONSISTENTLY!  Then imagine the shake-out as a whole group of such runners attempts to sort themselves out on the NY streets until Mutai,  natural that he is,  took the lead- and won it!  A very humble Kenyan who took

that race like a stroll in the park, who has set the marathon record (about 2:03:)  and yesterday ran in that headwind for a VERY respectable 2:08: (approx)

Meanwhile,  as 2 womens' leaders appeared to duke it out for their respective 1st and 2nd place finishes,  Priscah Jeptoo came from the pack behind them, flung herself down the course and FLEW by them both,  to win the women's title!  She was AMAZING....and inspirational! running in a style that suggested either fatigue or undisciplined excitement and was neither:  and a good lesson in 'whatever works' in her unusual form, arms flailing,  long legs tacking out from the knee, looking for all the world like a windmill rolling down the street!  But FLYING! 

Somewhere I heard in all the stats that most elite runners spend about 75% of their time IN THE AIR. 

I stopped many times on my Sunday run when something caught my eye, as I usually do;  this was the light hitting the foliage at the side of my 56th St. cut-down...as usual,  running in part just to see what Mother Nature has been up to,   and to absorb the air, the sunlight,  and to let my body 'let go' of whatever has constrained me otherwise. 

Later,  when I had those images in my head of Mutai flying into first place,  or Priscah focusing on passing those leaders,  and the humble gratitude and tears shed as they crossed their finish lines,  I felt proud to BE a runner!! 

Because....THIS (above) is what average runners like me look like at the finish....shouting, clasping hands,  walking and sometimes gently jogging it across the line...proud to complete for our various causes,  to prove something to ourselves,  to know we have done it, so we can do....anything we set our hearts to.

Distance is a beautiful thing.  It takes effort and huge heart to make it a long ways to what our heart desires. You must hang in there,  even if,  like my hero Meb,  you had to walk it in.   I patted myself on the back for about the millionth time yesterday thinking....I get out there and I do it.  It might not be pretty,  but like every runner,  I am grateful to know the deep pleasure that my body gives me - in motion!  CONGRATS TO ALL!