Recently I completed a 5K distance on the treadmill in the basement. This is a bit of a big deal for me, because I'm 50 years old, overweight, out of shape, and my right knee needs replaced - really, I was told a couple of years ago by an orthopedic doctor that it's gunked up with arthritis and needs replaced, but he wanted me to try to hold off another five years.
As bad as my knee is, I know if I dropped 50 lbs., I could and would be able to move much easier and have much less pain in the knee. Bad knee and all, I do have a goal of running a marathon...again.
AND YOU CAN TOO. My first motivation to run was back in college. I was on the student staff of athletic trainers at Augustana College, and we were assigned the duty of helping care for runners at the Distance Classic Half Marathon. In order to help keep runners safe, we were assigned to various locations throughout the course to observe and monitor runners. It's been a long time ago...1987 maybe?...and I don't know all the specifics, but I remember seeing an older gentleman laboring near the finish line area - probably a couple of miles away.
In 1987 I was not in the shape I am in today, so it wasn't really a big deal physically for me, but I ended up finishing that last portion of the run with gentleman, and I was so impressed with his grit and determination to finish the run. That day's event planted the seed of distance running for me.
From that point on, I dabbled here and there in running - local 5K's, 10K's, and eventually tackled the Bix 7. The Bix is a grueling, hilly race in the streets of Davenport, and it's grown over the years to what it is now - one of the more famous races in the Midwest. A friend of mine heard that I had started running and asked me to participate in a relay race for a fairly new event in the area during that time, which was the Quad City Marathon. My leg of the relay really wasn't very far, probably something like 5-6 miles, and I agreed to be on his relay team.
The Quad City Marathon features an AWESOME course that runs on both sides of the Mississippi River. The course itself is fairly flat but runs through Moline, Bettendorf, Davenport, Rock Island, and East Moline. Again, my specifics of my experience are a little blurred by time, but I do remember that my leg of the race included the Rock Island Arsenal Island, which includes running near the Arsenal Cemetery. While running through this quiet part of the course, I encountered a senior female runner and we struck up a little conversation like runners do. We asked how each other was doing, what the day was like, etc. Then I noticed that she was limping a little, but her limp wasn't really bothering her. I then looked at her bib number and realized she was running the entire 26.2 mile course. In fact at that spot of the course, my leg of the race was going to be ending soon, and she had just finished the half-way point of her run.
It wasn't just that encounter that motivated me. I saw runners of all sizes and ages and abilities running, jogging, sometimes walking. What I really saw, though, was all of those people courageously testing themselves - challenging themselves to complete something that too many people think is just impossible.
Here's the deal. There are people that have medically limiting conditions that simply are too big of obstacles to complete a marathon. For the vast majority of us, though, it's doable. And the hard part really isn't the marathon itself. The hard part is the preparation leading up to the marathon - usually a 6-12 month experience.
BUT IT'S WORTH IT!
When I finished my first marathon, I cried. It was so gratifying to complete something like that. And there were people at the finish line (and all along the race) that were so encouraging and inspiring. Since that time, I've participated in several marathon distance and ultra distance events, including 50-mile trail runs and even a 24-hour run held every year in Eldridge, Iowa.
Unfortunately for me, life experiences and poor discipline with my diet and exercise have limited my involvement in distance running. I think the farthest event I've completed in the last few years is a 5K in fact. I hope to get back someday, though.
How about you...ever thought about a MARATHON...sounds scary and insurmountable, but it's doable.
Enjoy your day today!
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