Imagine this: You’ve run 13 miles. You’re tired, sweaty yet cold because the temperature is well-below freezing. You see people wearing their medals — you know the finish line is close. But it’s not THAT close. You still have yards to go — maybe the length of a football field. Your legs are close to cramping and your brain says quit. There’s not much left in your tank.
But you smell the finish. You feel it.
Your brain gets out of the way and your ambition takes over. You find sometimes inside of you and it pushes your legs even faster. The last turn is ahead and you take it. And there it is — the finish line. An animal instinct kicks in and you sprint. Hard. The clock above the finish slows down. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Your eyes blur out everything around you except your goal. Sound goes away. You run faster than you ever thought you could.
Then you cross the finish line.
You’ve done it. You’ve accomplished something most people will never do. You reached down inside of yourself and you achieved your goal. And you did in a better time than you imagined. You’ve finished a half-marathon. 13.1 hilly, cold miles. You feel a little dizzy and a lot of satisfaction.
That was my day yesterday. Thanks to Chuck Galey for pacing me and pushing me (and running with me). I had thought I’d at best run 2 hours and 30 minutes. I ran nine minutes faster than my goal. Thanks to the organizers of the Mississippi Blues Marathon for creating a challenging course and a warm atmosphere on a cold day. Thanks to all the volunteers for your hard work and Southern hospitality. It was a great day spent with many great friends.
It’s good to challenge yourself occasionally to see what you have inside you. To have a gut check. To see what you’re made of. Yesterday was one of those days.
Do you feel a Blues Marathon cartoon coming on? I hope so!