Last night, my bf & I caught the one night showing of Spirit of the Marathon, a documentary that follows several runners (some elite, some average) through their training leading up to the 2005 Chicago Marathon. If you are a runner, I highly recommend this movie. After my IT band setback while training for the 2007 Marine Corps Marathon, I put another marathon out of my mind. However, watching this movie has inspired me for another marathon: Chicago or New York 2010. Why not sooner? I have my whole life to run marathons. I’m not hampering my business school experience with the discipline required for 20-mile training runs. This morning, we made plans to run a marathon in three years…TOGETHER.
Watching the runners train and race around Chicago made me super excited for my impending move to the (suburbs of) the Windy City. I kept grabbing my bf and telling him, “I know exactly where that is! I’ll take you there when you come out and visit me!” and “We’ll run the Lakeshore too!”
While I don’t plan on running the Chicago Marathon in 2008, maybe I can volunteer at an aid station. At the very least, I’ll be a spectator. I couldn’t help but tear up when the runners crossed the finish (yes, my bf made fun of me for that). I remembered my own feelings when I crossed the finish line of my first (and only) marathon…the sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that with some effort and discipline, one can knock off something as seemingly impossible as running 26.2 miles…or getting into a top 10 business school.
Oh, and the truth is, I didn’t just cry when I crossed the finish line. I may have cried the last four miles. My legs were shot.
gltnforpnshmnt said,
February 9, 2008 @ 11:07 am
do it! i ran the Chicago in 2006 and it was one of the best experiences of my life! nyc would be cool, too, but i love love love Chicago.