Wow.. I can't believe how completely exhausted I have become these last 12 hours.. So much thought and rehearsal and preparation, mentally more than physically, just to get to today, the day before a really big event for so many people. In my exhausted state, it just dawned on me that many many people called me today to wish me well for tomorrow.. I guess they care? And all along I thought I was this anti-social, slightly annoying runner-type that avoids others and vice versa.. I'm truly touched.. Not that I didn't try to drum up some interest in unknown citizens, such as the teenage check out guy at Shop-Rite.. I felt he needed to know that I was running a marathon tomorrow, so as he scanned my fish, gatorade and broccoli rabe, I casually said, 'I'm running the NY Marathon tomorrow, I hope this is a good meal'.. He didn't miss a beat, turned around to the check-out kid behind him and enlightened him too.. 'We have a marathon runner here!' I was surprised, as the first kid looked totally uninterested in the population over 20 years old.. Let the prejudices cease!
OK, being as I have to get up at 3:30, I should cut this short.. But first a few predictions: Lance Armstrong will finish in 3:03:18; Susan Kepchemoi should win, she's been runner up 3 times already; Hendrik Ramaala will win too.. And me? Very bad idea to print my predictions before the fact; But I will be brave.. Hmmm.. This is really tough.. Any shorter distance it's scary how accurate my predictions are, but the marathon is such a different beast.. Tha'ts why I've been so anxious.. OK.. 3:24:12.. But my goal is 3:17:58.. And if I don't come near either of those, I'd like to take my own advise that I've given friends about to run a marathon: Don't beat yourself up, that's what the distance is for..
10 comments:
You go, girl. I think you'll pass Lance on the way back to that ShopRite guy.
Tamar: Congratulations on completing the NYC Marathon! I think it's a great accomplishment. Getting to the starting line sounds like quite an adventure. I've never tried a big marathon like NYC, preferring the smaller, less crowded ones. I've never tried to predict my marathon time and only in the past 2 marathons have I had goals, which I had to adjust mid race. Hopefully you'll be able to savor this for awhile and write about it in the near future.
I hope you did as well as I hoped.
abba: Next year I'll beat Lance! Well, make that 5 years, and I REALLY will..
kevin: Thanks for putting perspective on goals.. I like your philosphy.. This distance has succeeded in humbling me, but not crushing me.. And maybe a smaller venue would be a nice change.. Still recovering and licking some wounds..
jon: I hope you don't think I was going to get any prize money?? I was about 700 places away for that.. I'm still not used to that photo!
Is this picture better?
I didn't expect you to be in the money. I just want you to do as well as you know you can.
You must be very busy. I miss hearing about your goings on. Geez, I've even posted a bunch since this last one of yours. :D
Well, Tamar, you did really well and I hope you've used your performance to start conversations with people even MORE interesting than the teenage check out guy!
mike~ thanks for visiting! yeah, well, you know how it is.. non-runners don't tend to be too interested in running talk..It's hard enough to get runners themselves to engage in shop talk! (Unless of course, it's about THEIR own performances!) Does that sound cynical? That's what 10 hours of work will do to you..
Non runners aren't interested in the details that we find so important, but they are impressed by the big picture, ie, that we ran 26.2 miles. They are further impressed that we did 26.2 miles without dropping dead or suffering significant brain or foot injury. These are the things I find I can engage non runners on. They don't seem to get the significance of 4:15 v 4:05 v 3:50 v 3:35, etc. They do seem to grasp 4:00 v 3:59 or 3:00 v 2:59, however.
Dear Mike,
You comment above, regarding running and how non-runners are more into the aspects of a 26 mile run, rather than the speed.
I think if you opened your mind a little, and saw that there are some people interested in doing other hobbies & goals, you would see that you're fortunate enough that they even ask about your little trot.
Runners were never impressive to me. They seem so obessive and never really grasp the meaning of 'getting somewhere' other than the finish line.
So, with that, I hope that one day you don't come across a person who has a different interest than you, and ask them a question that *they* find irrelevent to what's important to them. I hope they are just glad you asked.
Wishing you a happy holiday season,
Maria
Hi, Maria. Actually I meant this as a clever joke about the obsessiveness of runners (myself included) and the little details we sometimes concern ourselves with. Hopefully next time I will be either cleverer or funnier!
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