26.2 Miles of Joy

For a reason incomprehensible to me, my dad and my sister decided back in May that they didn't have enough pain in their lives and didn't really like sleeping in on Saturday mornings. Thus, they signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon and began a training regime that included awaking at 6:30 a.m. each Saturday morning (and other mornings) for a lengthy joy fun. Fun.

Well their early-morning efforts paid off, because they finished the Twin Cities Marathon this morning. I saw them running, and they didn't even look like they were about to die! Amazing.

Going to the Twin Cities Marathon (to watch, of course) is rather exciting, for it provides an atmosphere equipped with peppy bands, running Uncle Sams or ballerinas, rowdy fans and Medtronic-provided blow up clappy thingys (for free!). I love the sequence of emotions I go through when watching a marathon - it's the same every time. When I first arrive, I get caught up in the excitement. Naturally, it's excitement perpetuated by the first runners who pass me by; an energetic, toned group, effortlessly breezing through their 22nd mile. "Man," I think, "I really should do this next year, it looks like fun!"

However, 45 minutes later, I'm always swearing off that possibility.

Mainly because as time goes on, the super-human runners are replaced with normal beings, who at 22 miles, look like their muscles have turned to noodles, and they are about to breath their last. This group either walking or doing that like, limp run thing. At this point I think, "Man, this looks like hell, something I never want to attempt." In pity, I bang together my clappers and shout, "You can do it, you've trained so hard! I could never do this!" I don't think that cheers are encouraging the runners at this point. I only received one thumbs up for my cheers, and that was from a walker (who had given up the pain of running) wearing a Barack Obama shirt. He most likely gave me a thumbs up because I didn't heartlessly tell him to keep going, rather, I yelled "Go Barack Obama!" It was genuine.

Anyway I have to go do homework now and stop writing about this. But the point it, marathons are fun to watch, and do not look like fun to run. Congratulations though, to my dad and sister and many others who finished today's 26.2-mile run of joy. There's nothing you can't do!