April 18, 2009

Running friends in my head

Spring is taking a firmer hold. My long run today was a 12 miler, and short sleeves and sunscreen are now part of the routine.

Coincidentally the podcasts I listened to during the run both dealt with marathons. The Running with the Pack podcast was a recap of Jeff and Allan's Philadelphia Marathon from last November (I am still catching up). They both ran personal bests and Jeff qualified for Boston. The other podcast was the Phedippidations pre-Boston marathon (which is Monday) podcast stating his case that Boston is the best marathon in the world. It was interesting listening to Steve in the excited pre-marathon ramp up, and then Allan and Jeff in the afterglow of a marathon finish.

The marathon is kind of a party. The real work is the four or more months leading up to marathon day. The mornings you drag your butt out of bed early, or the late night runs you sneak in after work when you're already tired. The days you head out in the rain when it would be so easy to stay inside. The 20 mile runs where your only companion is your iPod.

Marathon morning is the party to celebrate your accomplishment - a graduation of sorts. And there will be plenty of people to celebrate with you. Folks who know exactly what you've been through because they've been doing what you have, just on different roads. That is what is kind of nice about the running podcasts. It is a little like you have another runner along with you on your lonely road.

Though marathon morning is a party (with 25,000 of your newest friends), it is a rough one that will leave you with a wicked hangover. And the drinking doesn't even start until the after party.

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