No...I didn't run the Lincoln Marathon this year...but 6,000 other people did.
It's been probably well over 6 years since I last ran it...I used to blame it on school...and lack of time. Still, I was training this year with the intent of signing up. Chris Beardslee (below) and I had been putting in long runs for a number of Saturdays since January...but my foot had other plans.
So instead...I found myself out on the corner of 48th & Calvert on Sunday morning...right where Uncle John would be waiting... camera in hand...cheering on the brave souls who dedicated so much time and energy to prove the limits of the human body.
I left afterwards with a sadness...a sadness knowing that I'd never see John at that corner again, should I ever return to marathoning. A sadness that we'd never make some ridiculous journey to some small forgotten rural town for a race down a gravel road just to get an easy age-group award. A sadness that we'd never again spend pre-race time in his old Regal trying to catch a few zzz's before the starting gun went off. I took one last look around before I walked away...and saw shadows stretching westward on the pavement. I heard the cheering...and then the feet pounding on the pavement.
And then it struck me: nah, he'll always be at this corner.
Well put, Mike.
ReplyDeleteWish I could've met him. :) How's your foot doing these days? What was Chris's time?
ReplyDeleteYes he will! It's always good to have such great memories of family, and to know that they can still be present, it's really pretty powerful! Hope you can run it next year!
ReplyDeleteGreat memories, thanks for the reminder :)
ReplyDelete-Stefan
Aww, beautiful blog Mike. Your uncle John was a great guy. I'm sure he'll be waiting for you at the end of another finish line one day. I hope your foot cooperates next year! I'm sure that was a lot of training. :)
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