Before most people hit the snooze button on their alarms, Crystal and I ran 11 miles yesterday. I woke up at 5 a.m. and met her at Rock Quarry Park. Except for some patches of running through the darkened woods, the run felt easy. We even discovered a fantastic new drinking fountain hidden by the tennis courts at Duke.
It's crazy to think that a little over a year ago I didn't consider myself a runner. Thanks to the Godiva Running Start program and Eric's encouragement, I've run three 5Ks, two four mile races, a 10K, two half-marathons, and a 20K in the last 14 months. I also bought a great bike and am doing my best to wear down its tires. Last weekend, I went of a 25-mile ride with the Fartlekers/Numb Tooties that (except for a couple huge hills) was a breeze. It's hard to believe that before I started running I never biked up a big hill without walking my bike.
My goal now is to run a marathon, something that I never thought would be possible. I can remember sitting in a high-school assembly as my dean congratulated Ryan, a classmate who had just run the LA Marathon. At the time, I thought that running a marathon was an activity reserved for real athletes. I guess that I now count as a real athlete too.
Something I've realized since starting to run is that we are all "real" athletes. When I started running, I expected that I would always finish last at every race. After all, I am not fast. I run somewhere between a 9 and 10 minute mile depending on how the wind blows. Yet, I have never finished last -- not even close.
When I look at the bodies of the people I pass on the Duke trails and in races, I am amazed by how little one's shape determines how fast you run. I have been passed by people who look like they might weigh 300 pounds and I have run by other runners who look like they just stepped out of a Nike commercial.
When I fenced in college, it did seem like how you looked influenced how you fenced. Running is much more of an egalitarian sport. In fact, for the middle to back of the pack runners like me, each race feels a lot like a big party. You run, chat, drink, and meet new people. The whole time you are in an environment where everyone is excited that their feet are still moving and that the finish line is becoming an increasing reality.
On September 22nd, I plan to run the Salem Lake 30K. The Salem Lake website says that the race is "flat and scenic," two adjectives that are music to runners' ears. 30K is roughly equivalent to 18.6 miles; my longest run so has been 13.1 miles. I am looking forward to running around Salem Lake with the Fartlekers and a whole bunch of other partygoers. If I can make it through the 30K, my next stop will be the Memphis Marathon in December. Elvis, here I come!