Today my husband accomplished a goal that he set in January and has been dedicated to achieving...he completed the Rock & Roll Marathon in San Diego. You are going to have to wait for pictures because I forgot my USB cable to connect my camera to my laptop.
I have never had the slightest desire to train for a marathon. But today's event may have inspired me to set that as a goal for myself. 20,000 people showed up to run 26.2 miles starting at 6:30 in the morning (which for my husband meant catching a shuttle from the hotel at 5:00 a.m.) My children and I took a cab to the 7 mile point to cheer him on. We stood there for about 20 minutes holding up our sign and cheering for everyone who went by...the Team in Training people in purple t-shirts running for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the dozens of runners dressed as Elvis, the first-timers and the people proudly wearing evidence of previous marathons they have completed.
What captured my interest the most was the camaraderie between the runners, the spectators, the sponsors and the city itself. I'm sure in the rarefied ranks of the elite runners competing for the top prize, there is plenty of competitiveness, but for the rest of the field it seemed to me that it was just about finishing, accomplishing one's own personal goals for one's own reasons and being out for the day with fellow runners. Despite the crowds and lines, I never heard so much as a muttered curse from anyone. People waited patiently and treated each other with respect.
During the day, we met the most interesting people...and everyone had a story.
- At Starbucks we were in line with a woman from Iowa whose daughter was running with the Team in Training. Five years ago, the daughter's boss ran the marathon in honor of her while she was receiving chemotherapy for Hodgkins. And today she ran the marathon!
- While waiting for the train, we met Carly and her family. Carly is an adorable 6-year old with a brain tumor from neurofibromatosis. They were here to cheer on the runners raising money for the Children's Tumor Foundation. They gave us each a blue bracelet.
- On the train Haley played peek-a-boo with an adorable little boy whose Dad smiled at her in silent gratitude for entertaining a squirmy 1-year old in a confined place.
- After the race, while standing in line to get my tired and thirsty runner the free beer he had coming by showing his race number, the young man behind me offered to buy my beer because he had his friend's number and his friend wasn't going to drink.
It was a day of smiles and beautiful San Diego weather. It was a day when being in a long line meant more time to get to know the other people in line instead of grumbling and complaining. It was a day when 20,000 people met an extreme mental and physical challenge with intensity, determination and the loud cheering and support of thousands of well-wishers along the way. It was a day when the cheers were as loud for the people who finished in three hours as they were for the people who finished in seven hours. It was a day of kindness...and I am proud to have been a part of it.
Di
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