In 1982, I was a 3rd year law student at The Ohio State University, and a friend—let’s call him Dennis—stayed with us to run the Columbus Marathon. I was 26 years old and to me running a marathon seemed just plain senseless. I remember asking my friend why he would run a race when the first person who did, died. For those of you who don’t know, a marathon is 26.2 miles, the distance from Athens, Greece to Marathon. Legend has it that a messenger ran that distance to report the outcome of a major battle. He uttered the word, “Victory”, and then he died.
To this day, Dennis reminds me how I told him after the race that I thought he looked worse than any person I had ever seen who was still alive. This coming from an experienced emergency medical technician.
On October 18, at the age of 59, I will try to complete my second marathon. Yes, I survived the first. So when did I move over to the dark side and why? Like any addiction, it starts out innocently enough. My days of playing basketball and an occasional touch football game came to an end. I managed to extend my baseball career through much of my 30’s, but it eventually came down to this: Putting one foot in front of the other is about all I can do.
I started with a few 5K’s and then wondered if I could finish a 10K. After a couple of those—and a few more years of running—I wondered if I could complete a half-marathon. I signed up for my first, promising my wife I’d never, ever try to run a full marathon. I made that promise enthusiastically because at the time I still thought running 26.2 miles was senseless. But after a few successful half-marathons, I secretly told myself I just might run a full one, someday. That same day I realized I was 57 years old, and someday had better be soon.
Training for a marathon is time-consuming, but the reward of crossing that finish line after such a grueling race is indescribable. It’s one of those moments of private victory that only the runner can truly appreciate. So, wish me luck and say a prayer for this old guy because I’m adding it to the list of things I said I’d never do. And for all you scoffers out there, you know the rule: Never say never.