Running Marathons

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How I Buried the Hatchet and Learned to Love Marathons

There was never a time in my life during my younger years that I ever thought I would ever run in a marathon I used to tell people I'd run a marathon about the twelfth of Never. In fact, I believed marathons had to be an acquired taste, just like chicken pox is an acquired sickness. I hated the idea, nay, even the believed of running a marathon. It seemed masochistic. Almost insane.

However, a single fateful summer my cousin, Jeremy, bet me a very, really big sum of cash that I couldn't finish the Utah Valley Marathon. He did not say I had to finish it inside a certain amount of time. No. He taunted me by saying I couldn’t even FINISH the marathon.

Nicely, never a single to turn down a bet (or money) I took him up on it. And I’m so glad I did.

After training for a number of months, the day of the marathon arrived. I’m not going to lie to you; I still had my lingering doubts about marathons. Actually, my general strategy was to start off working slowly and then taper off. I figured as long as I completed the race I'd be able to collect on the bet and the money and nevertheless have a scrap of dignity left to spare.

But that all changed when the gun sounded.

It was so weird. It was like my inner competitive alter ego took over. I didn’t want that girl in the red jersey to beat me to the finish line. Or that guy with the mismatched Asics shoes. I was on fire! There is just some thing about running with all those other people and having crowds of people cheering you on. It was an adrenaline rush!

There was just something about feeling like you were accomplishing something that really mattered. There was some thing about getting in shape for a particular event like this. There is just some thing about running a marathon that resonated inside of me.

I was addicted.

I love marathons now.

Now, truth be told, whenever you operate a marathon, you sometimes really feel like you are marching into battle. However, depending on how nicely you trained for this “battle” you're likely to feel like Napoleon or you are going to feel like Custard.

By the time I completed the race, I felt deeply and hygienically disturbed. But I also knew I had found a new passion in life. It's such a great feeling.

My goal now is to run in a number of marathons worldwide. I want to run the marathon they maintain on the Great Wall of China. I wish to take a boat to the Arctic Circle and operate the marathon they maintain up there within the snow. Then I wish to run the marathon they hold at The Dead Sea. I wish to run in the Boston Marathon. My appetite for marathons is insatiable.

All thanks to my cousin and his stupid dare and bet.