Beth Runs!

After sitting on my butt all winter, knitting and watching Craig Ferguson into the wee hours, it's time to get up, get out, and move!!!

Monday, April 02, 2007

What you don't see from the back of the pack

Instead of running the DSE Fort Point Promenade 12K on Sunday, I waved a flag and handed out finishers' ribbons. It was my first DSE volunteer day for the year. I didn't actually see the guy in the picture (that's a stock photo that I stole off the web), but you get the idea. It was inspiring, exciting, and a little scary to stand in the path of the runners at the end of the finish line: like stepping in front of a speeding train, if the train were all sweaty and panting and possibly swearing. For most of the finishers, accepting the ribbon was like an after-thought. Some even waved it away. But a few of the guys charged through so ferociously, I feared they'd rip my hand off with it.

Mostly, I felt invisible. I know how it feels to finally cross the finish line and have people handing you things from all directions. While you're running the race, all you can pretty much think about is running the race. Everything else is on hold, especially during a short, intense race. But once you cross the finish line, all the feelings, needs, emotions, aches & pains clamour for attention. Euphoria bumps up against thirst and hunger. Relief crashes into blisters and knee pains that are suddenly ten times worse. You need to pee. You want to laugh and celebrate, but you're panting too hard to get out the words.

Noticing the person who is handing you your ribbon or water or banana is not the biggest priority. Will you even remember what they looked like afterwards?

The next time I race, I'm going to remind myself what it was like to be at the end of that line, and even if I can't manage to speak, I'll pause to look at the person and smile.

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