OWL-DRAGON

Marathoner

Some background: Last week a woman in Georgia went missing – she went out for a jog and didn’t return. It was assumed she had been abducted or worse and a large search effort was made. It turned out she had seemingly gotten cold feet on her impeding wedding and fled – not a wise choice and she made it worst by creating a story of abduction with imaginary assailants. One of the stories about her disappearance described her as a marathoner. At first some questioned this fact and thought this was untrue. It turned out that she had indeed run at least one marathon. On my runner discussion group the thread turned to whether running one marathon in the past allowed one to still be called a “marathoner”. This is my response:

Well I consider myself a marathoner and even an ultra-marathoner (with only one under my belt) just as long as I also get to admit I am strictly mid-pack, go at my own pace non-racer. I do the distance because I love it. I love races even though I rarely race. Frankly, I am surprised whenever I hear someone say they could never do the distance – of course they could – whether they could race the distance is another issue. I am still taken aback when serious, hard core runners with outstanding marathon times say to me that could never do an ultramarathon. I am flattered by their admiration but at the same time I know of course they could do it just not at the competitive level they are use to. I work hard for my four hour marathons. Could I be faster? Maybe. But I would be risking injury. My genetic gifts are what they are. There is a local pol, Greg Vitali who is a very good runner. (Broad Street in 61 minutes at 48yrs). Very competitive – hard worker - he also spent almost six months in a cast last year because of a running related injury. I have chosen my path (and even that generates some criticism – you have heard it – I am going to ruin my knees, I will have arthritis, two marathons a year is too much, I will wear out, etc. And I get this from both runners and non-runners) and do not begrudge others theirs. I feel sorry for those who run under prepared or even prepared decide that one is enough. I feel even sorrier for those who tell me that they could never do the distance. But they have chosen according to their lights. I don’t want to be second guessed and will not do it to them. But I will accord to all that accept the distance the title marathoner whether it was last week at 3:00 or twenty years ago at 5:30. I was a soldier and police officer. The fact I no longer pursue those occupations does not mean I can’t assume the office emeritus. When I die I hope my wife places my SFC chevron, my police badge, and one of my Corning glass marathon medal on display at my funeral and if my ashes are laid in the ground I hope they are buried with me. (I chose the glass medallion because I think its neat to think the glass might survive a thousand years and be dug up by some future archeologist.). To each of those offices I lay claim. I am a marathoner now and forever.