OTM #35: Marathon

Happy Thursday and welcome back to OTM! This past Sunday was the day of my marathon relay, and it was the most fun I’ve had running in a long time. I was assigned to the third leg, starting at mile 13 (alongside the high-endurance regular marathon runners) and eager to run my eight miles. I felt like Forrest Gump, like I could have kept going forever; I felt faster than the cars I passed on the highway. However, it hit me within the first mile that I likely felt this way because I was surrounded by already-tired marathonners that had run thirteen miles while I’d only ran one. I weaved past them easily during my eight-mile leg, often turning around to offer thumbs-ups and cheers for those that looked like they were struggling. It was, in my opinion, sweet and comedic, but I also felt a little bad running past all of them. Most shockingly, it made me instinctually want to run a full marathon. I wanted to feel that burn, to feel the satisfaction of crossing the finish line after twenty-six long miles. After finishing, I realized this wasn’t just a fleeting runner’s-high induced thought; I think I actually will start training, at least for a half. That really excites me.