Magical Powers

I talked my brother Jake into running the Snow Joke Half Marathon with me in February.  Preparation included  putting in the time for three months of training (despite freezing temperatures, snow storms and muscling through aches and pains).  I even went so far as to sacrifice myself by acting as his human shield against cars, trucks, deer, and elk.  He would show up to run with me Saturday mornings dressed out in black, two hours before the sun would show itself-with not a single thread of reflective gear on him.  He would tell you that me guarding his body made sense since I was the one that was smart enough to wear reflective gear.  “Tova.  You are the brains.  I am the beauty.  Protect me with your reflective coat so I can continue to live and raise your nephews like men and not babies.”    

Race day came.  With snow and wind whipping around us, we set out to run 13.1 miles on ice and snow packed roads.  When I was having to bribe Jake with adult beverages at the finish line by mile marker two…I knew he was going to have a tough go of things.  Naturally, I picked up the pace and left him to fend for himself but not after I encouragingly declared, “You got this.”  I almost felt guilty until I started to remember all the Saturday mornings I protected him from getting ran over.  It was broad daylight.  He had two aid stations that could take care of him.  He could survive.    

I made my way mile by mile and with relative ease until I came upon the evilness of mile 11.  Even if I am having an awesome run this mile marker plagues me.  Sometimes I get sick, sometimes I hallucinate, but usually I just cry like a baby for my mama, and beg for someone to have mercy on my soul who will carry me to the end of the run.  It’s not just 11.  Mile markers 19-21, 27, 36-38, 46, and 52-54 are all difficult to power through as well.  Overall, I had a pretty good race and totally smoked my little brother.  But the happiness from my triumph was short lived once he came through the finish line and told me he puked not just once, but three times!  Jake gutted it out, and despite all the discomfort he experienced, he continued to put one foot in front of the other until he reached the finish line.  I was so proud of him.    

While I ran I had a few songs I kept playing over and over and over.  One was called Remember the Name and the chorus is as follows:  “It’s 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will, 5% pleasure, 50% pain, and 100% reason to remember the name.” The song isn’t about running-but it is about someone who works.  Hard.  And it isn’t easy.  To others it looks like the qualities of greatness come naturally.     

Some look at me and think I am a nutter for running long distance.  Others feel I have magical powers and my ability makes me strong.  Probably a little of both…but refer to the song above-nothing is as easy as it looks.  There are things out there you all do every day that I couldn’t.  So who has magical powers?  You.  Everyone is running their own race.  Perhaps the kind of race you are in is a little different from the ones I run.   Maybe it is cancer, divorce, mental illness…maybe the race you are running involves making it through the work week while you keep it all together. 

Whatever race you are running, hang in there.  An aid station is coming up and you can get a drink of water.  Soon, the finish line will be in sight.  Keep putting one foot in front of the other...you got this.