Runner's World

I had the opportunity to watch another 10K race this weekend - the same course that my husband ran three weeks ago. He ran this time as well, but three minutes faster. This race, though, was a lot bigger than the last and the running culture was in full force.

I am not a runner. In fact, after 30 years of life, I just recently stepped on the treadmill for the first time ever. I am one of those people that doesn't understand running as a form of exercise or pleasure and although I am an avid supporter of races (I've watched friends in 3 Marine Corps marathons and watched the same friends in numerous smaller 5 and 10Ks), I just don't get it. Pounding the pavement, damaging knees and feet, blisters, callouses and bloody toenails - moreover getting up at the crack of dawn to beat yourself up... it is beyond me.

So, here I am at the race this weekend, surrounded by a culture that I just don't understand. I couldn't be clearer that I considered myself on the outside - with my jeans, fleece and tote bag to carry my husband's things while he ran.

We arrive at 7:00am - on a Sunday - and the field off of Ohio Drive is already littered with people stretching, meditating, praying, doing yoga (?), and... running! BEFORE the race. Yes, as if 6.2 miles is not enough, there was the select group, The Obsessed, that insisted on taking a quick jog before the shotgun. Some made long strides, some made short strides, and some kicked their knees up high in the air like hyperactive marching band members. I even saw someone taping up his ankle. Now, that's dedication. All the while, there is the activity on the stage. On the stage there were the requisite welcomes from the organizers and sponsors, then a dance performance by the Washington Wizards cheerleaders (to psych you up or make you sick, I couldn't figure out what exactly the intent was), and a group-led stretch routine in which only a few people actually partook.

There is so much activity leading up to the race, that once the actual race came around, I could not understand how everyone wasn't already exhausted. The order of events: the wheelchair race, the regular race, the family fun run, and the walkers. I positioned myself in the sun, on the sidelines, to watch the events unfurl. The one racer in a wheelchair took off. Although I'm sure he was simply striving for a personal best, I couldn't help but think that he may have been pushed a little harder had he had some competition. Next, the regular races - with the fastest racers positioned strategically in the front. The family fun run was adorable. The cutest children - from toddler with mommy to about age 10 took off in a highly competitive sprint. About 10 minutes later when they came back in toward the finish line, the spectators broke into cheers for them. I couldn't help but wonder how many of these children would be back on this same course somewhere down the road, maybe even as an Obsessed.

30 minutes after the start, the first runners started coming in. Tall, lean and all from Africa, these men were beautiful to watch. Long strides, it looked like they were gracefully soaring through space toward the finish line. It is amazing how differently these serious runners run - it is an entirely different form than the casual runner, I guess much like a professional golfer's swing vs. that of your everyday Joe, riding the cart, with a 12-pack in the back. I did find it interesting though that each of the top runners were announced as they crossed the finish line as being from either Ethiopia or Kenya, but when the race results came out later in the day, they were all listed as having residences here in the United States. Why make the distinction? My husband was announced as being from Washington, D.C., not New York where he originally hails from. I haven't figured that one out yet.

Big cheers came when the first female runner crossed the line, myself included. I felt some sort of solidarity with the women in the crowd. This woman was fast. And she had stats! The announcer announced her ranking and that she won some race just a few weeks ago. I was impressed.

Soon after, the rest of the race rats started to cross the finish line, and it was exciting. Many pumped it up to a sprint in the last leg and there were a few close mini-races to be seen. My husband made a respectable showing and I was very proud of him. It was fun to see the personal glory on the faces of the runners, no matter where they finished within the playing field. Each striving for their own sense of personal accomplishment, especially further back in the pack where they are not trying to be #1. It looked kind of fun. My husband is already trying to convince me to sign up for a 5k. That's where it all starts for some people. One race, one thrill of the finish, one taste of exhilaration. Then, I'm afraid, it seems there is no turning back.


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Expenses (on the road to saving something):

• May 4
• CVS: $7.37
• May 6
• 7-11: $2.99