I have learned by experience over the last few years that the
New York City Marathon is exhausting. Because it throws a major wrench in my already challenging route to church, Marathon Day, which is held every year on the first Sunday in November, always leaves me worn out and frustrated. Finally, though, after witnessing four marathons run through the center of my neighborhood, I'm starting to feel seasoned. I know now that the bus to church gets rerouted out of the neighborhood, that we'll have to plan instead for a much longer commute by train, which, because of weekend service changes, won't be operating normally either, thus requiring that we walk a good portion of the way to the chapel. And while, so long as we live here, it will never be a Sunday I look forward to, I feel experienced enough now that I can enjoy (instead of resent) the excitement and thrill of the runners as they reach the 3-mile mark a block away from our apartment, and of those on the sidelines waiting to cheer them on as we walk past on our way to church.
Perhaps someday I'll fulfill my inner desire to avoid frustration in favor of a different sort of adrenalin rush and skip church altogether in favor of staying in the neighborhood to watch the actual runners dash through. Or, in all honesty, perhaps not. So instead I'll keep dreaming while letting the excitement of watching the set-up and pre-race bicyclists suffice.
7 comments:
I think people who run marathons have a few loose screws :)
I was so excited for you when I read the first line...that the "NY City Marathon is exhausting". I thought you had run it! If you change your mind and chose to train for it, the NY has always been on my bucket list. I've done one, but would love to improve my time, so I may try for that one one day soon. Any chance you want to run it with me? :)
Amy your comment made me laugh! Marathon runners ARE crazy... I should know... I'm married to one.
I thought along the same lines as Janetta. I thought you'd run the marathon too! I love to run and the farthest I've run at one time was 9.5 miles, but a marathon isn't appealing. I'd be walking a good portion of the way. I'd beg to be given a set a wheels for the last oh, 10 miles or so I'm sure. :P
Sorry to disappoint, but I am about as far from what you could call a runner as you can get. Nope, running a marathon is definitely not in my future. Watching one, maybe. Running in one, no.
Janetta, if you do run the NYC Marathon, I would most definitely watch you run!
Lindsay, maybe you should save up your money and just get a cab on the first Sunday of November every year for as long as you live in Brooklyn. It would probably be worth it.
When we lived there, we happen to fall sick on Marathon Sunday maybe twice, so we got to see the runners from our window. It's quite the spectacle. The elite runners race way before all the rest. When the masses start showing up, it's quite funny. Many run wearing their Halloween costumes and others with their names pinned to their chest so that people can cheer for them. Some also attached balloons to their waist, or sported a banner with a specific message. Then, there are the bands that set up along the route. There is one band that sets up across the street from where we lived. On those two Sundays, I remember wanting to sleep in but couldn't, not so much from the constant coughing, but from the helicopters, sirens, motorcades, loud speakers and all the crazy music. It really is quite the production. One year, I actually looked up and caught a glimpse of the runners on the Verrazano Bridge as I was driving down to get onto to the parkway to go to Church. It was quite a sight!
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