I've had two interesting events this week that have reminded me of why I love running so much.
The first was on Tuesday evening at the pool. I've been battling through a minor injury to my achilles, and as a result I have found myself aquajogging at the pool twice a week in an effort to maintain some level of fitness. On this particular night I was doing something that I do every time I go to the pool: standing on the edge, too afraid to jump in because of how cold the water is. During this time of courage-building, I was tapped on the shoulder, and I turned around to see none other than the familiar face of a guy named Justin that I raced against in high school. He had a lot more upper body muscle that he used to, but it was the same face and same voice.
You see, one of the benefits of growing up in the running atmosphere of North Dakota high school cross country and track is that you have more than just a general knowledge of who you are racing. In college, you can see the PR's of runners from other teams, but rarely do you KNOW someone you race against. You may share pleasantries after a race, but cooldowns with another team? Unheard of.
I ran for West Fargo high school, and Grand Forks Central was our biggest distance rival when I was in the latter part of my high school career. It seemed as if every year we would be counting points to see if we could beat them at conference, and yet we befriended them. We would on occasion go on cooldowns together, talk to each other before and after the race, and even converse on social media from time to time. I even knew their head coach and talked to him every now and again. When we raced, my goal was to beat them; when we weren't racing, my goal was to KNOW them.
This wasn't an isolated incident. Not only did I have a pretty good relationship with most of the top 20 in the conference, but they all knew each other too. It was like a bond that I can't really explain. In college, runners on other teams are just that: runners. In high school it was like racing against people, not runners. This may seem like a crazy guy talking, but I really miss the relationships I had with the people I raced against every week. Shane, Tom, Justin, Paul, Francis, Habimana, Tanner, Dana, Daniel, Jaden, Brandon, Francis, Shanley, and Owen are just a few of the names of people on other teams that I can, off the top of my head, remember having good times with at meets in high school.
To us, this was normal. We never thought anything of it. However, I learned in college that this was not a widespread practice. I started coming across teammates who didn't KNOW the people they finished next to at meets- they were simply names on the results. It was kind of like college in that the atmosphere of the team trumped all. In fact, I even experienced this when I played high school baseball, when I didn't know anybody on the opposing teams- that just wasn't the atmosphere presented.
So what's my point? When I ran into Justin at the pool and we got to talking, I was flooded with good memories from high school where running was less about winning and times (don't get me wrong, we still raced our hearts out to beat each other- I'm looking at you Paul) and more about having fun. I've started trying to do that in college- getting to KNOW people on other teams- and I've had a lot of fun with it! People are actually receptive if you go and talk to them and ask them questions that have nothing to do with running!
That's why I love running- the people.
The second event was just this morning while watching the live video feed for the Fargo Marathon.
First let me try to explain something. I've had an enormous problem with relating to the 'average' runner in the past. The idea of running a race simply to try to finish it is something I don't understand, because our training revolves around how fast to run the race- finishing is already assumed. Additionally, the paces that we train for are much faster than the times that hundreds and thousands of people run for their races. In fact, in my early college years I had almost a snarky attitude towards these runners, because I would say to myself 'what's the point of running if it's that slow?' ...How terrible is that?
Well now when I watch the Fargo Marathon, I become inspired. Look at all these people putting everything they have into the race! They don't care about winning- the race and what they are racing for is what matters. A quote from one of the announcers stood out to me: "Every single person has a story. I just saw two ladies cross the finish line holding hands- they probably have a story that would bring a tear to anybody’s eye." YES. Going into this week I started seeing social media fill up with posts about all the reasons that people are running: faith, family, friends, non-profits, assisting hunger, etc...and it got me pumped! On race day I saw all the jerseys people were wearing to support all the different organizations and it lifted me up. I saw the people in costumes having legitimate fun during their race and I was excited for them! I saw people from all over the world come to North Dakota for a great experience that only running can provide. Or should I say an experience that only people can provide?
What is a race without people to race against? What is a race without race organizers (in today's modern world anyway)?
What is a race without somebody to share it with? So many people in my life I've met ONLY because of running- no other reason would have me crossing paths with them. What I learned in high school is that it's ok to be friends with the enemy. What I've learned in college is that it's still ok to be friends with the enemy. Why? Because that's what running does: it brings people together in a way that few other things can. We understand each other.
And that's why I run: the great people to share it with.
(P.S. EDC guys- I wish I could say how much I enjoyed racing with you all)
Have a Great Day!
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