Jo’s Marathon Recap
With the Twin Cities Marathon just a little over a week ago, we have all been dying to know whether Jo completed the 26.2 miles on her feet, crossing Minneapolis en route to St. Paul.
Did she make it? How did she feel about it? Was she able to walk the next day? These are all great questions waiting to be answered.
Jo signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon a few months ago. She put in all the training she needed for her first marathon. She woke up early, learned how to reduce the instance of chafing, and found out mortifying facts about her digestive system.
Last Sunday she completed the Twin Cities Marathon, but here is the catch, Jo isn’t just one person, Jo is you, your sibling, parent, loved one, friend, co-worker, any or all of the above. Jo is each and every single person who completed the marathon; a huge accomplishment in and of itself.
The Heart of the Marathon
While, I as the author did not run the marathon, I was out on that course for 8 hours last Sunday. I saw Jo in the heart of the first runner in, to the last runner in, all runners in between. All runners because each of them had the drive and determination to complete 26.2 miles on his/her own. What I saw out there is a better story than any I could make up about our fictional character Jo.
The marathon is a beast of a race. It is both emotionally and physically draining, and no one’s race went 100% smoothly. For instance, the women’s marathon champ took a 30 second bathroom break around mile 18 and still managed to snag the title. My sister started out so strong, but struggled as her hip began to give out on her. No matter how she felt though, she was bound and determined to finish the race, and finish she did. I have never been prouder.
Statistics show that about 35% of the participants in the marathon were first timers, having never run a marathon before. On the course I saw smiles, I saw tears, I saw grimaces, and I saw pure elation. These emotions only stand to tell the true test of how emotionally taxing a marathon can be. Jo experienced all of these. Jo was present in each and every person last Sunday. Your marathon stories are her marathon stories.
Be Proud of what you Accomplished last Sunday
I don’t care if you ran a sub 3-hour marathon or over 6 hours. You did it, and no one can ever take that away from you. You battled the crisp air, Summit hill, the wall, the blisters, the aches and pains, and the training it took to finish the race. Be proud, I know Jo is proud of herself and all of you.
My hope is that after last Sunday, the marathon bug will continue to bite people. I know it has bitten me. My time will come, and someday I hope to join all you awesome people in completing a marathon. Thank you for joining Jo on her journey to run the Twin Cities Marathon. Thank you Medtronic and Twin Cities in Motion for putting on such a wonderful marathon. It was the experience of a lifetime…for Jo.
