so I’m winding down from my marathon-one night before my 38th bday-having a glass of red wine, some chocolate covered peanuts, and a little r&r.

I can’t believe that i just ran 26.2 miles.

I recently read this ridiculous blog post about why people should not run marathons.

In it people had responded with equally ridiculous messages, such as the human body wasn’t built to run 26.2 so why force it.

I thought about this a bit today while I ran.

Who says it wasn’t built to do that distance? I did it. thousands of people do it each year. who says that people aren’t supposed to run marathons? Perhaps if more people tried we’d all be a bit healthier.

the article talked about the downsides of marathon running. You know, the black toenails, etc . . .

I can tell you that in the last five months my toenail has never turned black and my feet have never blistered. I had an issue with numb toes, but figured that out and took care of it.

People who train for marathons typically don’t experience these problems. They do their research and they know to go to a real shoe store to get fitted. They know to buy shoes a size or size and a half larger so they can allow for feet swelling.

Maybe we were built to run 26.2.

I know I sure was! If not, I never would have made it today.

I guess it just annoys me that people who don’t run marathons sometimes look at those who do as if they (or we!) are extremists, or ‘freaks’. I believe that was one of the words mentioned in the posts that went along with that article.

Not freaks, no. Just determined.

If you had seen the people that i ran with today-in the high winds and rains that didn’t cease minus miles 20-24 – you would know how determined they were.

The could do anything! Anything they put their mind to. They could run in the rain for 26.2 miles.

One guy ran barefoot. I’ve seen him at races before.

Another ran carrying a flag.

these people had goals, and they not only planned their goals, and they not only researched their goals, and they not only trained for their goals, but THEY MET THEM!

I guess I don’t understand what is freakish about this?

In my mind, people who do this understand that their only limitations are in their minds. And they train to exceed their limitations. no, not exceed, to destroy.

i picked up a few bumper stickers yesterday. Hoped I could use them. Two say 26.2 because, well, enough said.

And one says Marathon Freak, thanks to that article that i read.

I may be a freak, but I know now that i can do anything that i want to do in this life.

Anything.

even run for 26.2 miles.

This is the only life that you have.

go out there and DO IT.