If you follow running news, then you know this past Wednesday afternoon at 12:30pm EST was a big deal. If you don't follow running news, then you have no idea what I am talking about, and are far more interested in more important matters of national concern. But for some of us who are less interested in matters of national concern and more interested in running, then 12:30PM on Wednesday was when those of us who applied to participate in the NYC Marathon, were given an answer: Accepted, or Not Accepted.
I had applied in early January, priming my credit card to expect a whopping $185 registration fee. At the time I applied, I had ambitious marathon plans. I was already planning for the Pasadena and LA marathons, and was high on the idea of doing about 4 other marathons. A runner's high can make you have these kinds of crazy thoughts.
Well after Pasadena, I experienced a whole body smack down. It lasted about 5 weeks, and I just started getting over it recently. I didn't participate in the LA Marathon after all and I even started re-thinking this whole running hobby. Maybe those(non-running) people are right. Maybe I should just walk. What's my hurry anyway?
But when you get to the bottom, that's when you start building yourself up again. I went to the doctor, OK more than one, and found out that apart from a possible strange eye movement condition, there probably isn't anything wrong with me. I even went so far as going to a cardiologist, after an EKG taken at my primary care physician's office came out with a blip. Turns out that sometimes EKG's have a mind of their own and their only purpose is to scare the crap out of you. I started to feel better. And any runner those, that running is as much, if not more, mental than it is physical. If I didn't think I could run, then I couldn't.
So after all of that, I have come to the conclusion that my symptoms were probably nothing other than the result of stress and exhaustion. So I may just have been exhausted (don't we hear about celebrities coming down with exhaustion all the time?), but I still don't regret not running LA. The fact was I listened to my body, and my mind, and neither were waking up that day. But now I have new goals.
First, I signed up for the San Diego Rock N' Roll Marathon before it sold out. I was initially going for the half, but the gorgeous course lured me in and I could always switch to the half if I choose to. Also I feel that about 4 months between two marathons should be enough time to recover. Rock N' Roll races also have, duh, rock n' roll. So that should distract me more than the cowbells and pot banging that was considered entertainment at Pasadena.
Second, and back to my original reason for this post, it was finally 12:30pm EST on Wednesday when I logged into my account at the ING NYC Marathon site. I was prepared for disappointment, lying to myself that I really didn't want to go to New York anyway and would be happy and dandy doing the many local marathons or halfs in October. Besides, $185 and a flight to New York isn't chump change, in addition to all that traveling. Part of me didn't even want to be accepted.
Yeah right! Once I logged in, my profile read the highly hoped for but impossible "Accepted". The joy I felt erased any crazy idea that I didn't want to go to New York. Suddenly, work became a lot more interesting through the happy fog I experienced that day. I was "in"!
Now that I have this additional NYC Marathon goal, I feel like I was meant to receive this happy news.
Dear running,
We may have had a hard time recently, but you really came through when I needed you. I knew we could make this work. Can't wait till New York.
Love,
Naz
Happy running.
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