Good Luck Catalina and Los Angeles Marathon Runners

Dear Runners,
22,000 runners is something special. You will see more runners than you ever seen in your life. Runners of all kinds.

One runner always stays in my heart. I don’t know his name nor have ever met him. But I did past him. He was doing the marathon with no legs. Yes, no legs. He would lift his torso up and place it back down. It took him three days to do the marathon. But he did it…all 26 miles. I was back at my house relaxing when I saw the story on the news.

So when you get tired think of someone inspirational like this. Someone with much greater strength than you because strong thoughts give you strength. But you will also see junior high school kids running along with you in this amazing program they have in LA for inner city kids.

I ran alongside a mother of three kids running her first marathon the last time. And she was running at the brisk pace I was. I have run alongside teenagers who had to play a tennis tournament the next day. And a marathoner trying to run a marathon in over 100 countries.

Just amazing people. Marathoners are the most amazing people in the world to me. And to be in the midst of 22,000 of them is well…maybe…a little like heaven.

So be sure to talk to as many people as you can on your run. Take of the headphones and start a conversation. You will surprised at who will be sharing the special moment of this life with you.

And be sure to wave and cheer at the crowd. They came out to see you. Yes you. So give them a hand also.

I, on the other hand, will be running the Catalina Marathon which is Saturday. I have run the Los Angeles Marathon four times, so it is time for something new.

Plus I am training to do my first ultra marathon this year, so I want to spend as much time as I can on trails. Catalina has 15 miles of uphill, making it one of the most demanding marathons in the U.S. But with flower covered undeveloped hills and trails with a view of the Pacific Ocean, it should be just amazingly beautiful.

My parents are over there waiting for me on their boat. I should be getting ready but I had to do a couple of errands here at school.

It’s going to be a year of peace, joy, and new love. I’m experiencing it already. I hope you are too. Good luck everyone.

Run with Joy,
Gary

ps Steve and I will be doing a ChiRunning Trail and Yoga Retreat this April 8th in Palos Verdes–join our list to get the first opportunity to sign up. We will advertise to our subscribers first, and it will fill fast. The only ChiRunning/Yoga/Trail Running workshop in the country. This will be our finest workshop yet.

March 16, 2006 | Filed Under Gary's Posts 

comments

Comments are closed.