I'm stretching my heel. It's not because I ran the TC 10-mile, it's because I didn't. I went all the way downtown this morning, but decided against it at the last-minute. My heel was so hurting much it just wasn't worth making it worse.
So, I decided to be the best spectator I could be. And I think I did a pretty good job. It's so much easier to cheer people on if you have a scooter. Trust me.
I've never been a spectator at a marathon before. Fortunately, I was with a vet, so we zipped in at 6 miles, 8.5 miles, 18 miles, 19 miles and 22 miles. It was amazing to watch how different most people look at mile 6 (happy, smiles, chatting, a kick in their step) and mile 22 (not happy, no smiles, not chatting, kick: not so much).
At first, my spectating skills were subpar. I was watching out for seven people. At mile 6, I saw only one and it was because he yelled at me! Go Chris -- you looked great! But, at 8.5, it was nice and narrow. We saw Angela rocking out there and figured out a better way to watch: Call the WCCO assignment desk and get them to track the runners for me. That's the only way we would ever have spotted Lauritsen smoking it at mile 18. He was stuck in there with all the 4:30 runners making him difficult to pick out.
Here's a little advice if you want your friends to find you easily. First, be really, really tall. Second, wear a T-shirt like this guy. He won my own personal best T-shirt contest.
I like spectating. I could get used to it. Each stop had its own vibe. At mile 6, I met a mom and kids just looking for a fun family activity. Mile 18 was a serious place for family and friends to catch their runners. Mile 22 was simply a par-tay! Watching the whole thing certainly made me appreciate the time and effort my friends and family have put in the over the years watching me race. Especially in last year's tsunami. (THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT!) It also let me see some of the inspirational stories out there on the course. This guy is a Marine who put 50 pounds in his field pack to raise money for Toys for Tots.
This guy was a crowd favorite for obvious reasons. Not just for the Spam T-shirt, but for the big smile I saw at Mile 6 and Mile 22.
By noon, we were so freezing and starving (Geez, you'd think we had run the marathon), we thought it only appropriate to have a large brunch at Town Talk. Now, I'm curled up on the couch in my warmest blanket watching Jason Kubel and Delmon Young take us to Tuesday!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a good day. A very good day.
I'm pretty sure Lauritsen ("Today was fun, but I'm paying for it now. Legs are stiff!"), Angela ("You're right, it's like nothing else. I feel great and am ready for fries and a beer!") and the thousands of others out there feel the same way. Go Runners!
