Saturday, October 6, 2012

Twas the night before the marathon...

'Twas the night before the marathon and all through her mind
ran panicky thoughts of chaffing and PR times.
Arm warmers and socks packed in her gear bag with care,
In the morning she'll double-check to be sure that they're there.

The runner was restless as she laid in her bed
while visions of blisters danced in her head. 
And she, already wearing her bib under the covers,
questioned why she'd become such a torture lover.

At an ungodly hour arose such a clatter
She jumped out of bed to silence the chatter
The alarm blinked boldly, it is 4 AM!
Surely, no sane person would be awake then.

Time for some carbs, a Red Bull, a poo
(Can't do that on the course, because that's a DQ!)
She laid out her wardrobe of fluorescent green gear,
she pulled up a pony-tail and flexed in the mirror.

"You got this," she said with a nervous grin
And she slugged some more water for some hydratin'
With gels in her pocket and tape on her toes
She grabbed her bag and hit the road. 

She arrived at the start and saw such a crowd,
They were stretching and lunging and jogging around,
The elites stood out in a particular way,
The rest wore shirts that were complimentary swag.

The runners lined up in corrals based on their times,
She checked out her competition and passed them in her mind.
The gun went off and the herd started moving,
Slowly at first, but then they were cruising.

It took a little time to find a good pace,
It also took time for the nausea to leave her face,
After a while, when the masses spread
She hit her stride and started to sweat.

One mile, two miles, three miles, four.
What do you mean, there's twenty-two more?
Over the hills, the heavy feet pounded
Heavy breathing, like an asthma attack, resounded.

Some stopped and walked, while other pressed on.
Some were crying and some sang songs.
The spectators cheered mile after mile,
Which caused all the runners to force up a smile.

Halfway done and the excitement was waning,
"Just let me finish" was what she was saying,
But then something happened, she remembered one fact:
"I paid for this, damnit. I better run fast."

The second half of the race passed by with a blur,
She avoided the wall chasing after her,
While trying to keep port-o-potty's in sight,
She passed anonymous people on the left and the right.

And then -  there is was, the finishing line.
Never had a beacon put out such a shine.
The tears started flowing long before she was done,
But when she finished, she thought, "Now, THIS is my messed up idea of fun."

Here's to tomorrow's 26.2! Good luck, everyone.











1 comment:

  1. "One mile, two miles, three miles, four.
    What do you mean, there's twenty-two more?"

    "Halfway done and the excitement was waning,
    "Just let me finish" was what she was saying,
    But then something happened, she remembered one fact:
    "I paid for this, damnit. I better run fast.""

    A-hahahaha my favorite parts! Awesome poem :) Have fun tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete