The Purest Sport of Them All

Boring, stupid, agonizing, painful, not a sport...all words I've heard other people use to describe running. This past Sunday, I competed in my second Long Island half-marathon, I ran my first in 2007 and tackled the full marathon last year. Overcast, steady rain at times, virtually no wind...perfect running conditions.

Since I joined my junior high school cross-country team in 1997, running and I, if I can borrow a line from New Balance, have had a love/hate relationship. I think every runner has. Some days you simply hate this sport, you hate putting your body through this torture, you ask yourself why am I doing this, you question whether or not to quit.

All these thoughts go through my head almost every race and Sunday was no different. It came around mile 8, right when the course turns off Jericho Turnpike and makes its way toward the Wantagh Parkway. Mile 9 and 10 have a couple of rolling inclines and it's an area where few spectators are there to cheer you on. Not much motivation to keep you going. (By the way, those of you that have driven on the Wantagh Parkway before, you have no clue how hilly it is until you have Nike's and not Goodyear's underneath you).

It's also right around this portion of the course that my hate turns to love though. I love that I put the training into this race that I did, I love picking people off who I know didn't put in the long runs that I put in, I love outwilling the person to my left and right when I see a hill approaching, I love knowing that I have the heart to trek through the next 3 miles, I love winning the mind over body mental battle, I love that non-runners think what I'm doing at that moment is self-punishment, I love the pain and soreness of the next day when I get out of bed...I love knowing that at the end of the day I have no one to blame but myself when I run poorly and no one to thank but myself when I run well.

Fortunately at the end of the 13.1 miles on Sunday, it would be the latter feeling. I finished in 1:34.31, 11 minutes faster than my 2007 time, and in 154th place out of 3493 competitors. I went out faster over the first 4 miles than I normally do, knowing that I did the training to have the stamina and endurance to fly on the last 4.

I think in a sports world full of egos, enormous contracts, muscle-boosters, and $1250 seats, running is as pure as it gets. No offensive lineman to blame for not pass blocking, no point guard to fault for not finding you in the post, no pitcher to accuse of missing signals, no equipment to claim was less than par...it's just you, the road and a passion to compete.

I am a sports fanatic and an athlete since I was in grade school, but no matter the sport I've competed in, basketball, baseball, rugby, lacrosse, soccer, running is different. It incorporates a mental aspect that I'd argue is greater than that faced by any quarterback, golfer or flyhalf.

At some point during every race, your body will tell you no, champions are crowned when they quickly turn their minds to yes.