Hi y'all,
Last weekend I watched the masses pass me by running the big one in the Big Apple and as I stood there thinking about running and that one other thing ( I should have been on that road) I screamed and I rooted for them. I wanted to let each and every runner know that I believed in them. That they could do it. Somehow cheering others on helped me not feeling so bad for not running it myself. Better yet: in stead of sadness I felt so proud of our group of ALSrunners. The small group of five fundraising runners that worked their asses off the last few months on each and every training, who overcame some very real obstacles and who showed up each and every time. Months of working towards that one moment in time when all of it needs to come together. When we got on that plane to JFK the feel of adventure was as tangible as a lightning storm about to release it's awesome power. Excitement, fear, joy ..all of it.
The weird thing about being away from home with a bunch of people you kind-of-know-but-don't-really is that you automatically form a sort of bond. A humanhood as you will. Runners going on a trip together share a lot of stories that non-runners probably wouldn't share. We swap experiences on losing toenails, having 'to go', learning to take gels and especially the mistakes you make in those. Runners like to compare all sorts of weird things like distances, speed and yes also how much you eat and drink before a race.
New York helped me see what I've known for a long time: Runners on the road form companions for a specific moment in time that will last a life time in memories. I have never known a more solitary sport with such great comradery. You are out there by yourself but when the going gets tough there is always someone to help you get through it. In general runners are loyal to those in need of a helping hand and that makes running the most beautiful sport on earth. Nobody left behind. Like that and that is exactly how it should be.
Ofcourse we all want to better ourselfs but not by kicking someone out of the race. Running is hard even if someone makes it look easy. Running is fun and addictive but it is hard too and running any distance over 30km is downright painful even if you did train like crazy and you're the fittest version of you. Running is not easy so don't let anyone make you feel bad if you feel like you're struggling and they tell you it was a breezer for them. We all have our own tough races and aggrivating as it is to learn, at one point you need to accept that you've outgrown the time in your life where each race is a little faster than the last one. Sometimes you learn that being there, doing the work and enjoying what you did do is a enough and sometimes you'll learn that being there for others is as valuable as running.
Being in NYC with that amazing group of runners made me feel part of a race I didn't run. I was there, I have seen them get to where they were supposed to be and seeing each and every last one of m coming back to the hotel with that super awesome bling around their necks made me feel so proud and grateful. I wanted to choke hug each and every last one of that group but that kinda isn't my thing but in my mind I did. Those runners stole my heart and made me fall in love with running and the big apple all over again.
I cheered like there was no tomorrow, I poured all of my absolute and undeniable true and heartfelt faith in them in my cheers and screams. Not once did I tell one runner that he was almost there because that is just the most aweful thing to scream. In stead I just went WOOOOHOOOOO YOU ARE AWESOME...BELIEVE IN YOURSELF LIKE I DO IN YOU......YOU ARE DOING IT......and i did that for about 8 hours straight. And I meant each and every last word of it. For Dutchies my level of enthousiasme isn't a normal thing and being Dutch I regularly hear that I am over the top. Well...being at the 25 mile marker in Central Park having people around me that were kind of quiet made me scream and cheer even harder. Just think about it....you ran...probably like a half working day...RAN...like 4 hrs or more...do you have any idea how much you need those cheers? Well I do and that is why I scream and shout anc cheer and I don't care if that makes me crazy. If I can help out another runner by screaming my own voice to bits and if that runner than finds that little extra energy to finish the race ...well than whooptiedoooo call me crazy!
And this one is for all ALS runners and cliniclown runners: THANK YOU for letting me be a part of all of your amazing journeys. You rock! All of you!!
That's it for now,
until we read again
as always, love
Marlies
Last weekend I watched the masses pass me by running the big one in the Big Apple and as I stood there thinking about running and that one other thing ( I should have been on that road) I screamed and I rooted for them. I wanted to let each and every runner know that I believed in them. That they could do it. Somehow cheering others on helped me not feeling so bad for not running it myself. Better yet: in stead of sadness I felt so proud of our group of ALSrunners. The small group of five fundraising runners that worked their asses off the last few months on each and every training, who overcame some very real obstacles and who showed up each and every time. Months of working towards that one moment in time when all of it needs to come together. When we got on that plane to JFK the feel of adventure was as tangible as a lightning storm about to release it's awesome power. Excitement, fear, joy ..all of it.
The weird thing about being away from home with a bunch of people you kind-of-know-but-don't-really is that you automatically form a sort of bond. A humanhood as you will. Runners going on a trip together share a lot of stories that non-runners probably wouldn't share. We swap experiences on losing toenails, having 'to go', learning to take gels and especially the mistakes you make in those. Runners like to compare all sorts of weird things like distances, speed and yes also how much you eat and drink before a race.
New York helped me see what I've known for a long time: Runners on the road form companions for a specific moment in time that will last a life time in memories. I have never known a more solitary sport with such great comradery. You are out there by yourself but when the going gets tough there is always someone to help you get through it. In general runners are loyal to those in need of a helping hand and that makes running the most beautiful sport on earth. Nobody left behind. Like that and that is exactly how it should be.
Ofcourse we all want to better ourselfs but not by kicking someone out of the race. Running is hard even if someone makes it look easy. Running is fun and addictive but it is hard too and running any distance over 30km is downright painful even if you did train like crazy and you're the fittest version of you. Running is not easy so don't let anyone make you feel bad if you feel like you're struggling and they tell you it was a breezer for them. We all have our own tough races and aggrivating as it is to learn, at one point you need to accept that you've outgrown the time in your life where each race is a little faster than the last one. Sometimes you learn that being there, doing the work and enjoying what you did do is a enough and sometimes you'll learn that being there for others is as valuable as running.
Being in NYC with that amazing group of runners made me feel part of a race I didn't run. I was there, I have seen them get to where they were supposed to be and seeing each and every last one of m coming back to the hotel with that super awesome bling around their necks made me feel so proud and grateful. I wanted to choke hug each and every last one of that group but that kinda isn't my thing but in my mind I did. Those runners stole my heart and made me fall in love with running and the big apple all over again.
I cheered like there was no tomorrow, I poured all of my absolute and undeniable true and heartfelt faith in them in my cheers and screams. Not once did I tell one runner that he was almost there because that is just the most aweful thing to scream. In stead I just went WOOOOHOOOOO YOU ARE AWESOME...BELIEVE IN YOURSELF LIKE I DO IN YOU......YOU ARE DOING IT......and i did that for about 8 hours straight. And I meant each and every last word of it. For Dutchies my level of enthousiasme isn't a normal thing and being Dutch I regularly hear that I am over the top. Well...being at the 25 mile marker in Central Park having people around me that were kind of quiet made me scream and cheer even harder. Just think about it....you ran...probably like a half working day...RAN...like 4 hrs or more...do you have any idea how much you need those cheers? Well I do and that is why I scream and shout anc cheer and I don't care if that makes me crazy. If I can help out another runner by screaming my own voice to bits and if that runner than finds that little extra energy to finish the race ...well than whooptiedoooo call me crazy!
And this one is for all ALS runners and cliniclown runners: THANK YOU for letting me be a part of all of your amazing journeys. You rock! All of you!!
That's it for now,
until we read again
as always, love
Marlies
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