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25 May 10 Running a Marathon: Together in Solitude
Yesterday I ran the Edinburgh Marathon.
Running a Marathon is a strange sort of experience - it’s a solitary journey and mental test of fortitude. Yet you are never alone or without encouragement. There are other runners, and when you get into areas with spectator crowds, the noise and encouragement from the bystanders will always give your aching body an extra adrenaline boost to go the distance.
The kinship between runners is a strange one: sometimes when one runner sees another runner struggle they will slow down slightly, offer their encouragement to get them going again. Sometimes two runners going at approximately the same pace will strike up a conversation, help each other keep going, pacing the distance.
Sometimes the kinship is merely silent, but you can see it in the movements of the runners: it’s in the body language, they share the same pain, they take turns pacing and following, no words need to be spoken, but there is an implicit understanding of “I’ll help you if you’ll help me”, they move as a team to break through the agonizing wall of pain, even though they are complete strangers - there is a silent togetherness in the midst of the solitude of You vs. the Distance.
