Marathon Spirit

We went to the theater last month.

The movie theater, that is.

Seriously, though, you'd have thought we were taking in the opera or a broadway show with all the hoopla that surrounded this night!



We had our picture taken before we left...

We went to dinner...




And we took pictures by the marquee...

We even arrived early so we were guaranteed a good seat. Afterall, this was a one-time only viewing of "The Spirit of the Marathon," shown in select theaters across the country. We were thrilled to discover that our city was home to one of those theaters!

My husband and father (who have each run 3 marathons thus far) were eagerly scanning the crowd for "their people." Oh, you know that runners are a special breed. They're bonded. They share a language and experience all their own. If you've ever seen a long string of runners lined up along the woods prior to the start of a race, you know what I mean.

The fun thing was that my mom and I were as excited about this premier as the guys were. We've been spectators and cheerleaders at each of the marathons our guys have run, and we like to think that by now, we're professional fans. We always laugh at the spectator's guide that is provided at one of the marathons the guys run. There are guidelines and tips for spectators and a listing of suggested encouraging phrases to yell as the runners pass by. The corniest? Keep smiling!

While you might think that a marathon movie appeals only to die-hard marathoners, I found myself inspired...deeply moved...and challenged. I left thinking, "I want to do that,"---not because the documentary made it look easy, mind you; because I want to stretch myself and exert myself beyond what I think is possible. I want to endure when it hurts and press through the pain. I want to achieve the seemingly impossible.

I may or may not ever run a full 26.2 miles. But for now I'm setting small, more achievable (realistic) goals. I ran my first 2-mile race two years ago. This year I'm aiming for a 5K...and with my early morning running partners and friends, I believe we'll achieve this goal.

For those of you who are runners, love a runner, or just enjoy a feel-good, inspirational story, there will be an encore presentation of "The Spirit of the Marathon" this Thursday evening, February 21. Check the listings to see if it will be showing anywhere near you!