The End of the Beginning

Finishing a marathon is a feeling like no other.  You train for months, for one day.  I wrote this the day after I finished my first marathon, when I was still riding the high of my accomplishment.

MY LONG RUN

I turned the corner

And the moment hit me

Four hundred miles it took

To be where I could see

See what I hungered for

See what I started for

See what I believed for

See what I came for

I saw the finish line

And I saw inside

I saw the purity

The purity of pride

Not often do I indulge

Choosing instead to second guess

Rarely giving myself enough credit

Being the hardest critic to impress

These moments are rare

And I can remember them all

Sugar Hill & Jackson Hole

Were the last ones I recall

I ran when I didn’t want to

I rested when I didn’t want to

I kept grinding when I didn’t want to

I finished because I wanted to

I never had to walk

Under five was my time

Even finished with a sprint

Earning this medal of mine

One thing makes this better

For I wasn’t alone out there

I had my own pit crew

It is with them, this medal I share