20 Miles with Friends

I don't know what the name of this race is. Last year it was called the Texas Stampede. This year I think it's been named the Ascis Texas Twenty. Either way, today was a great day for a race. We started just below the American Airlines Center. Some of my friends were running the 10 mile race but, I ran the 20 mile race. One thing of note is: Most runners are like horses - when they see the finish line they're ready to quit. This race has the ominous reality of having a 20 mile course that is nothing more than 2 loops. Let me tell you passing right by the finish line to start the second loop is such a mind bender.

I committed to myself that when I passed by that finish for the start of my second loop I would do it with style and never look upon the finish or the festivities going on. That's just what I did. As I made my approach to the pseudo-finish someone in a loud speaker barked, "20 milers right, 10 milers left". So, eyes closed tight I dashed over the mat. I would keep them closed for as long as I could until I risked falling over. The next 10 miles would be a mind game of noting all the places I had passed before - a runner's funky deja vu.

The details of the rest of the run are not real exciting. My entry today is to take special note of a few good friends who waited for me at the real finish. They had run only 10 miles, because they're training for the year is at an end. Two of my buddies, however, did run the 20 miler but they were done more than 30 minutes before me. In any event, there they all were right at the end cheering me on. Run, Don! Go, Don! I could hear every single voice. I did not visibly acknowledge the screams though. I think it was my need to not let them down. They were cheering so I had to look my best and run my fastest. Their cheers could not be in vain, so when I saw them I started taking off faster to the finish. My sprint started a little too early because as I passed them my legs were wearing out. Then when their yelling started I was re-energized to run even harder. I pushed to the line with the voices of my friends encouraging me to finish strong. That was a lot of fun. Even though I'm just training for my last marathon of the year in December, I raced to my finish in this no-name 20 mile event.

So they should have left hours ago but, my friends stayed to watch me finish. And I was not going to let them down. Never, never stop running.