Dirt and solid grains of salt are the only residues left on a body that had, just a few hours ago, been engulfed by endless streams of sweat. The past five hours have been spent in a transaction of the body and mind, where cramps in places I never knew had muscles, abrasions at places I’m too embarrassed to mention, and 42.195 kilometers were exchanged for a single answer – ‘Are you stupid?
That was the running question that has passed through many lips (friends and family) and one mind (my own). All the way from the start, the signs were showing – this marathon wasn’t going to be easy.
The difficult race began, even before the marathon did. Never mind seeing the finishing line; work schedules, family commitments plus past injuries all conspired to build a powerful psychological barrier before I even knew what the starting line looked like.
Yet, mysteriously, I find myself on race day standing at the start with a stomach full of butterflies. Staring at a sea of runners, every face looked infinitely more prepared than I was, with each one revealing steely determination in achieving an elusive goal I wasn’t clued in on. Only one thought crowded my mind – I must be a) stupid, b) crazy, c) all of the above.
Before I could figure out which is which, the race began.
Was it a blast of the horn? Was it a whistle? Or was a flag? Ask me this a million times, and I’ll still tell you I don’t remember. All I can recall was seeing my feet planting themselves one after another, and me thinking, ‘Why the hell am I doing this?’
After five hours, forty-two kilometers, four overhead bridges, and a body full of cramps, I got my answer.
To me, a marathon is akin to life itself. There is always a struggle that has to be overcome. Sure the struggle may look tougher than what the body can achieve, but just by starting with a single step and never giving up, we can eventually get to where we want to be – the finish line.
The feelings of pain now disappear, what remains is only mud, dried sweat and a defiant spirit. Though the debris and sweat will be washed off easily, I suspect the spirit to never say die will stay for a long time to come.
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