Waiting

Waiting sucks.

Christmas.  The wait is unbearable, especially when the music hits the airwaves in October.

Birthdays.  Can't stand waiting.

Paydays.  What are those?

And "race day" to that list.  Many of you dear readers are racers in your spare time and understand the frustration of waiting for that next race.  Some of you are fortunate and can afford to enter numerous races.  Some of you have no interest or cannot afford the fees associated with races.  That is ok.  But you probably have at least one race in your shoes and can appreciate the pain of time sloooowly ticking by till the starter's gun fires.

I am two years into waiting to finish my first marathon.  That finish will hopefully come mid-morning this Saturday.  Fortunately I have entered several shorter races this year.  There was little anguish surrounding those events because they were part of scheduled training.  Just another day in the life of a runner.  I may not be an official "marathoner" but I have done my share of long, intense miles.

If I have learned anything in the past week and a half it is that waiting is worse than any run.  I still get pains in weird places.  I still get tired.  I still talk to myself (sometimes out loud, and occasionally answer back).

The great thing is that I resume training for the next marathon on Monday.  Yes, I am taking Sunday off.  We have a long ride home with no time to run.  Maybe a lap or two around a convenience store while pumping gas.

But I will be through with waiting to get started.

Right now I am just ready to finish.