It is sublime and palpable and evident everywhere in running circles. The anticipation of the caged about to be freed. Growling noises emanating from appetites that will soon be fed, luxuriated with the the finest of feasts. It must be the second weekend in April.
Boston is this coming Monday and you can tell by the gaunt, nervous faces appearing only briefly at the dojo or your own training environ. Their hard work all done, running just enough now to quell the ever mounting anxiety of performances expected and hoped for. Only slightly less so for those with the arrogance to believe they deserve their hard fought goals, those are the ones I’ll be cheering for most lustily.
Boston. The Holy Grail of marathons. The Gold Standard, the Pinnacle, and for good reason. If the race itself weren’t enough, the people of Boston make the event better than every other marathon in the world. You’ll not find a more knowledgeable and supportive populace anywhere. From the time you deplane you are congratulated on qualifying, queried as to your time coming in and what you hope to run, how many times you’ve toed the line in Hopkinton, what your greatest memories are. You are made to feel like a Hero just for being there and that is what is truly special about the Boston Marathon.
Regular readers know I’ve only run Boston once, the 100th back in 1996. Back in the day just qualifying was The Badge runners wore proudly whether or not they actually made the trip. The single qualifying standard of sub 2:50 for men was what we trained and raced for every year, it was well known who the handful were that achieved it and it only added to our hubris once attained. But my personal relationship with the event goes far deeper. Having served under Race Director Dave McGillvray at the 2004 USA Women’s Olympic Trials Marathon in St. Louis and then working with him again when Boston hosted our 2008 Women’s Trials gives me a unique appreciation of the history and essence of America’s Greatest Road Race. Treasured memories that I’ll pass along to my grandchildren.
And Lincoln is right around the corner too. You can tell by the sweat and labored breathing at the Millard West Track on Wednesday nights. Our Omaha Endurance Group continues to grow and also become more of a destination for runners serious about developing their skills in our sport. I’ve been raising the bar this year by presenting more challenging workouts than in years past. And I could not be prouder of how these athletes are responding to the stimulus. I can’t wait to see how those training up for Lincoln do. And I’ve just got to give some big props to my Assistant Coach John Tully, with the workouts now addressing four different sub groups I wouldn’t be able to do it without him.
Linda Barnhart debuted her Kids Fit Program last night. Another of Team Nebraska’s community outreach programs, it will be conducted in conjunction with OEG. Her experience as a gymnastics coach for nearly 20 years makes her a natural for working with the little kiddos. She put them through body positioning, stretching, balance skills, running, and other drills while making it fun for all. Early feedback from the parents is that the little angels slept very well last night. Ages 3-12 are welcome, what a great way to introduce the youngsters to a life time of fitness!
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