Spectators

Many years ago (but perhaps not that many) when I ran long distance track in high school, I thought it was great that during training I could run 5 mile stretches through Van Saun Park and other parts of Paramus. As I chugged through the suburban neighborhoods, I felt my body stretch and pace as best as it could. I think one of the best aspects of the training run was that when I returned to the gym at the end, all of the football players were usually coming in from practice at that time. One of my crushes was part of the team, and he would always smile at me and tell me what nice legs I had or what a great job I had done. Gasping, and drenched with sweat, I would smile vapidly at him until he walked away with the rest of the team. It made the next day's practice that much better for me to look forward to.

After high school, I didn't do much running. I hiked, biked and walked. My walks would take me hours to complete as I explored my town from one end to another. Rollerblading and other sports kept me in relatively good shape, as well. I was toned, but not overly so. I had firm quads, but not in a rock hard way. I enjoyed the attention I received as the owner of a 20 something year old's body. I was happy with the frame God gave me, and I still am, even after having three kids and losing the taut teenage stomach I vaguely remember.

And then I discovered something even better than my crush's compliments or young guy's appreciative leers: spectators.

The energy of the spectators who gather to watch their friends and family run at races is infectious. Although it's usually just myself and my older brother, the feeling of being surrounded by so many excited people cheering you on makes the whole event that much better. Even if the rest of my body isn't perfect, my quads have become my favorite part of my body- I love wearing running shorts to show them off. I am so proud of their shape and of how hard I needed to work to get them to look so toned. It makes the last 2 or 3 miles of a half-marathon that much more achievable to look down and to see those reliable limbs pushing and stretching over the pavement. The feeling of running across the finish line and hearing the roar of the spectators, anonymous as they may be, makes the pain and soreness of training for the big day worth it.

I can't wait for my next race. I have a new pair of shorts that I am looking forward to running with. :)