Think You Can't Run a Marathon? Au contraire.

It recently occurred to me, despite all the articles I've written highlighting the many benefits of running a marathon, there's still a group of runners out there who believe this goal remains unattainable. Maybe for the time being it is. But, you're missing out on such a rush of life, so I'm going to propose Plan B in an effort to get you into the thick of some "marathon weekend".

I always encourage patients and friends to get involved in the marathon, yet many still resist. So I came up with a master plan to 'hook' them into the idea without them even knowing it - the Marathon relay. Not all marathons have a relay component, but, with a little effort, you can easily find the ones that do. My friends and family just participated in the Cape Cod Marathon, held in Falmouth, Massachusetts. This one is particularly attractive due to both location and the breathtaking beauty of the course itself.

Hooking the Victims

It all began one day after a game of basketball with some friends. "Hey, "how about we all run a marathon?", I spurted out. Since only one member of the group had actually run a marathon before, this suggestion was met with the usual skepticism and comments of "yeah right - and when will I find the time to train?" But, then, I laid the trap. Getting someone to commit to a marathon is a little like fishing - you have to bait the hook first. "You know, the Cape Cod Marathon has a relay race as well, which is broken into 5 legs. You can run one leg, or as many as you feel up to."

Immediately, the conversation turned to how we could all make our families a part of this event - yet another attractive feature. Most family members who weren't present would never consider the option of running a marathon. They were the loyalists who were always on the sidelines, rooting "us" on. But, the excitement mounted when everyone thought how great it would be to make all family members PART of the run.

Over the next several months, everyone's enthusiasm served as a catalyst for the series of events that took place. I listened as each of them talked about weekend runs with their families, decisions were made as to who would run each leg of the race, and plans were finalized regarding accommodations and logistics of the trip. I was coming off a July 1st knee surgery, so being part of the marathon (as in R-E-L-A-Y) was the only way I'd find myself out on the course, and the thought of doing it with my family was a huge plus.

Race Day

The race took place on Sunday, October 26th and I watched in awe at the excitement on the faces of my friends and their families as they walked into the valley of of marathon weekend. As I've always said, everyone's life would improve if they would only prepare for and run a marathon in their life. I had a front row seat to watching my theory play out. Strategies were developed and re-developed, and a friendly competition took place between the families. It was great to be able to run a race with my wife Trudy leading off the 3 mile leg, son Connor following with 5.6 miles followed by my own 6.2 mile effort and concluding with my son John doing the final 11.2 miles. My friends, the Murphys, had the most experienced team, as Julie had run a marathon before and her husband Tim had completed a half marathon. With a little assistance from a 'ringer' who they recruited to complete their team, it was clear their pace would be the quickest. The closest competition the Maggs' would see would come from the Campbell family. Deb had convinced her 12 year old daughter to run 3 miles (her first race), husband Carl (a non-runner prior to this) to do the 5.6 mile leg, and brother Dan to run 6.2. Deb finished up their team's effort by running legs 4 and 5 for 11.2 miles.

Who finished first was clearly not the most important goal. At least that's what everyone kept saying. You wouldn't have known it once that gun went off. But, we all finished with big smiles, a dose of fatigue and the lifetime memories that come with being part of a great marathon weekend.

And, as we were all packing up to leave for home, there was much talk about who would run which legs next year. I believe I even heard a few brave souls mentioning they might be up for the whole 26.2 next year. Bait taken, hook set, ah, the joy of reeling them in....if they only knew. Maybe you'll want to give it a try.

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