blasphemy.

On Friday after my yoga-belly dance routine, I stayed after to chat with some of the gals there. One of the gals (she's one of the best dancers in the room; though green with envy, I can give props when deserved) mentioned that she was going to do the Nike Women's Marathon in SF. I was hoping to sign up for the half this year, but I didn't because I stupidly thought I was going to be in the Philippines. (Yeah. Long story. If you're that curious, write me and I'll tell you the uninteresting details!) Anyway... I asked the gal how her training was going, and she said that she's been training since May. I asked her what her mileage was so far and she said that she hasn't run more than 5 miles.

5 miles?! Does she not realize that a MARATHON is 26.2 MILES?! It's over a month away and she hasn't run over 5 MILES at a time so far?! Is she f---in' CRAZY?!

This conversation sparked the rant that is about to come up. To her credit, I don't know what the gal's situation or circumstance is. Therefore, I will preface this rant by mentioning that what I say may not be fair. Oh well...

I'm irritated by her training because she seemed to be so dismissive of what a marathon is. For your information, it's 26.2 miles of blissful hell. Ya feel me folks?! Also, the glory of training for a marathon - your first one at that - is the training process, not the marathon itself. In fact, the actual race is like the cherry on a sundae. You've already gone through the good stuff. All that's left is that one last cherry. So I feel sorry for the gal. But more so, her approach simply irritates me. A marathon is a bonafide sport. To me, when you commit to a race, you have to respect it. You have to honor the sport, commit to the training, and simply do it. Even Lance Armstrong trained for his marathon. And this gal thinks she doesn't have to? Where the hell do people come off?!

To me, it's not a matter of winning, it's a matter of honoring and respecting the sport, that's all. So her leisurely 5 mile runs and her leaning on the hope that (1) the organizers will let her do the half marathon instead of the full marathon (2) that she's in shape, so a marathon isn't that big a deal, truly bothers me. It insults me as a former marathoner and fathlete. Plus, she thinks she can go down to a half marathon with her 5 mile training. Hello! It's still a f---in' sport! There's still a huge distance between 5 miles and 13.1 miles! In our conversation, she seemed to be under the impression that the pace you start with is going to be the same pace you have throughout the race. Hello?! At some point, your body loses its energy and stamina, so your starting pace is usually slower than your end pace (the exceptions are the elite athletes). Some folks just don't get it. Such blasphemy and disrespect. UGH!

This is obviously a lost cause and a waste of my energy. However, it's hitting me that the reason why this conversation really bothered me is that (much to the dismay of "true" athletes) I consider myself an athlete. To me, being an athlete is a state of mind and body. I workout on a regular basis. Though I don't specialize in any particular sport, I respect the sports that I do engage in - be it CrossFit, spinning, yoga, dance, running, martial arts... I respect those sports and the role I play in those sports. Exercise is a part of my everyday lifestyle. That my body is still soft has nothing to do with me being an athlete. At the end of the day, I consider myself an athlete. This is why this gal irks me. Anyway... end rant. Here's a treat for you.


Blast from the Past: Can you believe it's been two years since the marathon?! This is me with coach Rex during our trial marathon in San Francisco.