We are all marathoners

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/15/if-you-are-losing-faith-in-human-nature-go-out-and-watch-a-marathon/

I just read this article and it resonated with me.  But, not for the reasons the author mentions.
Everything he says is true.  Running a marathon is hard.  It's damn hard.  It takes a lot of work and a lot of strength.  But, even more than that, it takes a strong will and a determination to succeed.  I have now run 2 half marathons and 2 full marathons.  My times would certainly not qualify me for the Boston, but I am very proud of myself nonetheless.  IMHO, I have every right to be proud.

But, again...this isn't what I thought of when I read the title of the article.  What I thought of isn't just the runners.  What I thought of were the friends, family and the spectators of the run.
Running is not easy for me.  If you know me well, you have probably heard me complain about running.  But, I do it anyway.

When I have run races, the courses are filled with people cheering me on.  I don't know these people.  Chances are they are there for someone else.  But, it doesn't matter.  They are cheering for me, too.  They are holding up signs like, "Worst parade ever," or, "Runners are sexy," or, my favorite, "Keep going, Keep going!  That's what she said."

They are giving me high fives!  Telling me what a great job I am doing dispite the fact that I look like death.  They smile at me and often get me to smile back even though I just want my legs to fall off.  When I am done, they tell me what a great accomplishment it was and how proud they are of me.  Strangers.  Strangers tell me how proud they are of me.  When I finished the Goofy Challenge, I got a hug from a fellow runner.  A person I have never met. We congratulated each other and moved on.  It was wonderful.

Some people suck.  But, it's only some of them.  The majority of people are amazing.  They cheer you on.  They help pick you up. They hug you when you succeed.

We're all marathoners.  Even if we're cheering from the sidelines.