Beach Marathon
Trip Start
Jan 15, 2007
1
8
17
Trip End
Dec 24, 2009
Jesolo, Italy
Sunday, June 17, 2007
I have made a few goals for myself in life. One was to run a marathon. It was an idea I had ever since high school track freshman year. The challenge didn't really seem that great when I was 16 and more athletic than I ever will be again. So every so often I have teased myself with thinking this year would be the year.
But then I never ended up staying in one house for more than 4 months. Or I just became too lazy. It is always easy to say: oh, next time I live in a place for a year I will do it. Well this January when I signed a contract to stay in Switzerland for 2 years, I decided this could be the time. Then while procrastinating at work one day I realized that I could aim to run one in June and have the 4 months of training necessary to do it. Let me tell you sitting in an office and typing up an excel spread sheet with numbers of miles to run is easy. The difference between typing a 2 and a 22 is very little, but running them is very very different.
But luckily my stubbornness has pulled me through the training. I doubt there are many people who decide to run their first marathon in a country where they don't speak the language. And then end up training for it in: Nyon, Geneva, Bologna, Boston, Detroit, Missoula, Melbourne and Amsterdam. Also most marathons are in the day time, but this one started when the sun went down. But hey, it's more fun to do things differently.
The marathon I chose was in Jesolo (j = is pronounced like an English y in Italian) Italy about one hour outside of Venice. It is an extremely touristy town, which I hate to say actually has some appeal. I have never seen a 2 km long beach of pure hotels actually look semi-attractive. But somehow it is. In front of the hotels that line the beach are rows upon rows of neatly aligned lounge chairs, umbrellas and tables. Wealthy people lounge on them surrounded by kids and massive piles of beach toys. But the beach is clean and safe. And in case you are afraid of sea weed, salt or waves, every hotel has a pool right along the beach too. And the shopping street that is full of shops selling gelato, pizza, shoes, clothes and any imaginable beach toy. In addition, the street has huge trees lining both sides to form an arch above the pedestrian walk. Jesolo has managed to pull of mass tourism with a bit of Italian style.
To add to my strange way of passing the weekend at the beach, on Saturday I hid from the sun like it would kill me. I didn't want to have that lovely comatose feel that lying in the sun gives me at the end of the day. Because at 9 pm I went to the starting line with 1000 other people and ran till my legs couldn't run any longer and then I kept going. It was a beautiful run along a canal with a sliver of the moon reflecting in the water. The sky was purple with clouds and a lightning storm off in the distance. The very last 200 meters was on a boardwalk on the beach heading towards a huge lighthouse. I have never been so happy to see an over sized phallic object in my life. (Ok I might have been half crazy at the end - but I felt connected to sailors in the past who would have felt the same sense of relief as they saw it).
I was also fortunate enough to make a friend while running. Her name was Andrea from Vienna. She spoke English and had a satellite following her to give her time and distance run. Up until meeting her at the 3 km mark I was planning on just finishing. But she had a goal that I thought could be possible. So we stuck together and pushed each other for the next 25 km. If it wasn't for her I would have stopped at some point but then I fell into a rhythm and was really enjoying it. Yes, I did just say that. It was enjoyable to know what I was accomplishing and what I was capable of doing. It really isn't my usual Saturday night activity. Then at km 28 Andrea stopped to use the toilet. I kept going. We met again at the finish line and hugged thanking each other.
I was having dinner with some friends in Geneva last week and happened to meet someone who had run 12 marathons in his life. He said they are good Karma. I don't know what he is talking about - maybe I have to run many more to reach that point of spiritual connection. But I did have a minor philosophic thought at the time ... there is a mirroring of life in a marathon. The race was very similar to life in the sense that there were waves of ups and downs. Some parts I felt great and thought I was flying, then others I wanted to just quit. Some parts I pass with people and have support. Other times I do it alone. However, I am capable of doing anything so long as I set my mind to it. And in the end I was/am/will be happy when finished.
Yet, I do have to admit that today when I was hobbling down the street in pain with ever step I was seriously reconsidering that. I don't think I am going to make it a beach hobby. However it is great to pursue and succeed in a dream - no matter the current pain.
