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A bunch of people spent Friday
Marking the route
Setting up tables
Putting up signs
The trucks delivered the port-a-loos
Another bunch of people got up early today to set up cups of water and boxes of bagels and apples
Someone wired the PA
Lay the tracking pads
More people still set up tables with the bibs and safety pins and clear plastic bags for personal belongings
All so another bunch of people could run around in a circle
I was one of the people running around in a circle
We convened early in the morning
In a misty Prospect Park
Several thousand people dressed in active wear and sneakers
Ready to run a 4 mile loop
Through the gorgeous, glorious
Prospect Park
The starting horn blasts
We shuffle towards the start line
And we're off!
People cheer on the sidelines
Waving handmade signs
"You got this!"
"Looking strong!"
Clackers click and cowbells sing
(We definitely need more cowbell)
Others observe, bewildered
Why are all these people running?
It's humanity at its goddamn finest
Human bodies of all shapes and sizes and backgrounds hurtling through space
The power of the human spirit
My favorite runners are not the elite athletes that have practically finished before my group has even shuffled past the start line
But the Achilles Foundation runners
People who move with walkers or canes and who have some kind of disability
Assisted by volunteer runners who wear bright orange shirts
The comforting sound of thousands of feet on the pavement
The dogs running in the middle of the park
The cyclists zipping by
Traces of pine scented air, the spirit of the remains of Christmas trees scattered in the gardens
I'm weirdly emotional
It's just 4 miles, a little over 6km. Not much in the grand scheme of things for regular runners
Three years ago this felt impossible
Two years ago this was impossible
One year ago it seemed impossible
Today, I did it.
The end.
Marking the route
Setting up tables
Putting up signs
The trucks delivered the port-a-loos
Another bunch of people got up early today to set up cups of water and boxes of bagels and apples
Someone wired the PA
Lay the tracking pads
More people still set up tables with the bibs and safety pins and clear plastic bags for personal belongings
All so another bunch of people could run around in a circle
I was one of the people running around in a circle
We convened early in the morning
In a misty Prospect Park
Several thousand people dressed in active wear and sneakers
Ready to run a 4 mile loop
Through the gorgeous, glorious
Prospect Park
The starting horn blasts
We shuffle towards the start line
And we're off!
People cheer on the sidelines
Waving handmade signs
"You got this!"
"Looking strong!"
Clackers click and cowbells sing
(We definitely need more cowbell)
Others observe, bewildered
Why are all these people running?
It's humanity at its goddamn finest
Human bodies of all shapes and sizes and backgrounds hurtling through space
The power of the human spirit
My favorite runners are not the elite athletes that have practically finished before my group has even shuffled past the start line
But the Achilles Foundation runners
People who move with walkers or canes and who have some kind of disability
Assisted by volunteer runners who wear bright orange shirts
The comforting sound of thousands of feet on the pavement
The dogs running in the middle of the park
The cyclists zipping by
Traces of pine scented air, the spirit of the remains of Christmas trees scattered in the gardens
I'm weirdly emotional
It's just 4 miles, a little over 6km. Not much in the grand scheme of things for regular runners
Three years ago this felt impossible
Two years ago this was impossible
One year ago it seemed impossible
Today, I did it.
The end.