26.2 - oy

Thousands of New Yorkers came out to cheer on friends and family
members as they ran the NYC Marathon today. And that makes total sense
to me, it's fun to stand outside with a beer in your hand and hundreds
of otherrowdy revelers to root for runners. You get to make signs with
funny slogans, you get to push your way through crowds for that prime
spot on the railing and you get to scream at random strangers and they
give you the thumbs up. All of that is good fun for a Sunday afternoon.
What I don't get is why the heck people are actually running. Did you
ever look at their faces as they go by? They are literally dying. They
are crying and in pain and fighting for every step. Some of them are
actually bleeding fromchapped nipples (ouch). Toe nails fall off,
blisters the size of your palm develop on the soles of feet. Why would
anyone do that to themselves? Probably fewer than 2% of the runners are
actually in it for prize money, so what's with the other several
thousand. Can't you get the same kind of high after completing a tough
spin class? Running is crazy, you'll only see me run if it's away from
rain when my hair is straight or to the ice cream truck as it's just
about to pull away. And who decided on 26.2 miles? What's the extra 385
yards for? (That's right, I looked it up, I don't have a clue what .2
of a mile is.) I don't know why you do it runners, but I guess
congratulations for those who gave it a try. And big congrats to DB who
not only gave it a try but finished proudly in under 5 hours. Good luck
with the blisters and raw nipples and all.