The Road and the Radio

Ain't nothing out here but me, the road, and the radio
Lookin' for an exit, and a song that I might know
Countin' down the memories, addin' up the miles
Searching for a feeling, that I ain't felt in a while.

Clarity and inspiration
Happiness is a destination, that's hard to find
It may take some time
In my mind there's something more
And I’ll open up a brand new door
And find the strength to close the ones I left behind
I'll get there leaning on some friends I know
The road and the radio.

One can sometimes feel alone in a marathon. Some prefer it that way. Some like leaning on their friends. I ran the NJ Marathon on April 30 and it was my first road marathon and extended time on the road since December. Most of my running this year has been on trails preparing for the 50K HAT run in March. My only long run between the HAT run and the marathon was run on a canal path and not a road surface. So, there I was, out there on the road with the radio (ipod really but times have changed!). Although there were another 4,500 people out there, it still felt like it was just me, the road and the radio. My running playlist for the day was Bruce (remember, I was running at the Jersey Shore). I knew all the songs and the only exits I was looking for was a porta potty and the finish. I eventually found both. Exiting the course for a porta potty can be quite strategic because you want to minimize time but maximize volume. Trees and bushes work well for men but not so much for women although I have seen it done. The final exit or the marathon finish is the ultimate goal. I know for many of us runners, time is important but I contest that finishing a marathon is still the ultimate goal, regardless of time. It is unlike any other race. I don’t go into a 5K, 10K, 10 milers or half marathon wondering if I will finish. I know that I will and I will finish them running. However, the beauty of the marathon is that there is no certainty of finishing even for the elites (see Paula Radcliffe in the Olympic Marathon). This is where our memories come into play. New Jersey was my 17th marathon and the memories of past marathons were forever present. I counted down the memories and used my experiences to get me through while adding up the miles. I continually searched for that one feeling where I knew my entire body was in synch including my mind where the movement was natural and flowing yet focused. These feelings are sometimes only felt in races and some only in specific distances like the marathon. The feelings bring clarity and inspiration, clarity of life, inspiring to yourself, those runners around you and the “fans” on the curb. Happiness is what we are looking for in a 3, 4, 5 or 6-hour journey. It takes time and is the destination we seek to find. We know we won’t find it in 6 hours maybe not in 6 days or 6 years, maybe not in 30 or 40 or 50 years but it is the destination that we seek to find. We always look for something more and in our mind we believe there is more. But is there? When will we know when we have arrived at our destination? Is it at the finish line? Should there be a finish line? Should we always strive for something more, not materialistically, but in life in general. If the finish line of a marathon is happiness, why do I and many others continue to run them? I don’t necessarily find happiness in the finish line. I find it in the journey, not only of the day, but of the months and years of running and preparing. However, during the journey, we do need to lean on some friends and most of those friends are the “running community” in general. In a marathon or ultra, they are those runners who are out on the course or trail with you. They are the “fans” along the route, the animals or trees on the trails. They are those who encourage and support you. They (the friends) are those things and people that get you through not only to the finish but to the next starting line. Sometimes, your friends are just the road and the radio. Sometimes we runners have more comfort in the road and the radio than we do in the 4,500 others we are running with. It was a beautiful day at the Jersey Shore, the ocean capping with 6-foot waves against a bright blue sky – a journey of another 26.2 miles completed.