What is a Marathon? 26.2 miles. The original: A Greek soldier, Pheidippides, ran to bring news of victory to his countrymen in Sparta. He ran himself to death. He loved his country so that he sacrificed himself. It was a selfless act that we celebrate in modern marathons to honor a man who did the impossible. There was no glory for him. There was no training. No good shoes. There was no support team, handing him water or snacks. There was no one cheering him on. It was an unsupported run through wilderness on rough mountainous ground, trails and primitive roads, a lonely, silent journey that could only have one end. He pushed. He died delivering the news on his last breath. Who can claim such sacrifice today? A marathon should be defined by his sacrifice: The pushing of self. The modern interpretation of marathon is: A supported group running event, heats, individual times with the best times the winners. With modern nutrition, training and good footwear, people regularly do marathons. Mostly on pavement. The level of competition is fierce. Cool. But, this scene is not for me. People run faster or slower than me. Big deal. I couldn't care less. Boring. Also, very one dimensional. I need more.
