Eugene Marathon part 3

What do you get for walking a half-marathon?
You get to fork over roughly $65 for your entry fee (over 6000 of us PAID to be miserable)
plus $90 for new shoes.
You get up at 4:45 A.M. on raceday to catch the shuttle at 6-packed into a bus with half naked, serious athletes. You sit on the bus as they stand in the aisles and you try desperately not to gape up at them in awe, nor kick them in their muscled shins because of your burning envy.

Lined up for the starting shot at 7 AM, you and your friends discuss when to use the bathrooms, your fear of not finishing and how we all feel a little like frauds and impostors...before agreeing that"Not every athlete is a size 2. Determination counts for something, too, right?"

You get a cold rain the first 4 miles or so. And you leave your Columbia periwinkle blue fleece jacket on the side of the road because the rain has caused it to weigh about 23 lbs. But it's okay, you only paid $3 for at the Goodwill. And they donate all the clothing left on the side of the road. So in a week or so, you can probably buy it back...

Shin splints.

5000 or so silent, focused RUNNERS flying past you, grunting their annoyance as they pass the walkers.

The spectators and cheerful volunteers are all hoarse, from cheering the runners, but they are dedicated to their cause. So by the time you pass by two hours later, they yell out encouragingly "You're almost there! You can DO it! We're proud of you!" in such a saccharin-but-well-meaning way that you feel a bit like you are a competitor in the Special Olympics.

Honey-Bucket porta potties. Ewww.

You sweat pretty good by mile 10, and not a lady-like sweat smelling of roses, either.

By the finish line you have blisters, one of them full of blood and gross enough to make your tough little 11 year old boy squeal like a girl and run out of the room when you are about to drain it.

oh yeah---and a cheap brass medal on a polyester ribbon.
all of that is true. And I love it. Loved every minute of it.
(I'm the one in the white hat!~)
That's the con list, and I really had to think to come up with that much. Because I've been grinning all day about the OTHER things you get from walking a half-marathon:

I loved the the camaraderie of 6000 plus people standing together on a drizzly Oregon morning in May. Loved all the people in every size, every age, every color and nationality, all sharing the same goal-to attempt something hard. together.
and I loved the comfort of a faithful friend on each side of me. I know I couldn't have gone even 4 miles without Faye and Amy there. Love these faithful, God-serving companions who know me so well, yet still love me deeply.
I loved how my family was waiting there at the Mile 8 marker, just to cheer--all four giving me hugs and kisses and the encouraging "Only 5 more miles!" from the sidelines.
and I loved that the shin splints went away after only just a few miles.
and I loved that the sun came out and the sky was brilliantly blue for most of the race.
and though yes, the porta potty stunk there were lots of them set out this year, so there wasn't long lines.
And I loved how our matching shirts made everyone yell "Yeah! Go Team Blue!"
And I loved seeing my John, waiting there at the finish line with his proud grin and our three beautiful sons and a bouquet of fresh, colorful flowers.
I loved posing for pictures and hugging my friends and marvelling together that we "Did it again!"
and I really loved peeled off those sweaty socks and putting on the flip-flops John brought.
And I going to Red Robin for their biggest burger plus garlic fries and feeling NO GUILT because according to my Ipod sensor I burned 1, 719 calories.
Loved the afternoon nap, curled up under a soft down comforter with that dull, pleasant ache you get when your muscles have been worked really well.
I loved watching John and the boys clean house and Josiah's feeding the chickens and rabbit and dog, and insisting "Now, you just rest, Mom!"
Loved Claudia's sweet thoughtfulness, and the way she planned and prepared a special spaghetti dinner to celebrate, making sure that I wouldn't have to cook a meal or clean up.
and I loved how little Caleb rubbed my shoulders as I read my email tonight.
And how my husband brought me a decadent chocolate eclair for dessert, and put the kids to bed.

I mean it.

If ALL THIS, is just from walking?

NEXT YEAR, I AM GOING TO RUN IT.