catheroominations

January 20, 2008

What do you want? A medal or something? Hell yes, I do!

I ran 10 miles for the second time yesterday. This time I hardly walked at all, except for the 1-minute walk portion of my 5-mile run, 1-minute walk interval. I ran with a TNT teammate, we took it very slow, and we took a LONG time. I run like a snail, I really do. This concerns me because only the first 6,000 finishers receive medals at the half marathon I am running IN TWO WEEKS. They allow 10,000 to register. That means, I have to run faster than FOUR THOUSAND PEOPLE. Not going to happen, nope.

It should be noted that I have never won a medal, trophy, or ribbon in anything, except for a First Place prize that everyone in my 5th grade class got who submitted a book for the elementary school young author’s book fair. And that ribbon was a piece of blue “ditto” paper, cut into the shape of a ribbon, pasted to the inside front cover of The True Story of Smokey, my cat. Around that time there were several unauthorized autobiographies about him, but I wrote the truth.

Now where was I? Oh. Yeah. I want a freaking medal for running 13.1 miles, dammit. Just knowing that I completed such an event should be validation enough for me, but it isn’t. I want concrete, material evidence of my efforts! Bragging rights! So I can be all, “Look what I did! I have a medal! Do you have any half marathon medals? No? I must be better than you then!” I would then huff hot air on it and polish it on my shirt for effect. Also, if I get a medal, it means I did not come in last, which is something that is unacceptable to me. I hate don’t mind that I’m slow, or that I am the last person to finish a timed trial at our workouts. There are just 40 or so people there, and most of them have done this whole running thing for years. But out of thousands of people, surely there should be a few slower than I, right? I mean, I have to be faster than the walkers, don’t I? Please, can 4,000 people be walking that day?

Maybe I should look into buying those shoes with skates on the bottom. Heelies? Is that what they’re called? Maybe then I’ll gain some speed on these people.

Maybe Barry Bonds can juice me up before, since I will be in San Francisco and all.

I know! Have Taye Diggs running ahead of me in nothing but black boxer briefs, and Dexter chasing after me with a hypodermic needle and cranial saw. Then, maybe I can run faster. Maybe.

Ooh! I could put Ex-Lax in the water at the hydration stations. Scratch that. It’s just mean. Plus, it could backfire because I would probably need the facilities at some point, and the lines would be insane, thus extending my time even more.

Le sigh.

Perhaps I should hail a cab and ride to near the end of the course, and then sprint across the finish line, all fresh and lovely like Katie Holmes did in New York. (NOTE: I’m saying she finished looking lovely, not accusing her of taking a cab or being transported by Xenu-led aliens or anything.)

Did you know that the winning team in the Super Bowl gets a trophy AND each player gets a big, huge, gaudy ring, even those who DID NOT PLAY in the game? And some of the players already have a ring or two. Award hogs! Can’t there be a rule at this half marathon where those who already have medals wait until medals are presented to all who have never received one? That seems totally fair to me. Were I one of those people with piles of medals, I would surely offer mine to a poor soul who ran too slowly in her first half marathon to beat four thousand other runners. Because I’m nice like that.

7 people have roominated about “What do you want? A medal or something? Hell yes, I do!”

  • Sarah says:

    I could follow you on my bike and poke you with a stick to make you go faster.
    You know, if you want.

  • wi says:

    so good to know that your lack of training this last month didn’t cause a set-back. good for you. in 2 weeks you should be in great form.

  • Mark says:

    Good luck. And to add to your misery, even team doctors get one of those big huge Super Bowl rings too. Too bad I’m not a recipient for the third straight year. Good luck with your run. Next time sign up for the 99% of other races that you DO get a finishers medal for! =)
    You should do disney. The half marathon in Florida you get a Donald medal. I got a Mickey for the full marathon 10 years ago. You can now run the 1/2 marathon on Saturday, marathon on Sunday and they give you, of course, a GOOFY medal!

  • Sandi says:

    We can all give you virtual medals. Will that help?

  • Annie says:

    I think you should get a medal just for THINKING about running a 1/2 marathon. I did that once (thought about it) and pulled a muscle. I know you will be a medal winner!!

  • Jeff's Place says:

    Medal?? Hum…
    Maybe you COULD see Taye Diggs!!
    http://www.mariestinnettdance.com/

    Take a look at the second bullet point!!!
    🙂

  • Christie says:

    you can *make* yourself a medal with some alluminum foil… hehe 😀

roominate back to Christie