My Top 5 Marathon Races – Soulful Inspiration
Music to make the world (run) go round
Marathon running is an extreme test of physicality, mental strength, and, mostly, your soul. What can help? Soulful Inspiration from songs back in the day.
I Got You (I Feel Good) – James Brown
Perhaps like me, but probably only if you are a dedicated runner, you saw the latest research about marathon runners. Reportedly, marathon runners lose a half-inch of height during a race. Interesting! For those of you who haven’t seen me in years, I’m now 5 foot 2 inches tall. Unfortunately, there is always a price to pay to reach one’s goals, and I plan to keep shrinking further. Kidding aside, thank goodness the contraction doesn't remain for long. The report is surprising, though, because, after my marathons, I feel like I’m ten feet tall, even though I'm generally too exhausted to notice.
On and On – Erykah Badu
After my last article about my top career baseball hits, I'm on a roll, so the theme continues with my top marathon running moments. Here’s the thing, patting myself on the back in my younger days would have been unacceptable. But my reasoning now is that when one approaches 70 years old, they have the right to do it, at least occasionally. Additionally, they are needed more now, especially as I seem to wake up more with my regrets circling in my head than the good. Just the way aging goes, I suppose. Of course, maybe at this age, one begins to say, “I don’t give a f - - - what others think anymore.” Just kidding, I care and hope that writing about my experiences will help someone better understand their life.
So, it’s on to my top marathon moments, and each is titled from a famous soul song. Mind you, the top moments usually come from overcoming adversity, especially when it comes to marathon running. Of course, I could go on and on, as each race was memorable in its own right. For example, finishing the Chicago and New York marathons, two of what’s-considered the Big Six marathons, create monumental pat-on-the-back moments. But, for now, at least, I’ve narrowed it to my top five.
My Top Five Marathon Moments
1. It’s A Family Affair – Sly and the Family Stone
This one is easy because the marathons include running with other family members.
What can be better than sharing experiences with family as they were either side by side or in another race distance simultaneously? Not only running with them is fun, but I also enjoy little more than seeing the elation on family members’ faces when they find me after completing a marathon. And talk about joy, when my grandkids come over and parade around wearing my finisher medals, and ask, “Any new medals, Papa,” it’s priceless. Ever the athlete - always liking and seeking attention. Ha. So, if you become a runner, involve other family members, whether they run or not, as the support they provide will be enormous.
2. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
As players remember their first major league hit, as I do, I vividly recall my first marathon - mainly because of the adversity which came, and I had to overcome.
I arrived at the starting area in my first marathon with my numbered bib unattached to my shirt, a peril of being a rookie and overexcited. Without it visible, you get yanked off the course. I would run no matter what, but it would be uncomfortable to run 26 miles and hold it out front. As you can imagine, obtaining safety pins at 5:45 AM was as trying an ordeal as trekking the four-plus hours. Divine assistance came through in the nick of time from a hotel clerk.
Secondly, I prepared adequately to have a solid run, or so I thought, until I developed a calf cramp at mile nine. So, of course, my first words were, "What the Heck; How can this be happening after training hard for five months? Nine miles is all I can do?" The injury provided one of those quandary-producing moments when a decision is necessary. The left half of my brain yells stop because of the discomfort and pre-race advice, "If you get injured, stop because it will likely lead to a more sizable injury?" The other half of my brain says, "No way am I stopping; I’ve come too far and put in too much not to finish." I finished and chalked it up in the lesson-learned department:
A. Never take anything for granted.
B. Every worthwhile adventure provides obstacles to overcome.
C. Marathons are effin hard.
3. Lean On Me – Bill Withers
Most of us vividly recall what happened at the 2013 Boston Marathon, and it made the race itself an afterthought.
I wasn’t in Boston that fateful day, but in the Las Vegas Marathon four years later. The race was only six weeks after another unfathomable deadly shooting, where many lost their lives. It was one of those events when sports felt inconsequential. It was such an eerie feeling to pass by the site of that tragic night and with everything going un-Vegas-like silent for the early stretch of the race. At first, I sensed it inappropriate to feel exhilarated to compete. Still, I realized it’s paramount to keep going.
When searching for the strength to persevere, I think of the powerful words "Boston Strong" and "Vegas Strong," and I add “Perconte Strong.” It’s invigorating to feel that I am not doing this just for me but that I represent Perconte’s now and those from the past. Adding "Strong" to a name makes it synonymous with the strength to overcome, so repeating your name with “strong’ when you sense a lack of energy gives an advantageous push to persevere.
4. You’re the First, My Last, My Everything – Barry White
Let’s say you have one and only one marathon in you. If that’s the case, the one I would recommend, although not a Top 6 Marathon, is called the People’s Marathon for a reason.
It’s easy to remember one’s last race, which is still fresh in my memory, but there was so much more to it. The 2022 Marine Corps marathon was a spectacular event. First, it’s easy to feel that way about something that went relatively smoothly, which is rarely true. When an event is nothing but a struggle, it’s difficult to put it in one’s “Top” category. But as written before, the race entailed so much history and monuments it was beyond exciting. Running by sights such as the Marine Corps War, Lincoln, Washington Memorials, and the Pentagon, seeing everything the Marines represent, and meeting many of them out on the course, make it an unparalleled experience.
5. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Diana Ross
Talk about adversity, this one took all of my mental strength to get past.
I earned my running stripes in another race when my iPod played four songs before stopping for the day. The Sounds of Silence was another “you have got to be joking” moment as I screamed, “What, no one informed my IPod what a marathon is? Not 2.6 miles but 26.2 miles.” Listening to exciting material inspires me and helps divert the mind from the constant loping. Running the rest of the way without it made the race feel like 50 miles, and if you heard my singing voice, you would know what I meant.
Get Ready – The Temptations
And as implied, it will be on to another marathon this year, which I will soon reveal the whereabouts of it. For those on pins and needles as to which one it will be, haha, here are a few hints. Knowing the answer for just one of these will give it away, and the rest will serve you in the learn-something-everyday category as they were for me:
1. It’s the home of the first soft pretzel.
2. Dick Clark’s ‘American Bandstand” premiered there.
3. It was the location of the first hospital in the U.S.
4. Similarly, the first American zoo was in this city.
5. It’s the mural capital of the United States.
Happy Trails!
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