When Inspiration Comes from Pavement
By Jasmine Lowe, Writers of Kern (Bakersfield) Branch
After a trip to the restroom and a gulp of water, I lined up at the back of the final wave of the half marathon race. I was a little nervous about finishing the whole thing knowing that I hadn’t hit my mileage target.
I slowly inched out over the start line and followed the crowd of runners swiftly kicking their way down Huntington Beach’s stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway. I jogged amongst the pack of people for several miles until the crowd began to thin out. The sounds of chatter began to wane as gasps of breath fell in their place, and you could hear, just off in the distance, the cool ocean waves crashing on top of each other trying to taunt the sweaty runners nearby.
My worries about not finishing crept up a little later and wove their way into the pattern of feet rhythmically hitting the pavement. Why the hell would anyone do this? I had thought.
However, just out of the corner of my eye, I tore my attention away from my internal complaining and caught a glance of a large U.S. flag in the hands of a fellow participant. He was trailing another runner in full firefighter gear with the oxygen mask and everything.
The sounds of the group of runners around him grew again with wows of awe and amazement. It was already warm that day, and I was regretting wearing a short-sleeved moisture-wicking shirt over an active-wear tank top. I couldn’t imagine wearing all that heavy gear while trying to complete a marathon.
The groups of people, who choose to run that day, look deeper and see something greater than the repetitive strides that move them towards the distant horizon. They make new friends, they find a sense of accomplishment, and inspire others to find the confidence and courage in themselves to do more.
For the firefighter hauling 60 to 70 pounds of full fire gear, including a breathing apparatus, it was about the act of charity and altruism.
Seeing the firefighter run in full gear to raise money for children and seeing people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and some in wheelchairs or holding canes quieted the chatter about not finishing the race that morning. Hearing a man in his 80s tell a group of young adults that they should keep moving, as long as their chests don’t hurt, while jogging past you did that too.
I was inspired by all of it, and I realized that, since I finished a half marathon before, I could do so again. And if I can finish today I can truly accomplish nearly anything I put my mind to.
I do my best to try and remember that sheer determination when I strive to accomplish my goals — and I hope I remember it while I continue to train for my first full marathon.
Read more from Jasmine Lowe
at her website jasminedlowe.com.