Health & Fitness
An Open Letter to Race Supporters
If you are a runner, you may have noticed how important the sideline supporters are during a race!
A couple weeks ago, I ran my first half-marathon. And I couldn't have done it without you, people on the sidelines. As I ran through the streets of Savannah, Georgia for the Rock 'N Roll Half, I was amazed by the number of spectators and supporters that saw all the runners through the journey.
To those of you who only had to step out of your front door in order to say, "Good morning!" to thousands of people running right by your house, thank you for doing that. You were there for the first few miles and it wasn't too hard to smile and wave at that point, so I think you know we appreciated it.
To you who were holding signs, thank you for taking the time to make them and working out your arm muscles to hold them (seen on a sign: "You think you're tired? My arms are KILLING ME!"). To the person with the sign that read, "You are a great example for your children," - darn you for making me cry during the race! But really, thank you for the inspiration.
To those of you who gave out high-fives and low-fives, especially the kids, thank you for the distraction. And thank you for the distraction of the funny signs - I know not everybody understood the inside jokes on some, but I got them.
To those of you who were there for miles 9 through 12 when it was tougher to force a smile, I still saw you. I still heard you. You still helped me enormously. I just didn't have the strength to show you.
And lastly, to the group of people at about mile 12 1/2, who were yelling at us to dig deep, to kick it up a notch, to find more within, and to give it a final burst. Don't think I wasn't listening just because I didn't run faster. You stopped me from slowing down, because I was barely hanging on. You made me dig deep enough to hold on for just a little longer.
Thank you to all of you. I know a lot of you were there to support a certain runner that is dear to you, but you gave us all support anyway. I know a lot of you just wanted to be part of the excitement, but you didn't have to say anything, and you did. So even though I couldn't always express my gratitude with even a smile, I am grateful that you helped me achieve my goal. I saw you, and I heard you, and I thank you.
I saw a couple signs that read, "You are amazing!" Well, race supporters, you are amazing, too.
