Sports Fan Stands in Awe of Runners

OK, I'll admit it. I love sports.

If there's a game on TV, chances are I'll be watching from my living room.

It doesn't matter if it's a baseball game in mid‑May, a Sunday afternoon football game or the first round of a golf tournament, I'll choose to watch it over just about anything else.

I like to think of sports as my escape from the real world. It's my therapy session without the visit to the psychiatrist.

I've enjoyed watching and sometimes playing sports.

But there's one thing that is definitely not on my "bucket list."

With all apologies to the nearly 1,100 runners who ran in Sunday's inaugural Fox Valley Marathon, the idea of completing a 26.2‑mile run has never crossed my mind.

Heck, driving 26.2 miles can leave me winded, especially if my two youngest kids are arguing from the back seat.

It is an attitude that was once was shared by St. Charles' Dave Sheble who, along with Craig Bixler, are co-organizers of the Fox Valley Marathon.

"I used to think that running a marathon was a nutty idea," Sheble said. "There was no way I was ever going to try that."

Until six years ago, that is.

"One of my friends had recently been diagnosed with leukemia in 2004," Sheble said. "I wanted to raise money for the cause and one thing led to another."

Two years later, Sheble found himself alongside Craig Bixler, Bixler's daughter Allison, and Mike Polite in the starting corral at the 2006 Boston Marathon.

"Runners are generally good people," said Sheble, whose wife, Marquita, was a marathon participant "back before I met her."

Throughout my experiences covering high school cross country and track, I must concur. Runners are generally good people. Most of the high school runners I've met are dedicated individuals—both on the course and in the classroom.

Bixler estimates that he has participated in more than 20 marathons over the past 25 years.

"I ran a couple in college and then took a long break while my kids were growing up," Bixler said.

It has turned into a family affair, as two of Craig's daughters, Allison and Shannon, said before the race that they planned to compete in Sunday's half-marathon and Fall Final 20 (20‑mile run), respectively.

"Craig's a much more accomplished runner than I'll ever be," said Sheble, who admits that completing a marathon "takes a lot of commitment. It's like taking golf lessons for five months and then going out and playing 18 holes."

In addition to several months of arduous training, marathoners wrestle with a variety of obstacles along the way.

"That is what makes the accomplishment worth celebrating," Sheble said. "It's a very emotional time for both the runner and his/her family and friends."

It also can be inspiring.

"That is why we watch sports in general," Sheble added. "We are often in awe of the athletes."

Count me in on that one.