The Former Traveling Spotlight

The tales of a "30" something gay former stand-up comic living in NYC who is searching for his soul mate or soul...which ever comes first.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Bloody Nipples

Yesterday was marathon madness here in New York City, and I have seen more bloody nipples than I ever care to see again. You can always tell which are the first timer marathoners (they are wearing all cotton shirts with red blood splotches on the nipple areas, and are usually crying).

The advertising for this event is huge, and it brings huge amounts of fans to the course, all cheering on the runners. This year, the tag line was:

One Race.
37,000 Stories.

It's moving, and catchy, and for me...a little inspiring. I could care less about the elite athletes and who wins the race. I'm all about the stories of the average runner. The first time marathoner, or the guy who is running in honor of someone who can't run. And as the marathon day approached, I looked forward to hearing some of these 37,000 stories, except the tag line was incorrect. It should have been:

One Race.
37,000 Stories.
You are only going to hear Lance Armstrong's.



Yes...I saw him cross the finish line, and I cheered him on, but I was disappointed. Yes, he ran in just under 3 hours which puts him under a 7 minute pace, but he ran with three professional marathon runners to help him keep pace. Additionally he ran with "Team Nike" as opposed to running with the Livestrong organization (which was collecting money for cancer research).

Now I support him and his organization. I'd have to be nuts not to given my health history, but what I found more inspiring was the man in his 40's who collapsed from a leg cramp with 300 yards to go. He lay there on the ground for about 30 seconds alone, then rolled onto his stomach and began to crawl. The fans on each side of the course could read Eric's name on his shirt, and began to chant it. He crawled about 10 feet before standing up and half hopping and half limping to the finish.

I have no clue what races he's done before, or why he even was running the marathon, but it's a story I would liked to have heard.

Eric 45M 3:57:05

Patrick - 5:00 PM -

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