Heading to Huntsville Marathon

If you would have told me a year ago that I would be taking road trips to watch people run I would have slapped you upside the head.  Now if you told me that, I would say, “You’re right.”

My friend Roger moved to Nashville from Wisconsin about 15 years ago.  He settled into his Inglewood home and dreamt of the day he’d be a full time musician and/or songwriter.  That dream festered for years, but in less than two months, it will be a reality.  He’s taking his catalog of beach-friendly-originals and moving to the Keys, a true Cheesehead in Paradise.

We met at the Village Pub one night and have spent numerous hours reflecting on our Wisconsin roots over cold (and sometimes warm) beers.  He likes to say I’m not really from Wisconsin because I grew up a stone’s throw from Illinois and am not very good on a grill, but there is an undeniable connection that typically shines in the stories we tell about our friends.

Roger and I formed Badger Nation Nashville one night on a bar napkin and spent much of last season pounding beer and pulling for new quarterback Russell Wilson and our beloved Badgers.  But one night last November, we noticed a similarity neither of us liked.

We had slowly turned into blimp versions of ourselves and each vowed silently to address the problem.  The next year would be different.

Today at 1:00 I’m jumping in the car with Roger and heading to Huntsville for the Rocket City Marathon.  I’m not running, but will be screaming from the sidelines as Roger crosses the finish line of his first marathon.

I’ll also be cheering for my buddy Jim, who is setting his goals on the Boston Marathon.  Jim has completed two Ironman’s and several other long distance races, but this will be his first stand-alone marathon.  If all goes well, I will be running the last 6 miles by his side as he chases history.

If I had to point to one reason I am so involved in training and pursuit of Ironman Wisconsin, it would be Jim.  He sacrificed a lot of time to plod along with me as I learned to love running.  He spent countless winter nights holding back his pace and dishing out motivation as I slowly built my confidence and ability.  I really hope to give something back to him tomorrow.

It really is kind of crazy in my head to think about driving 2 hours to watch a marathon, but I know those limited sightings go a long ways in helping runners push toward the finish.  That, and the more I get into endurance sports, I realize it’s less about me and what I can bring to others.  Hopefully my presence helps both of these guys hit their goals.