#ReadersWorkouts -- Marathon

Joy at Joy's Book Blog has built up a community of people who love to read and work out. You know that I enjoy both of those things, so I'm joining in.

The Columbus Marathon runs in the middle of October each year. Since I'm a runner, I always look forward to it, even though I'm not running it.
I trained for it twice and ran it once.
Like last year on the morning of the Marathon, I got up and went for a run. I ran the marathon route near our house. The streets were nice and wide, empty of parked cars. Banners flapped along the side of the road, letting runners know how much farther they had to go to the finish line.
The mile marker near our house is 22. So I ran it backwards for 2 1/2 miles then turned around and came back for a five-mile run.
The sky was dark as I began and a glowing full moon sat heavy in the sky. Gorgeous.

On the run back, the streets had become a little busier with volunteers setting up tables and pushing giant trash cans into place so the runners could dispose of their water cups.

I texted my running friends pictures of the moon and talked about the preparation for the marathon.
One friend asked if it inspired me to run another marathon.
"No!" I texted back. I remember the pain in all of my joints and my muscles, even as I trained, running 20 miles then 22 miles then 24 miles, plus all the shorter distances in between. I picture myself coming down the stairs at my house, holding onto the banister and the wall as I slowly eased down each step.
Later that morning, on a beautifully sunny, warm day, I walked along the sidewalk, clapping and cheering for the runners.
"Go runners! Keep it up!" I'd yell.
I ran into so many friends and neighbors lining the sidewalks as I walked to the coffee shop. It was like a festival.
In front of the coffee shop, I took a picture of runners making their way down the street. Musicians played all along the route to keep the competitors moving along.

And then, I felt just a twinge, thinking, I could do the marathon again.
Hope your exercising went well this week.

Readers Workouts -- Long-Distance Running

Readers’ Workouts is the weekly event by Joy's Book Blog where book lovers share workout stories, goals, successes, and challenges
Fourteen years ago, I joined a marathon training group.
I was running six miles about three times a week, so I was ready to jump into a group and train to run the Columbus Marathon. That was a very active time for me with the kids ages 6, 8 and 10.
Then that September, I tore my ACL while rollerblading with my boys. I heard it snap, but didn't know what it was other than that I was in a lot of pain.
My husband was gone on a business trip, so what choice did I have but to get up and rollerblade home. The boys suggested that they could get the wagon and pull me up, but I know getting in and out of the wagon would be more difficult than relying on the one good leg to skate home. I had surgery and weeks of physical therapy.
I didn't run the marathon that year, but the following year, I joined the group again and made it through the 26.2-mile race.

Since then, I've met with running friends most weekends to run -- our long runs, we used to call them. We've seen each other through a lot -- marriage issues, cancer, rebellious teenagers, depression. Sometimes our runs are more like therapy sessions.
One friend, and the main motivator of our group, moved away. Our runs have gotten shorter and less often.
This weekend, after a 5-mile run, we decided to commit to long runs again.
I miss the feeling of the salt tightening on my face after I've run for miles and then I stand in the shower washing it all away and feeling my muscles relax in the hot water.
So our goal is to run 10 miles on the weekends again. We're starting with a marathon training schedule, even though we don't plan to run a marathon. In about 7 weeks, we should be running 10 miles and enjoying our time together on the running trail.
Is there an exercise you miss?