Respect the Distance

I recently saw an add by Pearl Izumi, although I don't agree with everything that was said I do agree with one thing, "respect the marathon." I am not a fast runner, as a matter of fact over the past two years I have gotten much slower. Do I want to be behind most of the crowd? NO. As my health improves so does my speed, I don't think that should be important though. It should be important that I am out there, doing my best, not someone elses best, MY best. It has been almost 5 years since I first saw an advertisement for the Walt Disney World 2008 marathon, I couldn't even run a block without thinking I was done for. That add got me moving, it got me moving all the way to the finish line 7 months after seeing it. It took me 7 hours, it is the medal I am most proud of, I did it, me, the couch potato. Since then I have done a few more marathons, a lot of half marathons, a few other distances and have enjoyed the journey. It hasn't always been easy, and the past year and half has been agonizing at times. I am slow, I am slower then I have been, but I am faster than I was. I respect the distance, any distance because any distance is more then no distance.