Supporting role

One week into my "man flu" and still not well enough to train. So today i decided to support my team mates who were running in a local 10k race. I picked the half way point because that is where a tough climb comes in and there is nobody out there supporting in the wilderness. I always liked getting support from the croud and remember the boost you get by a call out from a friend. It was inspiring watching runners of all standards, shapes and diverse running styles giving their best. No matter what time the athletes took, as they crossed the 5k mark they all looked at their watches. They needed to know how they were doing in relatation to the target they had set themselves. There was a pace maker for anyone wanting to get in in 58 minutes and there were a large group of runners in that group. By the time they reached the finishline they had spread out but I think their real target was to get under 1 hour - many did. Afterwards I talked to the athletes about their training, their journey, the race and how they felt. There was a great deal of pride in their accomplishment whether they managed it in sub 35 mins or sub 1hr. The target is relative. I felt inspired watching and listening to the athletes and am looking forward to getting my running shoes back on but I will need to be careful as to when and how I come back.