I stood at the Twin Cities Marathon finish line in St. Paul on Sunday watching the 10-mile runners come in. My daughter was running and I wished I was out there with her.

I run several times each week for fitness. I like how I feel after running. I enjoy listening to music while I run. But I really think the best part of a run is when it's over. There is a certain amount of satisfaction in completing a run.

I had never run 4 miles before I participated in the Steele County Free Fair run a few years ago, and each of those has gone pretty well. My daughter, Cynthia, invited me to run in this year's 10-mile event but I balked at the notion. Then as I watched the runners advance from the Cathedral to the Capital I was slightly jealous. I watched people of all ages and all body types run, walk, struggle, trudge and limp to the finish line. I could do one of those.

The support you get from the spectators is inspiring. Cynthia was nervous about the event, having not trained as much as she had intended. But she finished strong and got some of her drive from the spectators and her fellow runners. Plus there is a cool shirt you get for finishing the run.

Before I left the event, I saw the top marathoners fly down the street. I was amazed at how fast they were moving. The winning time was about 2:11. That means running nearly 13 mph for more than two hours. I run at half that rate for a two or three miles and feel like I have had a good workout.

So I'm thinking, one thing at a time. I'll keep working out. I'll run the Strive Rotary 4-mile run at the fair. And take a leisurely run from Minneapolis to St. Paul next October.

Cynthia is pictured second from the right in the photo. She posed with our friends, the Hickeys, who she mostly ran with.

runner
Roy Koenig, Townsquare Media
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