Opinion

Commentary

October 10, 2009

Steamtown Marathon: A journey of self-discovery Commentary Gregory Bassham

ON SUNDAY morning more than 1,500 runners will rise before dawn and assemble in the early morning chill at Forest City Regional High School to run the 14th annual Steamtown Marathon.

Running a marathon is truly a grueling experience. Its 26.2 miles is a cruel distance, even for very fit runners.

Physiologically, the human body can only store enough fuel to run about 20 miles. It’s at that point that most marathon runners “bonk” or “hit the wall.” Then you are into a world of hurt and bone-numbing fatigue. The body goes into a reptilian survival mode and declares all-out war on the spirit. That is when the real marathon begins.

Naturally, many non-runners wonder why anybody would do such a thing. Having run 10 marathons, including Boston, New York and Steamtown (twice), I’m not sure I really know myself.

People run marathons for all sorts of reasons, some of which might be hard to put into words. But let me try to say something about my motivations.

Fitness is one obvious reason why people run, and it’s certainly a nice side-effect of running. At age 50, I weigh 10 pounds less than I did in high school, have a resting pulse of 51 and can bound up stairs like a New York City firefighter. Plus, I can eat what I want and not worry about gaining weight.

But fitness isn’t really why I run marathons. There are many more enjoyable ways to get fit than running 26.2 miles.

Some people become runners because they enjoy the competition. Maybe if I was speedier, I would feel the same. But while I usually finish in the top 10 percent of the marathons I run, I’m not fast enough to get too gung-ho about beating the competition.

One definite plus of being a runner is the camaraderie one can experience with one’s training partners. There’s no better way to get to know a person than to go on a long, slow weekend run with them. And training for something as difficult as a marathon creates a real “band-of-brothers” bond between running partners, as they share encouragement and all the inevitable ups and downs of hard training.

But, again, you don’t need to run a marathon to experience good fellowship. There are lots of easier ways to find that.

The real reason I run marathons is the challenge. For me, running is a journey of self-discovery and a dojo for the spirit.

The great American middle-distance runner Steve Prefontaine once said: “A lot of people run to see who is the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts.”

Few things reveal your true self more clearly than running a marathon. There’s no place to hide when the miles pile up and the end is still nowhere in sight. The asphalt never lies. In running, as the physician-philosopher George Sheehan used to say, you discover not only who you are, but who you were meant to be.

Running, in fact, is the perfect metaphor for life. Life is what you make it. Ditto for running. You get out of it what you put into it.

Training for a marathon requires commitment, self-discipline, determination, consistency, perseverance and resilience. These are success-making qualities in education, in business and in most worthwhile pursuits. In preparing to run a marathon we find ourselves better conditioned to run strong in life.

But the ultimate reward for completing a marathon comes after the race. For all the soreness and fatigue, what finally shines through is a tremendous sense of accomplishment. You’ve been tested. And you’ve proved you have the heart of a warrior.

So if you can, get out to Forest City, Carbondale, Olyphant or Scranton on Sunday and support the runners. Each has his or her reasons for running. But all are engaged in something very meaningful. And every warrior loves the cheer of the crowd.

Gregory Bassham is chair and professor of philosophy at King’s College, Wilkes-Barre, and has been a runner since 2003. The Wright Township resident has participated in 10 marathons. His next planned race: The Marine Corps Marathon later this month in Washington, D.C.

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