The Richmond Marathon was celebrating its 30th time this year and the theme was 1978.
I was trying to think back to that time in my life and came back with what an important time it was for me. Back then I was a Teamster working the night shift in a Grocery warehouse. I was fortunate enough to have almost tripled my income in two years just by being paid union wages. But I was restless and decided to talk to Arden Forehand, the Director of Warehousing& Tranportation about a plan I was kicking around.
"I would like to quit, but I need you to hire me back right away as a part-timer."
"You will be earning only 50 % as a Part-timer!"
"I know, but my plan is to work 2 1/2 shifts per week while I go to college and work full-time in the summers."
"You are a single parent with 2 preschoolers and you want to go to college and give up your seniority and full-time wages?"
"I know it is risky, but I have the full support of my family and now I just need your word."
"You got it!"
So a year later I started college and changed my and my children's life forever.
Arden became one of my greatest mentors and an advocate for me through the years.
I registered quite late for this marathon, so I had to stay at a hotel by the Airport instead of near the starting line downtown. So I got up early and drove to get a parking spot close to the finish line and found a city lot. I noticed the lot has a $5 charge that you fold the bill and stick into the slot.
All I had was a twenty, so I see two women getting out of their car and I jump out of mine waving my $20 bill and asking if they could help me out. They looked at each other then one said "I'll do it". I go, "You, uh, don't understand, I only need change."
They say this is the friendliest marathon in the USA and I started to believe it!
We had rain the night before, so the streets were wet and the temp was about 38. But the mood was great as we got into our corrals for the start of this race through this great city that was the capital of the Confederacy.
The first 4-5 miles was flat and everyone was having a great time. Out of everyone's windows is playing "Jessie's Girl."
The group is about is about 3,500 strong and the sky remained clouded as we toured through cobble streets and past monuments to the Civil War (all facing North so as not leave an impression of retreating).
"I want a woman like that, Jessie's girl!"
Music is everywhere and always the same song too. How great is that!
The crowds are the largest I can remember and at mile 7 there are so many people the runners have only about 4 feet wide to run through roaring crowds. It was awesome.
Then at mile 15 everything changed. We took a left turn onto a bridge over the James River and we were hit with a constant 20-30 MPH wind right in our faces. It was one of those that hit over your right eye and makes your head hurt like you ate ice cream too fast. The wind is relentless, there was no protection and the bridge is long and lonely. No spectators out on this stretch. The bridge goes for almost 2 miles. Everyone went silent and all you could hear was the wind and feet hitting the bridge deck. I look ahead and can not believe how everyone just buckled down and kept fighting their way through this challenge. No one gave up and in the end everyone had a story to tell about the damn bridge.
At mile 20 the crowds are all yelling,
"Way to go George"
"Keep it up George!"
"You are the greatest George!"
"You Da Man George!"
I look over my left shoulder and saw the legend that was George. Note to self, get large sign with my name on it to wear on my chest for the next race and become a legend.
"I want woman like that, why can’t I have a woman like that, Jessie's girl a hu, hu."
That song stayed with me day and night for 10 days after the race! Not the best of 1978 by any means.
The finish is all down hill. At about mile 25 I had hopes of finishing with a good time. At mile 26 I commanded my rubber legs to give 110%.
I broke my own record by 2 minutes and strolled over to the food tent to eat cold pizza. It never warmed up that day and it probably didn't get warmer than 45 degrees all day. The most popular tent was the one with the coffee.
The distance we travel in 29 years is amazing. And to realize today that I can do these marathons in spite of my constant, inexcusable ways of sabotaging my work life.
For example, last year our team decided to get our boss a "Make Over" for Christmas. I went along with it, but for some reason had to make a comment in February about the "Make Over" not “taking” and about how we should have gone for the "Complete Overhaul" instead of the "Tune Up."
Why do I do these career limiting things? Recently we outsourced our help desk to India and in doing so, most of my users now depend on me to open up Problem Tickets since they are frustrated with the language barrier. But for some reason, when I open these tickets and knowing full well that English is a second language to them, I talk in riddles.
"We are hitting Rock Bottom here and we're in a Real Pickle. So I hope I'm not Barking Up the Wrong Tree here, but we need this fixed Lickty-Split! I could Kick My Self for not calling sooner, but it wasn’t totally Out of Wack until recently. But rests assure, we will work with the Help Desk Tooth & Nail and that’s nothing to Sneeze At. Once you fix this everything will be Hunky Dory. Any way, that’s the Whole Nine Yards, let me know when it is fixed.”
Sometimes the reaction was silence, other times they just hung up. I don’t know why I give these people a hard time. They work hard for their thirty-nine cents a day wages.
I have something to work on during the non-racing months this winter and will report back next spring on my progress.
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