一直敬佩坚持长跑的人。 长跑， 这项看似简单枯燥的运动， 坚持下来绝非象动嘴皮子那样容易。三年前， 一起工作的Cindy曾经聊起她跑马拉松的经历：起跑时的兴奋， 路程中的疲惫艰难， 说服自己坚持到底的努力， 以及到达终点的喜悦和成就感。我当时听的垂延三尺， 羡慕马拉松人坚持不放弃的品质。Cindy不仅是一位传染科医生，而且自己领导一个实验室， 近年发表了几篇不错的文章。她还是一位单亲母亲， 自己养大了一个儿子。相信马拉松人的品质和她事业上的成绩不无关系。 一年多前，有感于 跑步的简单易行， 开始跑步锻炼。虽然有开始， 也有坚持， 每天约2mile， 却并没有对这项运动产生热爱。每天跑这2里路象上班打卡， 起床刷牙， 只是生活中的一道手续。半年前的一个周末晨跑， 意外的遇到Julia， 孩子们的数学老师。Julia教小学二到五年级的数学， 非常会诱导孩子的学习兴趣。儿子因为她而喜欢上数学， 曾对我说他长大后要当一名出色的数学老师， 象Julia一样。Julia不住我们小区， 见我惊讶的表情， 告诉我跑步是她的最爱， 她在练习长跑， 准备参加马拉松。从他家跑到我们小区单程约12里路。从此之后， 我悄悄的把我每天的跑步目标从2里变成3里了。年初再遇Julia， 她问我是否有兴趣和她一起参加5K 长跑比赛。第一反应是“No”。 可是心里跳出另一个声音“Why not？” 这个伟大的“why not？” 带我加入到这个5K “kilometer for kids”活动中。连哄带骗， 女儿也报名参加2k长跑组。比赛这天真是天时地利人和， 春光明媚， 风和日丽， 没有丢三落四， 没有堵车， 没有迷路， 没有泊错车， 按时到场， 一切顺利。我信心满满， 在长跑的人群中找到靠前的位置， 一声号令， 立即开跑。这个长跑路线和在小区内平坦的柏油路完全不同， 草地， 一会儿上坡， 一会儿下坡。我想组织者一定懂得黎明前的夜最黑的道理， 故意把到达终点前的半里路安排在一个大上坡位置。考验啊！抬着灌了铅的腿。。。。。。。可是一旦咬牙坚持过了这一段， 那就是柳暗花明， 那感觉就一个字“爽”。 跑步一年余， 又经历了这一次5K比赛， 不知不觉中喜欢上了这项运动。 它简单易行，既锻炼身体， 又锻炼意志；参加比赛， 既增强自己的信心， 又可以感受优秀长跑人对跑步的认真热情。有百利而无一害， 强烈推荐。 PS:周末参加长跑比赛， 兴奋之余写下这篇小文。惊闻波士顿惨案，贴出此文纪念遇害者。
I have always admired runners. Running, this seemingly very simple and boring sport, is not easy to persist. About three years ago, My former colleague Cindy chatted about her marathon experience: the excitement at the start of the run, laborious and super tiresome during the process, the effort to keep up to the end, and the joy of reaching the finishing line, the feeling of achieving something great. I was green with envy hearing her experience, admiring the great qualities marathoners must possess in order to accomplish such feat. Cindy is not only an infectious disease doctor, she also lead her own research lab and published several high influence papers. She is a single mom, raised a son on her own. Her career achievement must have to do with the great qualities that carry her through the marathon game. About a year ago, impressed with the simplicity and easiness of running, I switched my exercise from swimming to running. Though I had a good start and kept it up, running about 2miles a day, I didnot particularly like it. To me, it’s just a procedure in life, similar to brush teeth in the morning or swipe a card upon arrival to work. Half a year ago during my morning run, I was surprised to run into Julia, my kids math teacher. She teaches grade 2-5 math. Because of her, my son started his love affair with math, and once said to me that when he grows up, he wants to be a great math teacher like Julia. Julia does not live in our neighborhood. She told me she is training for participating in this year’s marathon game. She run from her house to mine, about 12 miles distance. From then on, I quietly changed my daily run from 2miles to 3miles…. At the start of this year, I run into Julia again, she asked me whether I want to participate in 5K race. My automatic response was “No.” I’ve always considered myself as sport-challenged. Then, there was an inner voice said “why not?”. The great “why not” carry me to the “kilometer for kids “ race. With some coaxing I drag my daughter to participate in the race too. On the day of the race, everything went smoothly: I did not forget to bring stuff, there was no traffic jam, easy parking, great weather. I was full of confident and find a front position, dashed out with the blow of the whistle. The road condition was completely different from my daily run in our neighborhood, it was country road, a mixture of uphill, down hill and grass field. I think the organizer must understand that the darkest hour in the night is before down. They have arranged a big uphill toward the end of the race. My leg felt like carrying the lead upon climbing the last hill before the finishing line, I could feel the urge inside me to stop the run and just walk up……But once I persist through that period, everything felt so great, one word “cool”.
Now I have being running for more than a year now. I really start to like this exercise. It’s easy to do, and trains both your body and mind. By participating in the race, one not only enhance his/her own confidence, but also got to feel and share the enthusiasm from fellow runners. What a great thing to do.
