Tarmac Meditations #41: Marathon Day

Michael heads from Oregon up to Canada for a marathon in Victoria — and still manages to get some writing before daylight done.

October 8, 2010

Going on a road trip now. Heading up country to photograph the Good Life Victoria Marathon in Victoria. Victoria, British Columbia that is. Sliding out town. Gonna see the sunrise in some other place, wander round under a different night sky.

October 9, 2010

Up country. In Victoria. My friend here have a sprawling kind of house with three floors. They have put me up on the top floor in a two room “suite” with a queen-sized futon and a chair in one room, and a desk a chair and a skylight in the other. They told me it was the “atelier” suite. Sweet! Spent a gray early morning spent listening to Bill Evans, Freddie Hubbard and Scott Lafaro while writing before daylight. Talked to a friend far away.

And so it begins, another day in words and pictures. And maybe a run/walk on the beach.

October 9, 2010 (Later)

Shot photos all morning. Finished up in the afternoon and fell asleep. Yankees were up 6 to 1 when I woke up on the couch. Mets? Wait’ll next year. Marathon in the morning for the Joe Henderson Marathon Team (JHMT) and 14,000 of their closest friends. Me? I’m there…best of luck to all of you.

Canadian running legend Jacqueline Gareau, winner of the 1980 Boston Marathon, with Joe Henderson.

October 10, 2010 (Early Morning)

Marathon Day. Hard rain and lightning to the south. All you Good Life Victoria Marathon 2011 runners out there, cast an eye toward whatever powers you believe in and ask that there be an easy Oregon-inspired rain and no wind come 6:30am otherwise it will be one very long and miserable day. Meanwhile, layer up, lace up and light out. The day is waiting on your effort, waiting on your dreams. Good luck. Time for my coffee and toast and, sh*t, where the hell is that plastic thing I use to cover the camera and lens on a rainy day. Damn.

October 10, 2010 (Later)

It didn’t rain much. The wind blew but not to distraction. The JHMT ran all the way, finished inside the time restrictions, set personal records (PR’s), found some inner fortitude and grace under pressure, as did many of the other faithful who gathered here to see what there was to see on the day. Congratulations.

October 11, 2010

“They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” [Isaiah 40.31] And so they did. A gazillion miles of inspiration and example — teachers and students, runners beyond numbering, all quietly legends in their own time — all seen on a sunny day at the finish line in Victoria BC.

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is a difference. Well, okay then.

Photo Credit

“Canadian running legend Jaqueline Gareau, winner of the 1980 Boston Marathon, with Joe Henderson” © 2010 Michael Lebowitz