Fast and Furious, part I by Duncan Stewart

While at the White Rock Marathon starting line, I’m thinking “Why oh why did I let Yolanda talk me into this?” It’s only a relay, and I’m keyed up like it’s my first marathon. Maybe it was the pressure of someone else depending on me to get through my portion on time, or maybe it was my conscience making me feel guilty. You see, I had been known to go on and on about how “the marathon was all about individual accomplishment and the relay just detracts from it.” And here I was with a relay bib number on - Oy! Well, color me red. Could I justify it by saying that I had a marathon in four weeks and this was a great tune-up opportunity?

Anyway, after Mayor Miller said her piece and the national anthem was sung, we were bedazzled (not really) by the fireworks at the start. Off we went! First mile in 5:57 and uphill to boot. Oops, better slow down! Craig and Coby slide right by before we hit mile 2. While the hills aren’t steep, they are quite long, so I slow down a bit from 4 to 7. Then it’s down to the lake and around we go. By mile 10 I’m struggling to keep the pace under 6:15 and know there won’t be a PR today. But I have to keep going as hard as I can because Yolanda Is Waiting. Oh, the pressure, the pressure! With a dying gasp I hand off the relay band to her.

After I catch my breath, I look around for Craig – where did he go? Maybe if I jog to mile 20 I can catch a ride from a friend on a 5-person relay team. Mile 20 arrives and not a familiar face in sight. Hmm, might as well keep going. Gosh I’m tired! Finally the 26-mile marker arrives and I gratefully stop. I cheer and clap for the marathoners and especially friends. David, Lee, Scott, Dennis, Doug, Brian, Kathy & Dan, and Steve. You did great and way to tough it out, buddy! Doug, Kathy, Dan and Steve were all running their first marathon.

Yolanda is still there, so we go into the American Airlines Center for the awards ceremony, where we learn that we won our relay division. Yahoo! Yolanda ran ANOTHER PR and is deservedly happy. For myself, I decide to retire from marathon relays. J