Hello!
Happy Thursday!
I seriously wish it was Friday. It’s been a long week.
Like, looooong.
I mean, really, Labor Day was just last week. It feels like FOREVER ago!
So, seeing as it’s pretty much the middle of September, that means Fall is right around the corner!
The first day of Autumn is September 22nd!
Do you know what that means?!
Well, besides cooler temperatures (oh, thank goodness!) and beautifully colored landscapes (beautiful until all those leaves fall off the branches and need to be raked), that means fall marathon season is here!
Are you running any?
Nah, me neither.
Well, I was supposed to run one on September 1st, remember? If I’d known in advance that I was not going to be able to, I’d have registered for a fall race. But, it’s cool. I’ve got two in January so I think that makes up for it.
But, if you’re not running one, you should totally go to one and be crowd support!
Runners love crowd support.
Seriously, we do. Sometimes, it’s really what pulls us through. It can be brutal to be out at mile 17 or 23 and not have anyone around.
Really. It’s bad.
Crowds are an integral part of a marathoners race. Okay, so maybe not an elite marathoner (I don’t personally know any so I can’t ask how much they enjoy the crowd support. I think all of our faces must just be blurs to them.) but definitely the person who’s running her first race, maybe a middle-of-the-packer, a fundraiser for a great cause, someone who is running for someone who can’t or with someone who can’t, etc. We all LOVE and rely on the spectators.
And, their signs.
Oh my gosh, the signs.
You should totally run a marathon JUST for the signs!
Okay, really, you don’t have to but some people are super creative and a giggle at mile 22 can be the difference between surviving the BONK or giving in and curling up in a ball in the middle of the road.
I love making signs for marathons!
Yep, I’ll go to a race to cheer on a friend and I’m definitely making my own signs! I don’t even making a road trip out of it!
We went to New Orleans earlier this year to cheer on a friend running her first marathon.
We had a blast!
I made signs.
See what I did there? Get it? Doors … Break on Through…. Creative, huh?! No? Oh. *sigh*
I met Kara Goucher. (EEEP!)
Yep. I look like a complete dork. But, um, that’s Kara Goucher!
I saw Kara Goucher and Shalana Flanagan speed past me as they ran the half marathon.
But, the best part was seeing my friend!
We saw her at mile 8 and then, we booked it through the city to catch her at mile 21.
She had family waiting for her at the finish. 🙂
It’s totally awesome to see a friendly face out on the course.
I mean, you really have no idea.
But, if you don’t have a friendly face to see – and sometimes that happens… I ran Marine Corps Marathon last year and my sailor and the Things couldn’t come and my folks just picked me up at the finish. I didn’t run with anyone – just me, my thoughts, 35,000 other runners. – spectators and awesome signs are the next best thing.
Like some of these:
or these:
or even these:
Even More Fantastic Race Signs
See! So much room for creativity!
So, even if YOU aren’t running a marathon, I’m sure you know someone who is or maybe you happen to live where a marathon is being run, make some signs and get on out there and cheer some runners on.
It’ll make us happy.
Runners like being happy.
What’s the funniest race sign you’ve seen?
– jennifer
A Hungry Runner 