Hi Trippers!

As the LA Marathon draws ever closer (Sunday is M-Day), my mind is already “racing.”

The LA Marathon celebrates 30 sweaty years!

Racing with thoughts about things like:

• Race strategy
• Weather (gonna be hot)
• Hydration/nutrition
• Getting enough rest beforehand
• Final fundraising
• Gear prep (yup, some stuff is already laid out)
• Transportation/parking
• How I’m going to reward myself afterward (it is the day after my B-day after all)

And about a million other little details.

I’m sure most of the 24,999 other LA Marathon participants are similarly pondering. We runners tend to be an OCD bunch.

Well, this past weekend, my running coach gave each T2 team member something.

A bib.

A bib that asks you to fill in a simple (or not-so-simple) blank.

Here it is:

An individual’s reason for running a marathon is a personal thing.

Reasons vary wildly:

• To get in shape
• To raise money for charity
• A bucket list item
• In memory of someone
• To train with a group and meet new people
• To get another piece of race bling
• To achieve something they thought impossible
• For the free post-race banana
• To run someone who can’t
• Simply for fun

And dozens of other equally valid reasons.

As for me?

I could give you a laundry list as to why I pound the pavement each week and choose to run marathons.

• Some reasons are on the list above.
• Some reasons are kind of silly.
• Some reasons are admirable.
• Some reasons are even a little vain (hey, we all like to have our clothing fit a little better, right).
• And some reasons are just for me.

Like I said, the answer might not be quite so simple.

I think I would fill up a whole bunch of bibs with my ramblings about what/who I’m running for.

So, how’s this as a compromise:  “I’m running for the possibilities…”

Oh, and a free banana is a good thing too.

For whatever reason… Run on!

So, What are you running for? Write in and let me know.