Consider the Marathon
Consider the Marathon
Boston Marathon documentary opens up discussion of potential marathon training
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Y'all, it's been a long weekend.
At some point this weekend while working through the piles of periodicals that I've amassed throughout my house over the past year I got restless.
"I might go on a run. Did I do my long run yesterday? Or was it the day before? I don't know, but I think I'll go on a run."
And so, forgetting that I'd run seven miles on Saturday morning, on Sunday afternoon I went for a little run. And I kept going for six miles.
I suppose when you get to the point that six or seven mile runs don't really feel much like long runs anymore then it might be time to consider the full marathon.
Boston Marathon. Source: http://bostonmarathonfilm.com/ Photo Credit: Michael J. Lutch
And consider the marathon I will. After all, distance and running are all relative. I remember periods of time when I was young and I could just run run run without knowing how far I'd gone or how long; I just felt the joy of running. I remember after my first post-college desk job how I could barely make it a half mile before it felt like my legs and lungs were on fire. I remember how for all my half marathon training seasons up to this point those six or seven mile long runs felt like the start of a long, slow slog, but now? I can't quite claim that these distances are easy, but with enough practice they can at least seem routine and familiar. In truth, distance (like many things) is all relative, and if six or seven miles is now a comfortable distance, then I may need to consider expanding my comfort zone.
One thing to help me with my consideration is the release of the new film Boston: The Documentary. Produced and directed by Jon Dunham (Spirit of the Marathon)* and narrated by Matt Damon, Boston is a celebration of the iconic Boston Marathon. The film examines the race's long-running history from 1897 through 2014, the year after the tragic bombings.
"BOSTON is the first ever feature-length documentary film about the world’s most legendary running race – the Boston Marathon. The film chronicles the story of the iconic race from its humble origins with only 15 runners to the present day. In addition to highlighting the event as the oldest annually contested marathon in the world, the film showcases many of the most important moments in more than a century of the race’s history. The Boston Marathon evolved from a working man’s challenge into a world-class event, welcoming foreign athletes and eventually women. The Boston Marathon became the stage for many firsts and in no small part, the event that paved the way for the modern marathon and mass participatory sports. Following the tragic events of 2013, BOSTON showcases the preparations for and eventual running of the 118th Boston Marathon one year later, when runners and community gather together once again for what will be the most meaningful race of all. The production was granted exclusive documentary rights from the Boston Athletic Association to produce the film and to use the Association’s extensive archive of video, photos and memorabilia." (Source: http://bostonmarathonfilm.com/)
The film is currently in limited release with special screenings across the nation. AMC Southpoint 17 in Durham and Fleet Feet Carrboro/Durham are hosting a screening on Thursday, September 7th at 7:30pm and tickets are available here.
Find out more:
Website: http://bostonmarathonfilm.com/
Facebook (documentary): https://www.facebook.com/BostonMarathonDocumentary/
Facebook (Southpoint event): https://www.facebook.com/events/1715551798485956/
Durham tickets and more information: https://www.fitvil.com/group/3274-boston%3Athedocumentaryscreening/
Fleet Feet Carrboro/Durham: http://www.fleetfeetcarrboro.com/