Sunday, February 24, 2008

Spirit of the Marathon? You Bet.

Last week I went to see the movie “Spirit of the Marathon” in King of Prussia, PA.  I felt many things while watching it, both as a runner and as an aspiring filmmaker (which is different than straight-up event coverage, although I believe a good sense of composition is critical to both mediums).  One of the things I believed is that I could have made this movie.  Of course, I didn’t, so I tip my hat to the producers and athletes, all of whom are “real people,” and all runners.  Not an actor anywhere in sight.  This year, I plan on producing an original film, probably also on running, and I’ll announce more of the details on that as they shape up.  The story is largely already in my head, and is a documentary-style film as well.  It’s time to watch less and create more.

The second thing I realized while watching is that I believe I can run a way better marathon than I did in Philadephia on November 18th, 2007.  For those who follow my blog, you’ll already know that I got my butt kicked through a series of miscalculations, inexperience with the distance, and horrible weather.  Nonetheless, I felt a kinship while watching this movie with “regular runners,” who are featured as 3 of the 5 subjects they chose to spotlight.  And in spite of the fact that I’m not one of them, you can still feel a kinship with the Elite athletes and that’s one of the beauties of running.  Deena Kastor and Daniel Njenga are both astonishing athletes and human beings, and it was great to see them both featured in the film.

The third thing I learned is that Chicago looks like a great city to run in.  The movie is basically the story of 5 runners, all of differing abilities training to run 26.2 miles at the Chicago Marathon, 2005.  The movie does a great job of showing off the windy city, and as marathons go, Chicago is one of the flattest, fastest 26.2 mile courses in the world.

I decided as a result of all this momentum that I’ll be signing up for the Chicago Marathon this year, which takes place on 12. October, 2008.  I have also decided on the following:

• To run 1 marathon per year until I’m dead.
• To run at least 1 race per year that takes place somewhere I’ve never been before.

The Chicago Marathon meets both requirements for 2008!

Spirit of the Marathon Movie Trailer