It's a walk-off

In my senior year of undergrad I shared an apartment with three other guys.  We had a common tv, attached to which was a VCR.  On that VCR we watched the movie Zoolander approximately 20 times in a two month period.  I still have a DVD copy of it somewhere around my house.  It is an awesome film.

I mention that because I spent this past weekend with one of those roommates, and at one point we had a mini walk-off.  I mention that because I can.  It was a great time.

My friend was in town because he and I, during a visit last fall to his home in Raleigh, agreed to run a marathon toward the end of 2011 (like all great decisions, this not reached in a state of full sobriety).  This past weekend was a test toward that goal – running and surviving a half marathon.  I understand for people who are running enthusiasts (or runners, but dear God don’t open that term up for debate), a half marathon is an incidental event.  I am not a running enthusiast, and therefore was not particularly enthusiastic.  But it happened, and I survived, and I was not the last one to finish the race.  So minor victories were achieved.

A few highlights of the run itself, however, were linked directly to school.  The outgoing DSA president was dressed in a full bear costume to wave to runners, which was an oddly inspirational.  About 100 yards from the finish line, a classmate from Section A yelled encouragement at the point at which I was realizing that the whole ordeal was about to be over, which was incredibly reaffirming.  A friend with whom I interned over the summer was at the finish line with mimosas for her roommates, repaying a kindness over the summer when a group of us brought her mimosas at Grant Park in Chicago when she finished a half marathon.  I saw a FY who lives a few doors away from me in our community before the race, at the start line, in the race, and after the finish line.  And after we had started to recover and could get ourselves to a bar, we were joined by a number of friends to celebrate.

A corny “Darden is family story”?  Yes, but I only have six weeks left to enjoy it.

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