Today’s Run: Last rest day
I was raised by parents who firmly believed that stickers of any kind do NOT belong on vehicles. I think that even inspection stickers required by law drove my dad nuts. Stickers just do not belong on cars/trucks! Being raised that way, I have an aversion to stickers on cars. That was until I became a runner.
Runners in the U.S. have a quiet bond. They have these stickers that they place on the rear windows of their cars. They are just a number. They are roundish, oblongish stickers. They are usually white background with plain black numbers. These stickers represent distances you, the runner have successfully completed in competition. I like this. It appeals to my vanity. My quiet side of bragging to other runners…”Look at what I did!”.
I had been coveting these stickers for quite some time. I wanted one. Bad. I think being a part of an elite club, like a secret handshake, was what got me into being a long distance runner. I HAD to have a sticker.
I completed my first half marathon (13.1 miles) a year ago this past November. I ran my second half marathon in January of this year. I had earned my 13.1 sticker. I drove an hour away from home to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to purchase my first sticker~13.1. I was so excited to put that on my car! My husband was less than enthusiastic but he knew what it meant to me and so he went along with it.
A week ago today, I completed my first full marathon (26.2 miles). Two months ago, I purchased my 26.2 sticker. I could have put it on my car right then and there because my husband had already completed two marathons. He made me wait! I had to finish my marathon since they were my stickers. Okay, I can go along with that.
We flew into town last night at 8:00 pm. We drove the car through the car wash after church this morning and came home and immediately stuck my brand new 26.2 sticker on the car! It looks great!!!
What next? I am signed up for a 50 Mile Ultra this coming March 1. The next sticker will say 50M. Pretty cool, huh?