Real David H.

Love it or hate it, it’s one of those all-time songs that gets stuck in your head. And it kind of reminds me of a marathon and marathon training.

“We’re leaving together, but still it’s farewell.”

In this final buildup to the Richmond Marathon — now just a little more than 5 weeks away — I’m feeling this virtual bond with others running the race or those just having done a marathon in recent weeks. We’re all in this together — we all leave the start line at the same time. And after months of training, it’s also a farewell. It’s exciting and sad all at the same time.

I’m not sure, though, what going to Venus has to do with anything. Perhaps the finish line?

As the song continues with the lyrics “With so many light years to go and things to be found …” it continues to remind me of running. After a race, no matter the distance, there’s always a “what’s next” aspect and something left ahead. The finish line is only temporary, which is kind of scary.

For now I’m focusing on getting to the starting line more than I ever have before. My attitude and my dedication is much like the first couple of months of the year before the Shamrock Half Marathon and what I did after that to run every day in April. Five weeks may seem like a long time to many, but with marathon training I’m in those crucial weeks to get my runs right, to get in a few more long runs and then to rest up.