Thursday, June 05, 2008

Nobody Does it Better

Amy and Tom, the fine folks behind Runner's Lounge, are celebrating the site's first anniversary by encouraging us to post the best posts of the past year. I've gotten some great feedback from my friend Internet on my post about the last 6.2 miles of my first marathon, and I got a crazy amount of comments when I posted all about my butt.

But to me, Runner's Lounge is not an opportunity to remind everyone of how awesome my butt is (though obviously I'm sure the appreciation of my heiney was part of Tom and Amy's original vision), but rather a way to connect with, and be inspired by other runners. Reading other running blogs has honestly made me a better runner.

You guys are a constant source of inspiration. The Laminator wrote a great post about the way a good run can make any day better. I defy you to read Marathon Dude Bill's race report about Boston and not want to put on your shoes and hit the road. Or check out Kent's Power Climb and marvel at what a total bad-ass he is. And when I read Non-Runner Nancy's recap of her first triathlon, I wanted to put on some red lipstick and nail polish and join her and Amy.

I find myself cheering for my BRFs, like when I read POM/Jessica's triumphant half marathon race report. I gave a big "hell yeah" when one of the other Running Betsys threw down the gauntlet: she set the goal of qualifying for Boston. And when my friend Sandy finishedher very first trisko, I'm sure she heard me yelling "GO SANDY" all the way in Virginia.

I also find myself admiring how brave, strong, and tough my BRFs are. Jessica at 21 Days realized the value of failing. Kate blogged about her struggles with depression and anxiety. And yet another Runner Betsy realized that fear is holding her back. And despite incredibly bad conditions, Tom finished the Chicago marathon like the class act that he is.

Even when you guys are injured, you help me out as a runner. Nibbles saw light at the end of the tunnel when she found a good sports doctor. And the story that Frayed Laces tells about finishing her first marathon with a broken pelvis should be required reading for all runners.

We BRFs can kick up all kinds of righteous indignation on each other's parts. We read about Meg's ridculously competitive friends and Laura's manager's theory that running a marathon is easy, and we are ready to throw down.

Other posts are just instant classics. Chloe Elizabeth's Dear You to the marathon is great reading, and Amy's Running Handicap Calculator is an idea whose time has come. Plus, I've got to love RazZDoodle, a man who hates the treadmill just as much as I do.

Finally, you people crack me up. I loved reading about Vanilla "accidentally" cross dressing, or the time that Topher tried to earn a Garmin by potty training his son. There was the plan Nitmos had to torture marathoners. And of course, there is something special about Marcy's gallery of bathroom shots.

So, let me sing you out. There is of course, Madonna:

Time goes by so slowly for those who wait
No time to hesitate
Those who run seem to have all the fun


But this calls for Carly Simon.
Nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as well* as you
Baby, you're the best




*lyrics actually say "good," but that offends me gramatically

9 comments:

Meg said...

Aw that was a great post! I love your Jack stories, and I always picture you approaching running with such determination and experience!

Amy@RunnersLounge said...

Betsy -

This is a fabulous post! Not just because you mention some of your own, but also because I share so many favorites with you. Classic, classic posts!

Amy

Marcy said...

Awwhhh what a sweet post!! ;D ;D It's link central up in here! Nothing makes me laugh more than a mother who calls her child "crazy ass" HAHAHAHAA Ooohh I still love that post you did.

Irish Cream said...

Amazing post! I've got so much great reading material ahead of me . . . thanks for kindly sharing these classics with us! I have a feeling my google reader is about to become out of control! :)

Nancy said...

HA HA, great post!! And thanks for the shout out. Your naming the trisko is one of my favorites and all hail your heiney!! :D

Tom@RunnersLounge said...

Betsy, you're awesome!

You flatter lots of us, but more importantly, you just gave us a great reading list for the next few days.

We love reading your posts and look forward to seeing you this summer and maybe again in the fall at some races.

Thanks!

Tom

thebets said...

Dear Betsy and her awesome butt,
Thanks for the shout out and the list of required reading! Great post!

Nitmos said...

Great collection of "reads". I'm glad I carved a niche on how to torture marathoners. Very proud.

Laura said...

What a fantastic way to celebrate the Runners' Lounge community! As I read through your list, it reminded me just how much it IS a community. I found myself remembering a lot of the posts from when they first happened, and it reminded me of sitting around with a lot of old, dear friends saying "remember when...?"

Really, really great :)