May18 5/18/2010 5:16 PM
A Work of Art
“A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected by in as many ways as they are capable of understanding,” Steve Prefontaine.
Was this year’s Kaiser Permanente Colfax Marathon a work of art for you? There were many components I saw that made me see the event as work of art, in the sense of the beauty and skill of many, but more so in how it captured a struggle of our human condition. In beauty and skill, many records were set, and although none will go down in the record books, they are all worthy of celebration. I heard from those who were running their first marathon or half marathon. Congratulations to all of you who made the commitment, trained, and were on the starting line—this was a grand success. And a special congratulations to those of you who finished, regardless of time you have accomplished something few others have. And congratulations to those who set a personal record or who bettered their goal time. And finally, congratulations to those who led us to the line, the top finishers in the full marathon, the half marathon, and the marathon relay.
In the capture of the human condition, I witnessed looks and words of pain, anxiety, self doubt, and fear, but I also saw much joy, triumph, success, and love. I also found a beauty and inspiration with the mile markers, although they might have been corny in places, their touch seemed to reach a deep emotion and provide support. Through these experiences, there was opportunity to learn about yourself and what you are capable of, as well as the support you might have from friends and family. Perhaps there is a work of art and beauty in your life that had nothing to do with the actual race, but which this race helped you to see? There was also art and beauty in how resources acquired as a result of this race were diverted to good. There was all the beautiful work done by the charity partners programs, both in the race and in the funds raised. Congratulations to the top finishers.
Finally, on an individual level, the best example of an ongoing work of art I learned of was in talking to a fellow physician during the race, who sees running as one of the only ways he has to control his own destiny. And through this make the world a better place for him and others. The specific comment he made that struck me was that he hopes for every hour he is out running it would be an hour less he might have to spend in a nursing home. So if his hope is correct, not only will that mean a higher quality of life for him, but if we look at diverting resources, this means quite a cost savings for our society. Just from the race alone, there were 3,068 who completed the half marathon in an average time of 2 hours 17 minutes and 600 who completed the full marathon in and average time of 4 hours 22 minutes. If a standard nursing home costs roughly $36,000 a year, then that would translate to a savings to society of $39,000, just from us who ran the full or half, and just for the one day (just think how much it would be when you add in those hours of training). So congratulations to all for being there, improving our own health, and helping us all, in the long run.
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