Run For Your Life is a documentary about Fred Lebow and the beginnings of the New York City Marathon.
The movie focuses on Lebow's role as director of the NYCM and how his energies, ideas and tireless passion for running made the city's marathon in to the premiere running event that it is today. Regardless of his faults, it is hard to argue that the NYCM could have evolved into the mega-'thon that is today without him.
Watching the movie made me want to run New York. I've done two marathons - one medium-sized and one mega-'thon - and I enjoyed the medium-sized race far more. Having to arrive at the race hours ahead of time, wait 16 minutes after the gun just to cross the finish line, and fight people at water stations were not worth the "experience" of running the Marine Corp Marathon.
Despite an aversion to the large marathons, I began having visions of running through the five boroughs of New York City. Hitting the "Wall of Sound" as you run onto First Avenue at the 16th mile is supposed to be an amazing experience. Maybe I will run that one...just the one time.
The most inspiring part of the movie was the footage of Lebow running NYC at age 60, only 3 years after being diagnosed with brain cancer. It was the only time he ran "his" marathon. Lebow shows just what an amazing man and a wonderful character in the history of running and marathoning.
Beyond all the wrangling and hype of creating a major annual marathon, Lebow was passionate about getting other people passionate about running. And he succeeded! Watching Run For Your Life made me even more exciting about restarting my running on Monday.
Today's Daily Dozen:
1 hour Hill Intervals on the Treadmill
1+ hours Wii Fit - lots of the strength exercises
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