“It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure.”

I remember seeing and hearing that U.S. Navy recruitment phrase when I was younger. It was paired with scenes of big ships, submarines, and other Navy-type stuff.

I never served in the military, but I respect those who do, and I love our country and pretty much everything about it. After all, the U.S. of A. is where I get to do something I love, which is lead the Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon & ½ Marathon.

Is LOVE to strong a word? I don’t think so. This event is so rich in history, so important to our community, and so meaningful to those who complete it. What’s not to love?

Oh sure, I know this relationship is not without its challenges for myself and the team working with me to put it together. There are just so many moving parts (and thousands of people moving all over the place!) when putting on an event of this caliber; the focus of many of my recent days has been to try and consider every scenario that can unfold and then prepare how to react when something happens.

Certainly we are not changing the course of human history by closing off some Midwestern streets on the third Sunday of October and letting people travel along them en-mass, then feeding them by the thousands at the end. But the journey and the accomplishment of completing this 13.1- or 26.2-mile adventure is so meaningful to so many, that is it is driving us to do the best job possible in helping them succeed while having fun in the process.

I ran my very first marathon in Columbus in 1991. Oh but I was so naïve! I figured a Boston qualifier was in the bag, but alas, I did not achieve that goal on that cold day. However, I finished, in my best (only) time up to that point! Like I always like to tell first timers – “no matter what, as long as you finish you will set your PR today!”

It took work, but after 10 marathons I finally qualified for Boston – doing so at Columbus in 1995. All told I have run this race 15 times, and now am “running” it for the first time in 2010. I love this race, and want every person who crosses our finish line to feel this same emotion.

I know that expecting everyone to love it is just not realistic. For whatever reason, some may only just like it! But if I don’t try, if I don’t do all I can to create an event and an environment of affinity, then gone is my adventure, and it will be just a job. So prepare yourself – we’re working hard to get you to love this race!