The following is a guest post by John Revans who is running the Tamarack Ottawa Marathon for the first time this year.
It all started when my son came home and announced he was joining the track team at high school. I told him I always wanted to be on the track team and he told me that was a long time ago. I told him I could still run and he basically told me I would get hurt and I’m old.
Now being from Brooklyn, NY that sounded like a dare, so I began to run. At first I couldn’t run 10 blocks but continued to run. Next 3 miles then 4, then 5 miles. Then my son quit the track team and joined the marching band so I’m up at 5am running while he’s sleeping. As time moved along I entered longer runs 10K, half marathons and in 2009 finished the NYC Marathon in 5:02. Running has most likely saved or added years to my life.
But why Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend you ask? Simple – I’m an Ottawa Senators fan living in New Jersey. That’s right – sounds crazy but it’s true. I began following the team almost from the beginning just hoping for a win or two. Then the team grew into a terrific winning organization. I listen to the Team 1200 every morning on the way to work and I listen to the Running Show every Saturday morning. I’ve told people that it was going to rain forgetting I was listening to the weather in Ottawa. I wear red on Senators home games so you see how I feel about the team and the city. I can’t wait to visit and finally see the city. So hopefully I can combine the two things I love, running marathons and the Senators. And if I’m lucky the Sens will still be playing hockey. So it’s only natural that a guy from Brooklyn, living in New Jersey wants to run the Ottawa Marathon. I can’t wait to cross the finish line in Ottawa!!!
See you on May 26th!!!
John Revans
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