A Winner In 66th Place

Lance Armstrong is a wild man when it comes to bike racing. The accomplishments he has racked up are just too much for me to comprehend. I've seen the Tour de France in person- it's insane just to compete, but to win it 6 times in a row!!!??!! And then when you add on the trials brought on by fighting cancer and surviving...ooh la la!- as they would say in France.

I like to believe I share qualities with those I admire such as Lance Armstrong- but it's hard to find equivalent accomplishments of my own. Lance (Mr. Armstrong to others) might be out of my league.

Luvsanlkhundeg Otgonbayar, a Mongolian runner, the sixty-sixth place finisher in the women's marathon at the Athens Summer Olympics- over 1:20 behind the winner, over 30 minutes behind number 65, seemed more like a possibility. "Now here", I thought, "is someone more my speed".

I mean 66th place! If you can't match up to that- what can you match up to? To finish dead last- you have to be some kind of loser, right?

I guess she did finish. She did run all 26 miles. She did compete in the Olympics.

I've never been to the Olympics. I have never ran a marathon. I can't even imagine running a marathon. I get tired just saying the words "Twenty-six miles". It may have taken her 3 hours and 58 Minutes, but I can't do that! I would die before I could keep my feet moving for that long.

I would love to hear a stadium of people cheer me on as I finish my last lap and cross the finish line. I would love to have competed in an Olympic event. I would love to have people rush to congratulate me. She experienced it. She lived my dream. The bottom line is that I have not put in the effort to put myself into that position.

The chance to run in a marathon is not just given away. The completion of the race is not automatic. These all have to be earned. Both Lance Armstrong in first place and Ms. Otgonbayer in last have something to admire. They put in the work and both have lived their dream.

I might not be an athlete, the Tour de France and Olympic Women's Marathon are not in my future- but I can emulate their drive. I can emulate their willingness to compete. And I can emulate their will to finish.

I just hope I'm closer to Lance than Luvsanlkhundeg in results.