The other day I posted about running the Omagh Half Marathon on Saturday. And, sad man that I am, I spent a good part of yesterday evening scrolling through the race’s Facebook page in an effort to find a half decent photo of me crossing the finish line. I wanted to capture that moment of glory, of triumph, the culmination of several months toil and turmoil.
In my mind’s eye, I strode over the finish line like a Greek God, the sole focus of the crowd’s adoring cheers. ‘Isn’t that Stephen Black?’ they murmured to one another. ‘The renowned blogger and talented, if unpublished, author? He runs as well? Is there no end to this man’s talent?’ There would be hearty handshakes and back slaps all round as I bounded home, as fresh as a daisy.
The reality was, of course, somewhat different. I’m just one sweaty, gasping middle aged man lost in a field of other runners. If I resemble a Greek God, then it’s certainly not one who adorns art galleries and museums. I’m not punching the air in triumph, rather fiddling with my stopwatch and begging for the agony to end. I have run the race but, rather than wax lyrical, all I want to do is lie down.
It was glory of sorts, but the most gory sort of glory. It was aches and pains, and not the perfect, pretty picture I naively expected. Not all successes are ticker tape parades and front page news. Many are quiet acts of determination. Glory is most often an ugly, solitary act, gone in the blink of an eye as the next hurdle looms up on the horizon. Yet, you did it, and that’s all that matters.
What are your thoughts on gory glory?
Black Thoughts 
Love it! Man, have I been to the place you described. The picture in my mind was so much different than the one captured on film. Glad to know I’m not the only one with a slightly elevated self-view of my athletic prowess. For me the real glory is in winning the battle around mile 10 when there really is nobody watching. It’s a very real struggle that makes the ‘finish line feeling’ either sweet or quite hollow. And yes, the same is true in much of life.
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Glad to know there are others out there who have experienced the highs and lows of distance running 🏃🏻♂️
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That’s a good picture!
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Thank you.
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Wear your crown in honor Stephen. Your namesake is well intact!
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Thank you.
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I love it all! But sometimes I wish I hadn’t seen my race photos. Lol!
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Yeah. I cringe at mine 😐
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I have that same picture. Watch fiddling. LOL
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What are the odds? I was doing the very same thing, scrolling Facebook asking where is Stephen Black? Sent with my adoring cheers!
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Thank you very much 😊
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Victory isn’t always pretty. But you’ve done it. A great achievement. Don’t worry about the pictures. You’ve lived the experience
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Thank you
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Well done!
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Thank you 😊
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Sub 2 hours… that’s what I’m looking at! Awesome time, well done x
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Thank you.
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It may not be the picture you were hoping for but that medal is no small feat. In baseball they always say “if there’s no dirt on your uniform you didn’t try hard enough” this picture says you have it your all. Great job
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Thank you Dave.
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