Marathon Photos

Most marathons this present day and age have one or more photographers capturing images of the runners as they pass. This in itself is a wonderful thing. Capturing an image while in full flight can help preserve a memory for ever.

However, this post is not about how or why marathon organizers bring in photographers to photograph runners. This post is about something entirely different.

If a runner is lucky, he or she will have their picture taken at least once and hopefully several times over the course of a marathon. This past weekend for example, my image was taken some 25 times between the start and the finish line.

As I was looking through the images something struck me as odd. One would expect a progression of body language and facial expressions over the course of a marathon. In the first mile, body and face expressions one would expect to be relaxed and smooth. As the race nears the middle portion, perhaps the body would start to show some strain. Once one has passed 20 miles, well, one would expect stiffness to appear both in the body – especially the shoulders and face.

Looking at my photos I saw exactly one thing – strain. The grimace on my face never changed throughout the entire race.

Maybe next time, I will think about smiling for the camera. Nay, that would be a waste of extra energy that might push me under 2:40. LOL

 

 

Thoughts from the Cool Down Runner