Dead Running

What better way to motivate people to run 4.2 miles than to choreograph the race to laid-back, fun-loving tunes? I guess that’s the idea behind the 2006 Jerry Garcia Memorial Run in Cambridge on July 27, which will soon become Evan’s and my longest road race yet, literally going the “extra mile” beyond the manageable yet typical 5K.

It’s going to take a little more training to ensure that the race will be more fun than grueling, but hey, I’m up to it. Because I know that when I pass the two-mile mark and my lungs start to ache with that all-too-familiar burn and tightness, that the tunes of the Grateful Dead will be just what I need to keep those feet tapping along the pavement. And in that final mile, when my mind will inevitable scream “the 5K is over!”, the sea of tie-dye’s bright colors on the backs of my fellow racers will wake me up and push me to that finish line. Not to mention the promise of the after-race barbeque. Food always motivates me.

It’s going to be a great time, for the music, the atmosphere, and the fun times. And I’m looking forward to it not only for the achievement of completing a 4.2 mile road race, but for the good times that I’m sure we’ll have that night. The organizers of this race have it right: Make it fun and tempting, and people will stretch themselves farther to participate.

They’ve already got me salivating over the Brie Burger race in August, after all. Now that sounds like a good time.