More than a marathon photo…

My marathon photo is on the Pebble Beach website!

I suppose if I were a photographer, or I lived in Monterey County, or if I worked at Pebble Beach, this wouldn’t seem like such a headline.   But, none of those scenarios apply to me.  I live in the Midwest, I’m not a photographer, but I do run marathons…  most recently the Big Sur International Marathon.

OK – so I’m not even in this photo… What’s the big deal?

Yes, I know.  It’s not a photo of me.  It’s a photo I took while running the marathon from Big Sur to Carmel.

What you see in this photo will depend on your view, your perspective.  Some may see the beautiful California coast on an overcast spring morning.  Some may focus on the runners.  Some may wonder why I care so much about a photo that I’m not actually in…

What do I see in this photo?  I see a mile long stream of runners in front of me, all working toward a significant personal goal.  I see an overcast sky that I was grateful for so that we had relief from the heat and sun.  I see one moment captured in time on a day in which thousands of people ran up the ragged California coast for 26.2 miles.   I see that one of my most meaningful marathon photos from the event isn’t a selfie, but one that represents the experience, the journey.

Still not sure how my photo got onto Pebble Beach’s website?

By reconnecting… When I traveled to Monterey for the marathon I reconnected (after 20+ years) with someone who used to live in my small hometown of Stockton, IL – and she now works for Pebble Beach Resorts (thank you facebook).  She and her husband showed me a side of the Monterey area that I would not have experienced on my own.  How grateful I was that they gave of their time to share their love of the Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Pebble Beach area with me.  They made my travel experience so much richer than if I had been alone as a tourist.

When my friend contacted me a few weeks later to ask about using one of my photos as part of her professional role with Pebble Beach’s website – is there any doubt about my saying ‘yes’ to sharing that marathon moment with others?

Travel marathons are bigger than just one event spanning 26.2 miles.  The journey includes the hundreds of miles you ran to prepare.  The journey may include a thousand or more miles of travel.  You may feel like your traveling alone, you may feel at times like you’re running alone during the marathon, but you’re not.  Connect with others.  Reach out.  Explore.  Share your journey.  In the end, you will have more than a marathon to remember.