January 25, 2012

This former marathon running news dog would like to give a shout out to former State Rep. John Burnett and his wife, Ingrid, who recently finished the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Phoenix on Jan. 15 – all 26.2 miles of it.

Training for a marathon is a huge commitment that requires mental grit, physical stamina and the time to throw down weekly mileage totals that push 80 or 100 miles, all on foot – rain or shine.

Ingrid was also recognized as being one of the top fundraisers at the race for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training, raising a little over $4,900 for the cause. Running 26.2 miles is as mental as it is physical. Runners who tackle the challenge, including this newspooch many moons ago, speak often of hitting “the wall,” that mental and physical point at which the mind starts to play tricks on the body and the body starts to quickly break down. There’s an image from the old Wide World of Sports of an Olympic marathoner who hit “the wall” as she entered the stadium at the finish line. While she finished the 26.2-mile race, the haunting images of her on the track struggling to finish are frightening. But those who’ve run through that stage understand the overwhelming exuberance and once-in-a-lifetime thrill of completing what 99 percent of the rest of society can only watch in amazement.

A hearty newshound high five goes out to both Ingrid and John for finishing and winning for a great cause!