On Qualifying

The Olympic Trials for the marathon happened today. I was glued to the TV screen. There are three spots for American women. There are veterans, there are favorites, there are young guns. What would today hold?

As it turned out, the second place runner had never run a marathon before. She qualified for the Olympic Trials marathon by running a very fast half marathon. This is insane...

The marathon is as similar to the half marathon as free skate at Haygood Skating Rink is to professional roller derby.

They are similar in that you lace up and roll, but that’s about it.

Interviewed afterwards, Molly Seidel could not believe what had just happened. I teared up watching her level of surprise. Her interview revealed pure shock. Only her wildest dreams held this possible outcome. The words she managed to put together after the race were about the tribe that was necessary to get her to a finish line draped in an American flag. 

I love this for so many reasons.

One of them is that even this apparent overnight success is preceded by a collegiate track and field career, miles and miles and miles and miles and miles of what if this might be possible…

...and making the dream happen by being a barista on the side.

The dream costs so much. It’s such a privilege to watch it unfold on NBC -- even if you can’t see the thousands of miles, the hundreds of lattes, the days and days and days of unwatched miles with hearts left on the pavement.

I’m so here for it. GO, MOLLY, GO! I cannot wait to cheer you in Tokyo. 

How about you? What are you gunning for? What thing are you doing that years from now someone will look at and call an overnight success?

I can’t wait to cheer for you too.