Spectators

     Do you have family or friends come to watch you run?  I love to run, but I think that watching someone run would rival watching paint dry.  Yet as a runner I love having spectators at events.  Spectators are the ones standing in the rain or heat when we are running.  There is dedication in that as much as training for a marathon.  With my BIG race coming up I wonder if my family will show up for the finish.  My wife and kids only came to one other race, my first 10k.  I was new to racing and events so there were many things to learn.  My wife said it was a nightmare trying to find each other.  Not to mention having young kids in an unfamiliar place.  My wife was at my first 5k, but I cannot remember if she even saw me finish.  We have also ran the same event before, but not able to see each other finish.
  At big city races it is almost impossible to get a spot at the finish line to see your runner cross the finish line.  When I ran Chicago my wife and I planned to meet up in the hotel lobby.  In Chicago the prime view spots were sold to raise money for charity.  I was 30-45 minutes slower than expected and she sat there a ball of nerves.  That combined with a trip to the triage tent I was super late.  I wonder because of what happened at Boston, if spectators will stay home.  Spectators are the ones that are giving up not only time on race day but time all training season for long runs and tempo workouts.  I am thankful for my wife to give me time to work on my craft.  
    At the end of running 50 miles I am going to be tired.  Will I even want others around me?  Will I be able to drive home?  There are a lot of logistics to running 50 miles!  This is one of many kinks that need to be ironed out.