Man Watching Local Marathon Inspired to Take Up Pickleball
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A man watching a local marathon Sunday found the experience “super motivational,” Dumb Runner has learned, and said he’ll channel that motivation into his own fitness goals.
“I’m not a runner, and I’d never spectated at a race before,” said Tom Paine, 36, a self-described couch potato and father of two. “But after seeing all those runners out there, for hours and hours, suffering like that … well, it really inspired me.”
“I told myself, You know what? I’m finally going to take up pickleball.”
Pickleball, a once-obscure sort of tennis/table tennis hybrid, has exploded in popularity in recent years.
Paine said he was at the marathon to cheer for a friend who was running; he chose a spot between miles 19 and 20 along the 26.2-mile route.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect, exactly, and originally I was going to bail after my friend passed by,” he said. “But I wound up staying for two more hours, just to cheer. The energy was incredible!”
In addition to “energy,” Paine described watching hundreds of strangers streaming by, some with bleeding nipples, faces etched with pain. A few participants paused to walk, wincing and clutching various body parts; one vomited.
“It really made an impression,” said Paine. “And it was exactly the kick in the butt I needed to take up pickleball.”
