Zany orange zeal

If you've seen any of the long track speed skating during the Olympics, you've probably noticed the Dutch fans. They love their speed skating and they're nuts! I mean, nuts in a good, wacky, patriotic way.

Check these people out:


They have what Mary Carillo has called "zany orange zeal."

They cheer. They sing. They dress all in orange and wear wacky orange wigs. They lo-o-o-o-ve their speed skating.

After watching those fans, I got to thinking. Where's my zany orange zeal? Is there anything that I am so jazzed about that I would consider wearing bright orange capri-length overalls -- in public, with a contrasting neon orange top underneath -- for?

I didn't go to a college with a big sports program. My son isn't even in school yet so I can't cheer from the stands for him. While I'm a huge Yankees fan, I'm just a fan. I don't even go to the games now that we are no longer in NYC.

Running? Do I have zany orange zeal for running? Well, not for races, necessarily. Sure, I was cheering with every ounce of my body when Meb won the NYC Marathon but that's not zany orange zeal. I wasn't so passionate about the event that I had to drive 2.5 hours south to watch the race, while dressed in my red, white and blue best.

No. I am a running fan, but not one with the same kind of zeal.

The Olympics? Well, kinda. I love the Olympics. I love rooting for Team USA. I was nervous during short-track speed skating when the Koreans fell and USA took silver and bronze. I was cheering hard during snowboard cross. And I held my breath as Bode Miller barreled down the mountain to bronze.

But, again, no real zany orange zeal. I was watching from my couch. Wearing sweats. Black sweats. Nothing zany there.

My zany orange zeal is a little more private. As I thought and thought and thought about this (too much time thinking? Maybe . . . ), I determined that I have some zany orange zeal for me. For this person. Me. Not in some weird "I'm good enough and gosh-darnit people like me!" type of way.

My zany orange zeal exists for me and my running. I feel it when I'm running my neighborhood loop and thinking about my upcoming race. I imagine myself running a strong leg in the Winter Marathon Relay (on Sunday! Yikes!). I pump myself up. I think about how I'll start and how I'll finish. What my time will be. I cheer for myself with a zany orange zeal that you would only know existed if you could peek inside my mind.

And sometimes, I imagine future races -- like when I'm burying the masters competition, or setting a series of new PRs, or running Boston just months after a stellar BQ race. I pull out all kinds of zany orange zeal in those moments.

None of it may happen. Some of it might. Who knows. But it doesn't matter because those moments of dreaming and imagining are fun and inspiring and I enjoy them.

I am my own Dutch fan.

So much of running is about striving -- to run better, smarter, faster, whatever. To do more. To continue. To strive, and thrive while striving, I guess I need some zany orange zeal. And I'd argue that we all do. I'd argue that imagining what could be is an important part of running.

So, what about you? Do you have any zany orange zeal? Gonna muster some up for yourself? I think that would be a good idea.

Have a great day, everyone!

~ Felice