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Days in the Lives of Jethro Gibbs and Family

(Reference to McGee and Bishop’s marathon training is season 14, episode 18, M.I.A.)

Chapter 23    A race to the finish

This year McGee and Bishop make a strategy change for their marathon training.  They decide to add a few half marathons to their list of races and include the upcoming DC half marathon to be held the second Saturday in November.  They’ve already participated in a few 5k and 10k events. To add to the fun of running they’ve invited Torres and Reeves to join them.  Neither Reeves nor Torres have any interest in running a marathon but they do join them for a few of the 5k events.

The day of the race Bishop and McGee arrive and each hopes to make good time in the race today.  They start out together but since they are trying to pace themselves they part after the first four miles with McGee taking the lead.  Bishop decides not to push herself and instead finds a comfortable pace and still makes good time.  She doesn’t look for McGee in the racer crowd but concentrates on her form and breathing.  Eight miles in McGee develops a cramp but runs it out.  He doesn’t look for Bishop but concentrates on his speed. 

With only two miles left to the race neither runner realize that only 50 feet separate them.  McGee crosses the finish line first and Bishop is only 30 feet behind him. They gather just past the finish line and grab their aluminum wraps and catch their breath.  They stand around for a few minutes watching some of the other racers as they cross the finish line.  No more than two minutes after they both finish they see Margie Gibbs and her friend Lydia Neumann.  They didn’t know that Mrs. Gibbs was running this race. They walk over to say hello to the ladies.

“Hello Mrs. Gibbs.  We didn’t know that you were running this race today.”

“Oh hello Bishop and McGee.  I didn’t know that I was running this race either.  It was a last minute decision.  Lydia wanted to help a friend so she asked me to run with them.  So here I am.  So how did you two do?”

“Well McGee finished before I did but I think that I still made good time.  I’m pleased with it.”

“So McGee how did you do?”

“I did really well.  I paced myself and although I did get a cramp at about mile 8 it didn’t slow me down too much. How did you do Mrs. Gibbs? You weren’t too far behind us it seems.” McGee said this last part with a bit of pride.  He had heard talk about Mrs. Gibbs running marathons and he thought that if he beat her in this race then maybe she wasn’t as fast as he thought. He would then have some bragging rights when he makes it to the office on Monday.

“Oh no Lydia and I weren’t running for time.  We were helping a young lady who is new to running these distances so we ran with her.  We started out in back of the pack and ran with her to encourage her.  She did very well for her first time.”

“So you didn’t run your usual race then?”  McGee asked a little less enthused than before.

“No we didn’t but I had fun and it pleased me to help someone else.  The young lady enjoyed herself and that’s what I like to see.  I run for the joy of it not for personal bests.”

They say their goodbyes and go their separate ways.  On Monday at the office Torres and Reeves ask Bishop and McGee how they did in the race.  They both report their run times then Bishop adds that they saw Mrs. Gibbs and Agent Neumann cross the finish line a few minutes after they did.

Surprised Torres says, “Wow McGee you beat Mrs. Gibbs in a race. I heard that she runs very well. That must have boosted your ego off the charts to know that you crossed the finish line before she did.”

McGee grudgingly responds, “That’s not the whole story Torres.  Yes I crossed the finish line before she did but she wasn’t running her usual pace.  She was helping someone new to running so she ran slower to stay with that new person.”

Torres counters, “But you can still say that you crossed the finish line before she did so you did beat her in the race.  Leave it at that.”

McGee understands Torres’ reasoning but he decides that he will run his race and not worry about anyone else’s race.  His competitiveness sometimes works against him.  Maybe he might just start to run for the fun of it too.  But only after he runs his personal best.