What Are "Friends" For?

Here are 3 recent comments made by friends of mine as we approach the race on Monday.

1. When told I was running in the race this year....."Why are you running a marathon? You remember what happened to Pheidippides at the end of his run, right?" (I immediately went out and bought a heart monitor).

2. When I mentioned my goal of breaking for hours....."That's great. Didn't Oprah break 4 hours?" (After feeling defalted for about 10 minutes, I confirmed that she did not break 4 hours and felt better).

3. When asked if I wanted to play golf a few Saturdays ago, but declined because of a long weekend run....."Why go for a run? With the way you golf, you'll probably log more mileage looking for your ball in the woods all day?" (No comeback for this one. He was right).

What are friends for?