TR Antarctica

RUNNING the POLES
By John M Wallace

In June 1995 I completed one of my major marathon goals –to complete a marathon in all fifty states plus the District of Columbia. What could I do now to keep me motivated?
I decided like many members of the 50 + DC Club (an informal club whose members had run or were attempting to run all 50 states + DC) to run all twelve provinces and territories of Canada. I also set a ‘hidden agenda’ to run all seven continents, a goal that that I could work on while focusing on the main goal of Canada. Little did I realize that these two goals would lead me to the two greatest marathon challenges and adventures of my running career – running the South and North Poles!
A year later, in the summer of 1996 while I was planning my schedule to complete the Canada goal I learned that Marathon Tours of Boston was planning a second Antarctica Marathon in February 1997. Their advertisement stated that the second marathon could very well be the last due to logistical and environmental reasons. Fearing that it might be my only opportunity to run Antarctica and complete my hidden agenda, I decided to send in my deposit to reserve an entry. I asked me wife if she wanted to go also and was surprised by her answer “are you crazy”?
So I reserved a single slot and continued running marathons in Canada and every so often would ask me wife again about Antarctica and get the same response. In November it was time to make the final payment for Antarctica and a final sales pitch to my wife to accompany me. I also had more information by then. Marathon Tours had contracted two ships from Marine Expeditions to accommodate a total of 100 runners or passengers. They were offering two different 12-day packages. Both packages were all-inclusive from New York or Miami and routed through Buenos Aires, Argentina. Package # 1 included one day in Buenos Aires, one day in Ushuaia, Argentina and ten days on the ship. Package # 2 included three days in Buenos Aires, one day in Ushuaia, Argentina and eight days on the ship. Knowing that my wife would love to visit Buenos Aires I used Package # 2 as the incentive to convince her to join me. Her major concern or fear was the trip across the Drake Passage. This is where the three oceans; Pacific, Atlantic and Antarctic meet and is famous for the roughest seas in the world. But she was willing to accept that danger (and probable seasickness) for the reward of three days in Buenos Aires.

In February 97 the time to start the big adventure arrived! After an overnight flight we arrived in Buenos Aires. Marathon Tours had accommodated all runners in a first class hotel and arranged an introductory cocktail party so that we could meet each other. This would be our only opportunity to meet those runners on Package # 1 before the marathon because they were departing the next day. For those on package # 2 we had three days to explore Buenos Aires. It is a beautiful city with a European feeling and architecture (a nice change for those from America). There are many places to visit in the city itself but after a few days in a big noisy city my wife and I were happy to escape across the Rio del Plata River on a hydrofoil to visit the small town of Colonia de Sacramento in Uruguay. But now it was time to continue our journey on to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. We spent one night in Ushuaia and were able to get in our last training run- up and down a glacier at the northern end of the town. The most notable feature of our day in Ushuaia was seeing all four seasons in microcosm: bright warm sunshine, dripping rain, followed by snow and a stiff wind that proved to be a harbinger of what we would encounter in Antarctica. The next day we boarded our ship or home for the next eight days. The Akademik Ioffe was a Russian ship that had been built and hardened for travel in Arctic waters. She and her sister ship that the other group had departed on, were built and used as ‘spy’ ships to track enemy submarines in the Arctic Ocean during the Cold War. But now that there was no Cold War they had no work and were leased out for tourist expeditions to Antarctica. Needless to say these were working ships and not luxury liners. But they were comfortable and the Russian crew was friendly and the food was basic but good. The expedition staff, those that actually took us to shore and escorted us around the continent were Canadians and very experienced and knowledgeable.

After steaming through the Beagle Channel, the ship entered open waters and rounded Cape Horn to enter the dreaded Drake Passage. We were lucky on our trip. The waves were only about 15 to 18 feet whereas they often exceed 30 feet! Nevertheless some unfortunate people were not able to leave their cabin for the two days that it takes to cross the passage. Suddenly the seas calmed as we approached the continent of Antarctica.
During our trip across the Passage and in fact every day except marathon day the expedition staff offered lectures on Antarctica. These lectures included history on early explorers such as Shackelton, geography and the nature and wildlife of the continent. These lessons not only kept us busy but also prepared us well for what we were to see and experience.

After we left the Drake Passage and approached the South Shetland Islands, we began to see small ice floes. And finally on the third day at sea we were to experience our initial landing on Antarctica! It is important to note that Antarctica is a large landmass that is continuously covered by an ice cap that can reach a thickness of over 10,000 feet. The ocean ice surrounding Antarctica varies in size throughout the seasons and expands at the rate of 1 mile per day in the winter. There aren’t any piers or docks in Antarctica; all landings are wet. In order to step onto land in Antarctica, we had to scamper down a gangway off the side of the ship and jump into a Zodiac, which is an inflatable boat with an outboard motor. The Zodiacs transport up to 10 passengers at a time; they land on the beaches, and we swing our legs over the side, and step out into the ice-cold surf.
Once on land we visited penguins (hundreds of thousands at some sites) and seals and marveled at the enormous ice caps and glaciers. The expedition staff took us on tours in the Zodiac along the coast and around huge icebergs to explore glaciers calving into the ocean and to see seals and whales. The scenery is so amazing and awe-inspiring that is very difficult to describe in words.
The expedition staff picked a number of landing sites based on weather and ocean conditions. Each site offered something different, from wildlife to hot springs in a cove off Deception Island. Yes, we donned bathing suits and sat in Antarctica surf heated up by water boiling up from a volcano.

On our 3rd evening at sea we were steaming up the coast of Antarctica towards King George Island, the site of the marathon. That night as were sleeping we were awakened by a violent shudder of the ship and then our personal items such as hair dryers, etc. that we had foolishly left out of drawers were flying around our cabin. We had run into very bad weather and seas! The next morning we had arrived at the marathon site. King George Island as well as the mainland of Antarctica, is governed by the Antarctica Treaty system, which establishes that while no country may claim sovereignty over any part of the White Continent, countries may establish scientific bases there. This was especially true on King George Island, where seven nations maintain bases. And one of them, Russia was to host the marathon that year.
However we had a major problem! The weather was so bad and the seas so rough that the expedition staff declared it too dangerous to attempt a landing. To make matters worse, our sister ship had arrived earlier and managed to disembark her runners and they were going to start the marathon without us. There was almost a mutiny. We had all spent several thousand dollars to come here to run a marathon –and we couldn’t get off the ship! But wisely, cooler heads finally prevailed when confronted with the fact that someone could easily die if we attempted to land. So we watched with frustration from the ship as our fellow runners on land started the marathon. We were then advised to have some lunch while the expedition staff monitored the seas and tried to reposition the ship to see if they could find a safer position to attempt a landing. Half way into our lunch the ship’s horn blew and the expedition staff announced that we had five minutes to get ready to attempt a landing! Thirty hectic and dangerous minutes later they had all the runners from our ship safely on shore. What a state of confusion and turmoil existed. Our fellow runners were almost two hours into the marathon and we hadn’t started!

The marathon course started at the Russian base and consisted of a double figure-8 loop.
The first loop ran out from the Russian base towards the Uruguayan base through shoe-sucking mud that had been made worse by our fellow runners, across an ice-cold glacial stream and then up the Collins Glacier. It ascended 1100 feet to the top before returning back down the glacier and through the same stream and mud to the Russian base. The next loop headed in the opposite direction on muddy and very hilly trails out past the Chilean base to the Chinese base and back. That represented a half marathon –for the full marathon you did each loop twice.
There was no race support, no water stations, etc. We had to take four water bottles with us which the expedition staff dropped off at specific points along the course.
The weather was horrible as mentioned, about minus 2 degrees Celsius, snowing and blowing gale winds. Nobody was sure how to dress for the race. I unfortunately overdressed. I had polypro tights and top on plus a Gore-Tex suit over that to stop the wind.
By the time I made it to the glacier (about 4 miles) I was cooking. But I had to wait until I got back to the Russian base to strip off the Gore-Tex suit and replace it with a simple nylon jacket to stop the wind. The mud was a terrible problem for me. I had never run in mud before and was afraid that I was going to lose a shoe with each step. The glacier was probably the most difficult challenge, the footing going up was slippery but coming back down was worse. It was so steep and slippery that I lost control a few times and had to resort to an old ski trick of turning back up into the hill to regain control.
But nature had some other surprises and obstacles to throw at us also. The staff had warned us to stay clear of all wildlife on the course because they might regard it as their territory. Boy, were they right! Several of us were chased off the course by Sea Lions and were constantly dive-bombed by Skuas, a seagull-like scavenger bird. But everyone persevered and all 100 runners finished their races.

I had determined instantly at the start that time was not important in this marathon –survival was. I didn’t even rush when taking off my Gore-Tex suit after the first loop, an act that took more than five minutes. But as I neared the end of the race and realized that I was close to four hours then it did become paramount that I beat that four-hour target! This self-imposed target probably helped me become a better ‘mudder’ as I abandoned my concern and caution about the mud and just ran through the damn stuff. I think that I actually crossed the line in 4:00:03 but a gracious timer gave me an official time of 3:59:59! This was without a doubt the most difficult marathon to get to and then to run in my entire life!

Many runners were out on the course for several more hours and the captain of the ship and the expedition staff allowed everyone to finish in spite of worsening weather and their concern about getting everyone back to the ship safely. The euphoria on the ship that evening was amazing in spite of the tiredness and pain felt by all. Even the non-runners such as my wife were celebrating. She and several others had volunteered to help with the race and had stood outside in the cold for over five hours! Talk about troopers!

The following two days we visited many more sites on the islands and mainland of Antarctica. With the calmness of having the marathon behind us, the glaciers and icebergs seem to get bigger and more awesome as we traveled further south. On our last day in Antarctica we met up with our sister ship for a celebration and award party. Unfortunately this led to some strife and turmoil because of the staggered start (essentially two separate races). Then it was time to head back across the Drake Passage, round Cape Horn and return to Ushuaia. Again luck blessed us, as the seas were not too bad.

Upon arriving in Ushuaia and departing our ship, my wife and I took one last look at the ship as it was being prepared for another expedition; then each other; smiled and said jointly “ I enjoyed it, I’m glad I did it –but I wouldn’t get back on that ship if they give me the tour for free”!

So that is our story. But there were 100 runners/passengers on that marathon trip and they all had stories and I feel that I must share at least two of those with you. One is a story of courage and the other of romance and humor. First the courage. There were a group of ‘World Team’ members on our tour. World Team is a group of physically challenged athletes. They were all heroes in my mind but one story in particular comes to mind. This individual, a gentleman had one prosthetic leg. On his first loop down the glacier he caught his good leg in a crevasse and sprained it severely. But he continued on and finished the marathon seven hours later!

The story of romance? A couple from our hometown, Dallas, TX had just got married the weekend before the trip and thus the marathon trip was their honeymoon. Unfortunately the groom was prone to seasickness and became afflicted the moment that we left Beagle Channel. We only saw the bride for the first three days as she left their cabin to get medicine, crackers, etc. for her new groom. He was the runner and planned to run the marathon. She was not a runner but had faithfully (true love?) trained to run her first-ever half. He was very weak on race day due to dehydration, no food, etc and ran very slowly -but finished. The bride on the other hand felt good and after completing her half marathon decided to continue on and accompany her new husband – and she finished with him! But---- the next day she was so sore that she could not get out of bed and for the rest of the journey all we saw was him as he came out to get her food and medicine? At least that was their story? (I always wonder if they are still married?)


A final side note: I did complete my hidden agenda or goal to run all seven continents on August 22, 1998 at Noosa, Australia.

TR Greece

Trip Report

Greece

10/18 – 10/27/90

 

The Original Marathon,

Athens, Greece
Sun, Oct 21, 1990
Marathon # 52 – Country # 5
3:38:40

 I had injured the plantar fascia on my left foot shortly after finishing the London Marathon in April and was forced to rest and cross train for the past six months. I wasn’t in good ‘running’ shape and the foot had not yet healed but I had purchased a marathon trip/package from Marathon Tours so we were going to Greece even if I couldn’t run the race! The package included tours of Athens and five days on the Greek Island of Mykonos after the race.

 The Original Marathon commemorates the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C., bringing news of a Greek victory over the Persians. Legend has it that Pheidippides delivered the momentous message "Niki!" ("victory"), then collapsed and died, thereby setting a precedent for dramatic conclusions to the marathon.

We arrived a few days before the race so we could explore Athens to take in all the history (spanning 3400 years) and tourist sites. Our tour started at the temple of Olympian Zeus (6^th c. B.C.), one of the largest in antiquity and close by Hadrian’s Arch (131 A.D.), which forms the symbolic entrance to the city.  From there, walking along Dionysou Areopaghitou Street (on the south side of the Acropolis) we passed the ancient Theatre of Dionysos (5^th c. B.C.) where most of the works by Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylos and Aristophanes were performed.  Continuing, we reached the ruins of the Asklepieion (5^th c. B.C.) and the Stoa of Eumenes (2th c. B.C.) and from there the Odeion of Herodes Atticus, which was built in 161 A.D. and is nowadays the venue of the performances of the Athens Festival.

From there we climbed up to the sacred rock of the Acropolis, the site of some of the most important masterpieces of worldwide architecture and art, the most renowned of which is the Parthenon temple.  Apart from this, also impressive are the Propylaea, the temple of the Athene Nike, and the Erechtheion located close to the Parthenon.  Moreover, from the rock there is an impressive view of the city. Only 300m away from the sacred rock of Acropolis stands the impressive Acropolis Museum, one of the most important contemporary works of architecture in Athens. It is made of steel, glass and concrete and it houses 4,000 priceless finds from the Acropolis monuments that represent its history and function as the most important religious centre of ancient Athens.

 Coming down from the Acropolis we arrived at the Areios Pagos, the most ancient law court of the world.  Opposite it is Philopappou Hill, with its beautiful cobbled little roads and the Roman monument by the same name on its top, while close by is the Pnyx, where the citizens of ancient Athens used to assemble and exert their democratic rights. Walking farther along the pedestrian road we arrived at the Ancient Agora, which was the commercial, political and religious centre of ancient Athens.  A visit to the archaeological site provided the opportunity to become acquainted with the workings of Classical Athenian democracy.

From there, via Ermou Street, we arrived at the Kerameikos, the largest cemetery of the ancient city, with impressive tomb sculptures and stelae.  The Iridanos River, sacred in antiquity, runs through the archaeological site. However, our tour of enchanting Athens did not restrict itself only to these unique archaeological sites.

 The “core” of the historic centre is the Plaka neighborhood (at the eastern side of the Acropolis), which has been inhabited without interruption since antiquity.  When we walked through the narrow labyrinthine streets lined with houses and mansions from the time of the Turkish occupation and the Neoclassical period (19^th c.), we had the impression of travelling with a “time machine”.  We encountered ancient monuments, such as the Lysikrates Monument, erected by a wealthy donor of theatrical performances, the Roman Agora with the famed “Tower of the Winds” (1^st c. B.C.) and Hadrian’s Library (132 A.D.), scores of bigger and smaller churches, true masterpieces of Byzantine art and architecture, as well as remnants of the Ottoman period (Fetihie Mosque, Tzistaraki Mosque, the Turkish Bath near the Tower of the Winds, the Muslim Seminary, et al.).  There are also some interesting museums (Folk Art, Greek Children’s Art, Popular Musical Instruments, Frysira Art Gallery, etc.), lots of picturesque tavernas, cafés, bars, as well as shops selling souvenirs and traditional Greek products.

It seemed that no matter where we walked in Athens there would be ruins laying around in the yards of residences, etc. The history was overwhelming and two days was not enough to take it all in!

Sun was M-day. Our tour company bussed us out to the start line. The course starts in Marathon and is flat (elevation 100 ft) for the first 16 Km, then climbs steadily to 822 ft at 32 Km before dropping more than 500 ft over the final 10Km to finish in Olympic Stadium.

Once again I was overwhelmed. There were thousands of runners from over 80 countries speaking many languages and dialects. I was shocked by the European and Japanese runners smoking a ‘last cigarette’ at the start line before the race started?

Not knowing what my body – and injury- were capable of after six months of ‘no racing’ I wisely started out slow. I reached 5Km in 21:21 and 15 Km in 1:05:36 and a split (5K) of 20:56. I was feeling OK but then the weather got hotter as I climbed the next 16 Km to crest the hills at 32Km (822 ft) in 2:48:31 and a split (5K) of 29:04!  By the time I started the descent over the final 10Km the temps were in the 80s F and my foot was hurting! There was little or no traffic control over the final 10Km as we entered Athens and raced towards Olympic Stadium. Many times I had to bang on car hoods to force drivers to stop at intersections. By the time I entered Olympic Stadium I was in serious trouble. Besides my plantar fascia killing me in pain I felt nauseous, dizzy and my left arm was tingling? It was the second time I suffered these symptoms and I knew what the problem was. As soon as I struggled across the finish line in Olympic Stadium in 3:38:40 (a split of 32:31 over the final 5K) I tried to go directly to the medical tent – but I collapsed in the middle of the infield!

 I was so sick that I was puking and I couldn’t stand up. Luckily a guardian angel in the form of a German runner came to my aid and asked if I needed help? I replied “Yes” – I needed a cup of Coke to restore my low blood sugar level. He rushed off and quickly came back with a cup of Coke that I gulped down. Almost immediately I started to respond and feel better. I asked if he could get me a second cup which he did. By the time I finished gulping that cup of Coke down I felt better. I thanked my guardian angel and limped out of the stadium on my injured foot to find the Sports Manager. We proceeded directly to an outdoor café where I ordered two more Cokes.

My body felt better but now my foot was really in pain. I knew I had reinjured the plantar fascia. It did not recover or heal during the rest of the trip and I was forced to limp around for the next week!

On Mon we left for Mykonos Island. According to mythology, Mykonos was formed from the petrified bodies of giants killed by Hercules. And did you know that the island took its name from the grandson of Apollo, “Mykonos”? We stayed in the capital Hora, with lots of pedestrian shopping streets lined with brand name stores, charming cafés and stylish restaurants. Although I was hurting and limping badly we still managed to visit the church of Panayia Paraportiani, the Town hall and the castle situated above the harbor. We also visited Alefkántra or “Little Venice”, an 18th century district, dominated by grand captains’ mansions with colorful balconies and stylish windows and relaxed at an outdoor café to admire the view of the quaint windmills standing imposingly on the hillside above.

It was ‘off-season’ and cool on Mykonos and sadly the nude beaches were empty. It was so cool at night that we visited a shop in Hora to negotiate ‘an end of season’ deal on a leather jacket for me and a hand-knitted wool jacket for Nicole. We still have those jackets!

When we returned home my orthoped put me on pain killers and anti-inflammatories to control the foot injury. I foolishly tried to run a 5Km race a few weeks later and really aggravated the injury. An MRI revealed an 80% longitudinal tear in the plantar fascia and also that it had been ripped from the bottom of my foot. The orthped advised that the injury would require surgery and/or one year of rest – ‘NO running’ for one year! I cross trained (pool & bike) for the entire year and would test the foot at least once each month to see if I could run – but alas – it did take a whole year to heal! In the fall of 1991 I was becoming concerned that I would break my streak of consecutive years of running a marathon so I started training for my hometown marathon in Dec. I did run the White Rock Marathon in early Dec. and finished in 3:24:19 with only three months of training!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TR England

Trip Report

England

4/17 -4/29/90

 

London Marathon

London, England
Sun, Apr 22/90
Marathon # 51 – Country # 4
3:11:20

 I had just finished my 3^rd Boston Marathon in 3:24:24 on Mon and now the Sports Manager and I were flying to London to run my 2nd marathon in six days. I had run Boston ‘easy’ knowing that I needed to save ‘something’ for London.

 We were using AA miles to fly for free and staying at a Marriott hotel near Hyde Park for free using Marriott points so the trip was relatively cheap. We left Dallas on Thu so that we would have a few days to recover from jet lag and explore London before the race. We took a few tours of the city to enjoy most of the tourist sites such as the British Museum, Tower of London, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and of course Buckingham Palace. I would get to see most of these attractions again along the marathon course.

 Sun was ‘M’ –day! The race starts at 10 am in Greenwich. There are three start lines and the three routes merge near 3 miles at the Royal Artillery Barracks. There are so many runners (35,000 +) fighting for space that it is necessary to use elbows to keep your own space. I became trapped immediately with the group of runners in my start corral and I had no choice but to run/maintain the 7min pace of the group. We passed the Cutty Sark near Mile 7 in 52:46 and a split of 6:57. We crossed the Tower Bridge near 13 miles and I passed the Half in 1:36:30 and a split of 7:13. And I finally had space to push the pace under 7 min/mile without knocking runners down. Around 18 miles we ran through Canary Wharf, one of London’s financial districts. I reached Mile 20 in 2:25:35 and a split of 7:21 and continued on past the Tower of London near mile 23 in 2:47:25 and a split of 7:20. I passed Mile 25 in 3:02:20 and ran past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben before finishing at the Mall across from Buckingham Palace in 3:11:20. I had run negative splits and finished 13 min faster than Boston six days earlier!

 Nicole had been using the Tube to travel underground and pop up at various locations along the course to cheer me on and she was waiting at the finish line. She had met another woman (Sports Manager) doing the same thing for her husband and they kept each other company.

 After a hot shower we enjoyed a great dinner of fish and chips - washed down with ale of course - in a 400-year old pub! We stayed in London a few more days to explore more of the city and enjoy the Phantom of the Opera in the West End. I loved that musical! Then we took a 4-day bus tour up through the historic walled city of York in North Yorkshire to Edinburgh, Scotland and returned via Liverpool. It was a short and busy tour since we had to return home on the weekend.

 One month after returning my left foot started to hurt. When anti-inflammatories and cortisone shots couldn’t relieve the pain a MRI revealed a small tear in the plantar fascia. The doc ordered me to rest the foot and cross train. NO running – and absolutely NO racing! I had to cancel a lot of planned marathons over the next five months. I had another international marathon scheduled (and paid for) in Oct so my goal was to be ready for that marathon/adventure!

TR Brazil

Trip Report

Brazil

8/17 – 8/22/88

 

Rio de Janeiro Marathon

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sat, Aug 20/88
Marathon # 27 – Country # 3
3:05:49

 I am writing this report 27 years later in order to include this race in a book that I am writing about Maddog’s marathons/adventures.

 To date I had only run marathons in the USA & Canada and I figured I should broaden my horizon and run  marathons in a few foreign countries.  Since Nicole aka the Sports Manager and I always wanted to visit Rio why not run a marathon there?

 We checked into our hotel on Copacabana Beach a few days before the race and started to explore Rio. What a beautiful city! We took a city tour that included downtown attractions such as the Metropolitan Cathedral and Cinelandia Square, Copacabana, Ipanema and other beaches of Niteroi. We then made our way to the Urca neighborhood, where we boarded a cable car for a ride up Sugar Loaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar).  During the ride, we made a quick stop at a 700-foot (215-meter) vantage point to admire stunning views of the city, from Guanabara Bay to Rio’s other famous mountain, Corcovado.

Then we ascended to the peak of Sugar Loaf for breathtaking views of Copacabana Beach, the Santa Cruz Fortress and the beaches of Niteroi.

We then continued to Corcovado Mountain where we took a cog train for a scenic ride through the Tijuca Rainforest and up to the city’s most iconic landmark — the statue of Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor). Standing at an elevation of 2,300 feet (700 meters), the 1930s statue boasts a height of 98 feet (30 meters) and a wingspan of 92 feet (28 meters) and is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

The next day we toured the some of the favelas (slums) of Rio followed by a walk along Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches. We had been careful to follow advice not to wear jewelry and protect our wallets but I was stopped on Ipanema Beach by a cop who admonished me for using a video camera. He warned me that flashing such wealth was asking for trouble!

Sat was ‘M’- day. The race started at 5 pm which was a totally new experience for me. I wasn’t sure what to eat, if I should rest and how my body would react to starting in the heat of the day and finishing in the dark? The race started and finished in Copacabana. It was very HOT & humid at the start. Around the 10-mile mark the course went up onto an elevated freeway where there was no protection from the sun and the heat was brutal! I had foolishly set a goal to run a sub 3-hr race.  By the time the sun set and the temps cooled a bit I was already dehydrated and struggling. At 20 miles I was in trouble! The left side of my body felt numb and my left arm was tingling? I felt nauseous & dizzy? I knew I was dehydrated but was I having a heart attack or suffering heat exhaustion? I slowed down and struggled across the finish line in 3:05.

 I walked straight to the medical tent for help! Nobody spoke English. I tried to use sign language to explain my symptoms and problems. Luckily one doctor understood some of my cries and was experienced with treating runners at a finish line. Before the nurses could stick an IV into me for dehydration he gave me a glass of orange juice. I drank it down and ‘immediately’ started to feel better? I drank another glass and the tingling in my arm stopped and the nausea went away? I was suffering from low blood sugar and the sugar in the juice helped restore my levels. This was the first time I had suffered these symptoms but it was not to be the last! I thanked the doc, got up off the bed and walked outside to find the SM. We walked directly to an outdoor cafe and order two large Cokes. After I gulped then down I was almost back to normal.

On sun we were tired of the hustle & bustle of Rio so we hired a car & driver to drive us down the coast to the small village of Paraty. It was remote, rural and very pretty – and much quieter than Rio. We enjoyed a peaceful day exploring Paraty and the coast.



It was time to go back home & back to work. We enjoyed our trip to Rio. I can’t really say that I enjoyed the race but I did finish Country # 3 and my 2^nd continent. I didn’t know yet that I had begun a quest to run all seven continents?
 

 

 

 

 

RR Reno

 

Race Report

Race Results:
Sun, Sept 19, 1982
Silver State Marathon
Reno, NV
3:28:24
Marathon # 1 – Country #1

It’s Sunday, September 19, 1982. Reno, Nevada. Or more precisely if you care about these things, the Bower Mansion on Washoe Lake, 20 miles south of Reno on Highway 395. Just beside a rock with graffiti on it. Dozens of runners are approaching the start line of the Silver State Marathon. There’s a blonde haired 38-year old male runner on the right side of the start line. He’s wearing a Silver State Strider singlet. Race number 324 is pinned to the front. He’s a home town boy.

He looks fit and feels good. But he’s nervous. He doesn’t know anyone at the start line. He doesn’t know much about running a marathon. It’s his first time. He started running a few years ago to lose the weight he gained when he quit smoking. He’s run a few short races in Reno –5K and 10K events – but got discouraged with those short distances when his oldest son –Chris, 11-years old with no training – whomped his butt in a recent ‘Fathers and Sons’ 5-mile race. John, for that is his name, decided to run longer distances, as he always feels his best and most comfortable when he ran 8 to 10 mile long runs on the weekends. He always felt that something relaxing and wonderful ‘kicks in’ after 4 or 5 miles out on the road.

But why run a marathon? Destiny? A mid-life crisis; trying to prove that 38 is not the end of his life (or, giggle, manhood)?

 When he announced to his family and friends that he would run a marathon just a few months earlier he had absolutely no idea how to train for a marathon. But now he’s ready. No not really, but as ready as he’ll ever be for his first marathon. Who ever really feels ready for their first marathon?

 He’s standing at the start line, unaware that this will change his life. He had read somewhere that a 3:30 marathon (8-minute mile pace) was recognized as a challenging and important target for most marathoners so that has become his goal.

It’s 6am. The race starts. Immediately the adrenaline starts flowing. So too, does the inexperience. He goes out at a 7:30 mile pace – to give himself lots of margin he thinks – he’s expecting to slow down a bit in the last 6 miles. But he can’t help himself. He follows the lead group, running the first mile at a sub 7-minute mile pace.

He soon realizes he can’t keep up with these top runners and backs off.

 He reaches the halfway mark – 13.1miles – in one hour and 38 minutes, doing great, feeling great. He’s on schedule. But he senses that he can’t sustain the pace, and so drops off to an 8-minute mile pace. At Mile 18 his legs are rubbery and very heavy. It’s a struggle now. It’s hurting to run an 8-minute mile pace. By Mile 20 his legs have turned to cement. He can’t believe how much it hurts just to keep his legs moving at what he thinks is an unbelievably slow 9-minute mile pace. But he tells himself he is tough and can handle this for another 6 miles.

At 22 Miles he runs into an 8-foot high, 8-foot wide solid brick wall stretched across the marathon course. This is his first experience with ‘The Wall’.

It is not pleasant. His body has been hit with a giant sledgehammer. But he must finish. His family is waiting for him at the finish line. So too, he thinks, is his manhood. He tries to run again. Nope. His body shuts down. Refuses to move. He tries to walk and run but the pain is excruciating, the fatigue unbearable. He starts cursing and screaming at himself.  He looks up to the sky and prays, ‘please, please God, just help me finish this race – ‘ALIVE’- and I promise I’ll never do anything so stupid ever again’. He’s desperate.

 BUT he begins to walk, his body now allowing this simple motion without unbearable pain. He tries to run again but he’s not accumulated enough prayers to withstand the pain. By Mile 24 his body is bored with relentless pain and so cuts him some slack. He starts to walk and run; pain and curses still with each step but he’s moving faster and prayers are no longer needed. At Mile 25 he realizes that if he can run the last mile lightly he can still finish under that ridiculous time of 3:30. Why is that so important? He has no idea right now. More pressing matters are on his agenda.

 Finally, he finally crosses the finish line. It’s a time of 3:28.

 To the loud and exuberant cheers of his family he replies, in a hushed and beaten voice, ‘I will NEVER, EVER run another marathon as long as I live!’