On Saturday, I ran Salt Lake City's Deseret News Marathon. It runs in conjunction with Pioneer Day and the course nearly follows the route the Mormon pioneers took.
I was up at 2:15 AM to dress and drive myself into downtown Salt Lake City from Bountiful. Marathon runners had to catch the bus at the Delta Center no later than 3:45 AM. The buses drove us to the starting line up the top of Big Mountain, east of Salt Lake City. We arrived before 4:00 AM and had to stand around in a cold wind till the starting time of 5:30. Luckily they had a large enough tent that shielded the runners from the wind. I will remember the splendid view from atop this peak-- the lights of the city resting off in the distance outlined the valley floor.
During the course of the race, I met an elderly gentlemen who was running his 108th marathon. I was running my 7th so meeting him humbled me.
I encountered one of the most arrogant runners ever. I first heard his voice a few yards behind me, trying to convince another runner to run ahead of him and take his picture. The runner he was asking replied that he didn't necessarily want to change his pace just to take his picture. So the rude runner replied "Well you have to take my picture....how else can I prove to my wife that I got accepted to medical school?" (A remark coinciding with the husband of the missing runner in Salt Lake City--Mark Hacker--and his lies about graduating from the Uof U and getting accepted to medical school in North Carolina.)
And then as he approached other runners, he would say something about the person he was passing. To one lady who was listening to music, he said "If your mother knew you were listening to that she'd never let you out of the house alone."
To another runner who was wearing an American flag bandana, he bemoaned to the runner how he was using the flag as a head-dress.
When he passed me, he said "Oooo, only real men wear black socks."
I replied, "Yah, I like 'em."
"Obviously," he quipped rudely. "You're wearing them."
I said no more and he ran on.
Unfortunately, I passed him up when we went through the next aid station. A couple miles further, he passed me again. And of course, every idiot has to have a sidekick, which I failed to mention earlier. He did not say anything that I heard. He simply laughed at everything the rude runner said. As he passed me this econd time, Mr. rude runner started singing an Army marching tune but integrated something about only real men wearing black socks.
He was finding humor by mocking everyone. Not good form, in the least.
On the positive note: I have to give a shout out to Strawhat, who ran with me for a good stretch of the middle of the race. Strawhat, from Georgia, had run 23 marathons and ultra-marathons, on his way to completing 52 by the end of the year. Strawhat was a welcome running mate. We talked about running, jobs, the economy, politics, philosophy, astronomy, philanthropy, and Japanese animation. I had every intention on crossing the finish line with him but we encountered a stiff wind combined with an uphill grade for a mile and one-half. This wore me out and I could not keep his pace. I wished him well and let him run on.
I was on my way to finishing the race at a sub-four time until I hit this stiff head-wind around mile 18 to 19.5. But I became so exhausted from fighting to run in it that I struggled from miles 21 to the end. My vision even became fuzzy when I stopped for a drink. And then I got sick after I finished the race.
And I would be remiss not to mention my sister-in-law "A" and Gary.
"A", who participated in the 10k race and finished with a great time, waited around the park for three hours to cheer me in (and DVD the event). She met me in the recovery area and, noticing I was not myself, helped me get my bag of food (bagel, yogurt, and banana) and drink and didn't leave me until I was doing okay. You're great "A."
Regarding Gary--While I was laying ill in the park's recovery area, I realized that I had lost my car key. It could have been anywhere-- at the area where volunteers take the time chip off your shoe, the area where volunteers hand out bags of food and fruit, the area where vendors were handing out free Coca Cola cans. Gary went out and scoured those areas in which I had been. He came back with my key. I thanked him profusely. He replied that I could help him after a race if I ever saw him in need of it. I promised I would.
This marathon was both rewarding and frustrating. I was quite disappointed with my 4 hour 26 minute time. But marathon runners will tell you, and it is true, that some races go your way and some do not. I'm chalking this one up as a great training run for the St. George Marathon coming up in October.
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