Runners are overcomers - sometimes when you know a little bit about what a runner has had to overcome to get where they are, you value their achievements all the more.. so to the runners who have worked hard and overcome obstacles I know nothing about and never will, well done!
Back to reality, today's Women's Fun Run of 5k (or a little longer) saw 1000+ entrants (872 finishers) streaming around the paths at Commonwealth Park. A few of our geese were there; Southy won the W50 section in 19.05 and ran 7th outright; Katie was probably 3rd in the W40s in 20:45, 17th overall, just behind my friend Ruth; Maria was about 20th and 2nd W50 in 20:58; Michelle Wells showed she is coming back to form in 21.20, her good time due to the fact that she is training up for the half marathon in six weeks' time; Kathy Sims well up in the W55s, maybe first or second? in 23.47; Charmaine 24.24 and pleased with her time; Annemarie 25.40; Pam 26.07; Carolyne 26.55; Kerry Boden just under 29 minutes. No Amanda, who did not start, saving herself for Easter; no Helen, Charlie, Emma, or Thea. A perfect day; cool, still, sunny; just what we would like for the marathon in a fortnight's time
Thea reports running a marathon the other day in 21 hours and 50 minutes, see this post. This heroic effort reminded me of the slowest official New York Marathon finish, achieved by Bob Ireland who crossed the finish line on Thursday, November 6, 1986, as the New York City Marathon's 19,413th and final finisher - the first person to run a marathon with his arms instead of his legs! Bob, who was 40 years old, had his legs blown off in Vietnam. He recorded the slowest time in the marathon's history: 4 days, 2 hours, 48 minutes. Now there's an overcomer.
Normal training this week....... see you there.
Back to reality, today's Women's Fun Run of 5k (or a little longer) saw 1000+ entrants (872 finishers) streaming around the paths at Commonwealth Park. A few of our geese were there; Southy won the W50 section in 19.05 and ran 7th outright; Katie was probably 3rd in the W40s in 20:45, 17th overall, just behind my friend Ruth; Maria was about 20th and 2nd W50 in 20:58; Michelle Wells showed she is coming back to form in 21.20, her good time due to the fact that she is training up for the half marathon in six weeks' time; Kathy Sims well up in the W55s, maybe first or second? in 23.47; Charmaine 24.24 and pleased with her time; Annemarie 25.40; Pam 26.07; Carolyne 26.55; Kerry Boden just under 29 minutes. No Amanda, who did not start, saving herself for Easter; no Helen, Charlie, Emma, or Thea. A perfect day; cool, still, sunny; just what we would like for the marathon in a fortnight's time
Thea reports running a marathon the other day in 21 hours and 50 minutes, see this post. This heroic effort reminded me of the slowest official New York Marathon finish, achieved by Bob Ireland who crossed the finish line on Thursday, November 6, 1986, as the New York City Marathon's 19,413th and final finisher - the first person to run a marathon with his arms instead of his legs! Bob, who was 40 years old, had his legs blown off in Vietnam. He recorded the slowest time in the marathon's history: 4 days, 2 hours, 48 minutes. Now there's an overcomer.
Normal training this week....... see you there.
