Training Log Archive: dkonotopetz

Warm-up.

The weirdest half marathon that I have run. This started with the organizers picking me up in their van late the night before the race because their was a public bus strike. They drove 22 km. (one way) to get me! On the way I was informed about the race schedule. I paid for the race at 11:30 pm. at night on the side of the road in front of the guest house I was stating at. They gave me a race number and t-shirt. I woke-up early the next morning (5:45 am.) and walked 50 meters outside the guest house to board the bus to the start. Along the way there was confusion where the start was actually located! We arrived at the start and the confusion continued, as nobody seemed to actually know when the race was going to start. I was told that it was going to start at 7:00 am., but as the runners were eagerly waiting it was clear that the start was not going to be at 7:00 am. The race organizers found a stone and marked the starting line, as I was talking to a camera man filming a T.V. program titled "Maraton Man". He called this marathon a "hippie marathon" and the race had not even started! The race finally started at 8:00 am. and the runners made their way east towards the birthplace of Buddha at the finish line in Lunbini, Nepal. After a few hundred meters it was clear that there were many fast runners, as the top runners quickly disappeared into the distance. Overall I was feeling tired, as I was likely feeling the side effects of the trekking, travel, lack of food and lack of sleep. I tried to push, but my legs just seemed to be made of cement. I took a gel around the 8 km. mark (there were no km. markers), which seemed to help slightly. The people along the route did not cheer, they just stared, which was slightly scary. The only people that I saw or heard cheering was a group of army guys outside of an army compound around the 12 km. mark. I took another gel around the 16 km. mark and I pushed for the finish line. Nobody passed me, but I finished with a disappointing time and I recorded my worst half marathon time. That being said it was an interesting experience running through the villages and seeing the village life. At the awards ceremony I found out that there were so many fast Nepalese guys because there was prize money for the first 3 places in the marathon and half marathon! 100,000 Nepalese Rupees = $1,285 CAD for the 1st place in the marathon, who ran 2:19:00!!

Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=7049794
Results: http://lumbinimarathon.com/race-result/race-result...
Marathon Man in Kenya- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlP25OGqxqk