The Ellimpics Finale...and how I'm like Meb and Ryan

There must have been some political boycott or something going on because there were almost as few participants in this year's Ellimpics as there were Americans in the 1980 Olympics...which was zero.

The quantity of competitors was not indicative of the quality at all, however.

• Check out dark horse recumbent cyclist, Terzah's, last minute entry and write up of her experience with The Ellimpics. I don't know what she promised to somebody to sneak into the Games...but there she was, in all her recumbent glory...kickin' back and spinning her little heart out.
• Gracie was an unexpected entrant in the gymnastics All-Around competition. From the looks of the photos, one might surmise that this woman lives, breathes, and eats her new events now that she is running-less. I would go so far as to guess that she was kind of into her events even when she was uninjured ;-)
• And, of course, there was me. Four events in 8 days. Which brings us to ...

How I'm like Meb and Ryan.

So...I know you're wondering how, aside from the obvious like...ummmm...all three of us are humans... and we all run (though we use that word loosely in reference to me).... and we are all Americans... and, well, we've all represented the US in international competition...  just how am I like either of those super fast runner guys?

Here is how...

• on Sunday August 12, 2012, all three of us set out to complete 26.2 miles...mine just happened to be on the elliptical and theirs happened to be the Olympic marathon in London.
• Ryan and I both do not have a (non-eternal) coach and do not follow a specified training program.
• Ryan and I both DNF'd our Sunday events.
• Meb and I finished what we did in 2 hours 11 minutes and change. Granted his was running the full distance on the ground and he wound up fourth in the Olympics, a huge difference than me calling it quits after 20 measly miles on the elliptical...bored out of my f*cking skull.

Was I bummed to DNF my elliptical marathon?

No way.

Smartest thing I ever did was bail on that puppy. I realized 20 minutes into it that 

1. I am not really in 3-hours-of-continuous-intense-exercise-of-any-kind shape and
2. Three hours on an elliptical is a really, really, really long time and
3. I was already really, really, really bored and just over one-seventh of the way done and
4. What the heck was I thinking?

I really wanted to finish feeling awesome about the workout and solid in the effort. I picked 20 miles as my end point and then went after it. I managed to work negative splits the whole way and finished the 20 in 2:11:43. Then I went home and had lunch and played Gin Rummy with my kids.

I still can't run as fast as I can elliptical. I tried the other night. But all the chiropractic leg-yanking is getting me closer. Maybe by 2016? Nah... I'm grooving on not being obsessive and 'driven' anymore :)

Gracie and Terzah...email me some info on where to send your Ellimpic prizes :)

Vecchio Venerdì... I am a Liar

Back in 1997, I ran my second marathon. (The first was in 1996). That is not a lie.

It was pouring down rain the whole night before and the morning of the race. Also not a lie.

I wore a Hefty bag to protect myself from the rain... lightweight, waterproof, and tossable when it's no longer needed. Pretty smart, right? Right. Another truth.

Here is where things get murky in my memory bank...

I could have sworn that I wore that trash bag for the whole race. I have since told people that I wore it for the whole, entire race. "Yeah... one year I ran in a race and it was sooooo rainy, I wore a Hefty bag for the entire race. And it was a marathon!" Unknowingly, I have been spreading this lie around for almost 14 years.

Here is a picture to show you how the family was outfitted for the weather...

my mom and 3 of my stepkids...clearly a rainy day. 

They were such amazing troopers :)

But there is photographic evidence that I was not, in fact, wearing the Hefty bag somewhere after the 20-mile mark...

you can barely see me... just left of center...

white hat, dark shirt, pinkish shorts...

no garbage bag.

And while I am no longer attired in black plastic, I am obviously having the time of my life... HUGE smile plastered on my face (good pacing that day!)... and those are socks on my hands... it was not just wet but also cold...

I met up with these 2 guys somewhere right before the 20...

I know that... it is not a lie.

We ran together until about the 24, at which point I was so excited and had so much energy that I just had to go faster. They were bummed because I had been entertaining them for about a half an hour. I never saw them again, so I'm not sure if they made it with out me :P

So I am a liar.

But now I have made a full confession.

I did NOT run a whole marathon in a Hefty bag.