|
|
 |
Phil Willis Online |
home bio pics stories links |
|
|
Oct 2nd, 2002Well - it was about time. On this my third attempt at training for a full marathon, I've made it to the point where I competed in a half marathon on the 15th of Sept, 2002.All the 216 miles (346 km) of training I had done up until this point was finally going to bear fruit. This is a photo of me before the race. Don't be fooled. That's not the flash on the camera, my skin really IS that pale. |
 |
|
Note the picture of Ben Franklin in the background. You can't walk two blocks in Philadelphia without seeing a likeness of either Ben Franklin, William Penn (the founder of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania) or the Liberty Bell. (On rare occasions you can see all three.) That one in particular is Ben Franklin on a billboard for vodka, but elsewhere's there are Ben Franklin profiles, Ben Franklin busts, shabby Ben Franklin lookalikes that dress like town criers (complete with bell), classical Greek Ben Franklin statues in togas and post-modern Ben Franklins which are only barely recognisable as Ben Franklins - but hey - who else COULD they be?!? This is PHILADELPHIA man!! This is just before the race. Look carefully and you can play "Where's Willy".  Amongst other things, we celebrated people who had run the Philadelphia half marathon every year since the first time it was organised 25 years ago. They have a word for them, what is it again? Ah yes. Lunatics. We also observed a minute's silence for the Sept 11 victims and families. After that came a stirring rendition of the national anthem sung by a prominent (unaccompanied) Philly tenor. I know this will break the hearts of many of my Australian friends, but I REALLY love the American national anthem. I've already added it to the list of songs that make me cry every time I hear them. (FYI the others are: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "My Way", "It's Not Easy Being Green" and "The Rainbow Connection". Yes Kermit - why ARE there so many songs about rainbows?) I didn't get too carried away though. You'll note that I kept my hat on and didn't bother putting my hand over my heart. Hell - if there weren't so many witnesses, someone would probably tried to hang me as a terrorist. And then . . . we're off . . . |
 |
|
13.1 miles (21 km) of hell awaits. Yes - as you can see I got off to a flying start. The race was so congested at the start that for the first two minutes we were just walking slowly, trying not to stand on the shoes of the people in front of us. And then . . . we really were off . . . Every runner had a radio ID chip tied to their shoelace which automatically logged their start, mid-point and finish time with the official race computers. So even though I didn't even cross the START line until the leaders were half a mile ahead, at least I got an accurate time. No photos of the next bits so I'll have to paint a picture for you. Mile 1 Fun (and funny). Highlights included watching incontinent runners peel off the main course into side alleys to take a nervous leak. Too much Gatorade methinks. Mile 2-3 Mostly fun. Running through city streets and getting cheered on by unwilling bystanders who didn't realise that once the race started, they couldn't actually cross the street to get out of the loop. Given that there were over 7000 finishers (and probably even more starters), I imagine they would have been there for a while. Mile 4-5 Sweaty fun. Getting out into the open, we headed up towards the Art Museum. This is the same route taken by Sly Stallone in Rocky. Resisted the urge to break from the pack in order to run up the stairs, hold my fists in the air and sing "Eye of the Tiger" (FYI - did NOT make my list of songs that always make me cry). At this point it was so quiet, the only sound was the hundreds of slapping footsteps hitting the pavement. A sound you don't get to hear often. Close your eyes and it sounds like rain. First patch of trees at Mile 4 meant that incontinent female runners with too much Gatorade in their systems could also peel off and enjoy the heady joy of peeing in the outdoors. Mile 5-7 Really sweaty fun. With unseasonally high temperatures and 98% humidity, I'm beginning to wonder if I have sprung a leak. Turns out the 3kg of moisture I am now carrying in my shorts is my own sweat. Eughehghughhghguhghh. Looking at the road - it doesn't just sound like rain - it looks like rain too. Until I realised each spot was a drop of sweat from one of the competitors. Eughehghughhghguhghheuhehuhghuhghghughh. The course leads up one side of the Schukill River (pronounced Skoo-kill) and down the other. At this point we can see the leaders on the other side of the river already on the home stretch. Bastards!! Mile 7-9 Discomfort. People have gone noticeably silent. Before we were laughing, talking and joking amongst ourselves. Sharing the camaraderie that only athletes and the mentally ill can ever possibly know. Everyone becomes distinctly sullen, quiet and introspective. The sound of rain is no longer simulated. It really IS raining. (Not enough to cool us down though.) Mile 10-11 Pain. Onlookers and organisers pathetically attempt to buoy our spirits. "You're looking great! You're doing so well!" Liars. A water stop volunteer tries levity: "Come get your water. Fresh from the Schukill." The joke of course is that the Schukill is so badly polluted that I was seriously considering taking a short-cut from one side to other by skipping gaily across the bloated corpses of the marine life. Laughter may be the best medicine, but I'm convinced chopping the waterboy in the throat as I went past would also have given me the lift I sorely needed. Mile 12 Chronic, excruciating pain. No endorphins. No "runner's high". Whoever told you about those things was lying. ps Santa Claus is not real either. Mile 13 Delirious. Sentences can't I form. Talk like Yoda must I. |
 |
|
Judging by the look on my face from the photo, I must be quite convinced that the gentleman in front of me is one of the Kenyans and I am about take the silver medal for Australia. Alas, as I cross the line, reality sets in and I see that the time on the digital scoreboard is more than double the winner's pace and is actually slower than what the professionals would complete the FULL marathon in. |
 |
|
Official chip time: 2:13:51. The good news is: I finished. The bad news is, that the half marathon was only a training run for me. I have to keep increasing my distances until I build up to the Philadelphia marathon in November!! So now despite having run 216 miles (more than 8 marathons worth) already - I have another 246 miles to go. I guess I'll have to rely on the advice sung by Ol' Blue Eyes himself: "Yes there were times, I'm sure you knew When I bit off more than I could chew But through it all when there was doubt I ate it up and spit it out The record shows I took the blows - And did it my way!" Sorry *sob* I seem to have something . . . *weep* . . . in my eye . . . *sniff* |
www.PhilWillisOnline.com |