Easingwold Running Club Reports

Saturday, 11 October 2008

Music City Marathon

‘Where is Music City?’

‘Isn’t it Nashville, Tennessee?’

Oh the conversation’s just sparkling at 0515 in the morning as we line up on the start line.

It is another weekend and despite being a heck of a long way from Afghanistan the Music City Marathon is another excuse for a race at Kandahar airfield. Still, it’s another weekend and whilst the Music City Marathon, or to give it it’s correct title the Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon, was held in the United States last weekend that would have clashed with the Army Ten Miler so we are running a little late. I can only assume that the young US Army captain from the medivac team (helicopter borne medical evacuation; think MASH in a hot and dusty setting) who has organized this race lives somewhere in Tennessee. She has certainly done a good job. Everyone who pre-entered has a race pack with a number, pins and a t shirt and there is a choice of a 10k, a half marathon and a full marathon with plenty of water stations and medics. The only disappointment is that she doesn’t look like Hot Lips Hoolihan.

Who would want to run a full marathon round an airfield? It was certainly not my option, although a few hardy souls gave it a go. I stuck to the half. All three races started together and followed the same opening route (no, it’s not a ‘rawt’, as the Americans like to pronounce it). A third of the way round the airfield, in the opposite direction to last week’s race, and then retrace your steps. The 10k lightweights stop when they get back to where we started. The rest continue round the airfield for another full lap. And then the mad buggers on the full marathon repeat the whole thing again.

At the 10k drop out stage I could have stopped and had a top 10 finish. I was tempted. But, I pushed on with a Canadian guy stuck to my shoulder. Having upped the pace a little I dropped him at about the 7 mile mark (not that there are any mile markers so you have to guess) and felt pretty good about that. The problem being it left me completely on my own. I had lost sight of the runner ahead of me so motivating myself to push on became a bit of a challenge that I probably failed to live up to. A final finishing place of 5th seemed pretty respectable even if my time of 1 hour 32 was somewhat slower than I had hoped. The good news was that we had been sent the wrong way so had added at least a couple of minutes to the route and the whole measuring thing is pretty unreliable here anyway, so I am not too hung up about the time. The bad news was that the Canuk I dropped appeared a minute or two after me and started his second lap for the full marathon. Perhaps I hadn’t dropped him with my superior tactics, he’d just hung back to conserve a bit of energy. Hey ho.

Next up is the Canadian organized Terry Fox 5k and 10k on Thursday morning. Another early start and no breakfast. At some point we must put the running to one side and get on with fighting the Taliban.

All the best

Gus

Easingwold Advertiser 11 October 2008

Sunday, 5 October 2008

Army 10 Miler

Sunday 5 October

I notice from the latest Club newsletter that the nights are drawing in and that reflective gear, and no doubt long sleeves and Ron Hills are required. No chance here in the southern plains of Afghanistan of needing to wrap up warm. The temperature overnight has dropped to about 16 degrees but it remains in the high 30s during the day. Consequently today's big race, the Army 10 Miler, started at the unearthly hour of 0600 with registration at 0515. Seemingly the Army 10 Miler is the United States largest 10 mile race. Starting and finishing at the Pentagon it is open to all comers, but unfortunately for us an all expenses paid trip to washington to participate was out of the question.

The Afghanistan 'shadow race' attracted about 250 runners, which was a bit disappointing given that there are over 13000 people in Kandahar at the moment. The route was round the airfield's perimeter road as far as the Australian's compound and then turn and retrace your steps. As flat as a pancake the taxing parts of the run are the large broken stones that make up the roads and the never ending moon dust that coats everything, including your teeth and tongue as you inhale rapidly. That and the fact that massive Antanov 124 aircraft pass just above your head as you cross the approach to the runway at the two and a half and seven and a half mile points.

An hour and six minutes later and I am classified as the ninth placed finisher. The bonus of out and back races is that you start to feel better as you pass the slower runners who have yet to reach the half way point and you know that you are on the way back in. I know it is not in the Corinthian spirit of ERC but it made me feel good. Better news than a top ten finish (i had managed a seventh place in the US Marine Corps' 8k race two weeks ago) was that my training partners, who are a pair of military dentists, one from the RAF and one from the US Navy, managed to place third and sixth. With three in the top ten that made us the highest placed team so a place on the podium and a prize to boot. I am now the proud owner of a 101st Airborne cap with the legend 'We have an appointment with destiny' emblazoned on it. Hoooha, as our American cousins are want to say. Don't you just love em.

Next week is the Music City Marathon, Kandahar edition. There is a choice of a 10k, half or full marathon. Half marathon for me. The thought of over 3 hours round a dusty airfield is enough to test even the most patient of runners.

Have a good week, and wrap up warm.

All the best

Gus