What did I do on Sunday? Woke up, drove her down to the SBC Center so she could get on a shuttle to the starting line, slept in my car for an hour and a half, then boarded a shuttle to the finish line, ate two hot dogs and some chips, staked out a place near the finish line, watched an hour and a half worth of runners sputter by, and took two photos of my wife as she made it to the finish line. Who feels better today? I do. (As of today, she is convinced that was her last Half-Marathon).
There were some colorful costumes. The one guy dressed in full Santa Claus regalia? I am impressed that he ran a Half Marathon like that.
A word on the Kenyans. Near the finish where I was waiting, they had the street separated down the middle. On one side was the Marathon, on the other side there was the Half-Marathon. I got to see the Marathon finish as well, and the Kenyans, as expected, kicked ass. Kenyan, Kenyan, Kenyan...what seems like two hours...then the other people. The crowd along the route even had Kenyan signs to encourage their loved ones: 'Run like a Kenyan!', 'Today we are all Kenyans!' The Kenyans continue to dominate.
It is an interesting culture that has developed around these Half and Full Marathons. You are expected to cheer virtually every runner that passes you by if you are a spectator. All 32,000 of them. I was surrounded by hours of encouraging shouts and cheers. I gave a few "You can do it!" in my best Bela Karoly, but eventually I got tired of cheering and just watched the mass of humanity pass me by.
ABOVE: Texas governor Rick Perry runs in the San Antonio Rock and Roll (Half) Marathon
11 comments:
Congratulations, Nicki!
I assume, at some point, we are going to hear about the Madonna concert?
Ray definitely "outkicked his coverage" in marrying Nicki
"Who feels better today? I do."
Yes, but that's an awfully short-term proposition. If Nicki keeps running (congrats to her!), and if you keep that diet, tell me who feels better 15, 20 years from now...
That said, your paragraph of how you spent the day was hilarious. I wouldn't change a word, or a calorie.
I disagree, jmw. Dez is a lot like a cockroach (and I mean that in the best possible way). I think he can survive anything. In fact, if he did start to exercise, or eat a healthier diet, I think his body would revolt, and he would be dead within a year.
You have a point.
"A word on the Kenyans." Heh, Indeed.
Congratulations to Nicki!
And to Ray, I loved the part when you slept in your car for an hour while your wife poured her electrolytes out over half of San Antonio. The hot dog and chips were a nice touch as well.
Ky- er, Walter Evans, is right. I've watched Dez hork down bowl after bowl of ice cream topped with malted milk powder, yet I'm convinced his body's flux capacitor converts every single calorie into energy. It's a wonder he doesn't get more done. I suspect that in addition to this blog there are probably 16 complete operas in his desk drawer.
I think an actual brussel sprout would cause him to melt like Col. Deitrich at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Verily, there is a touch of the Kenyan in him.
Yes, I am convinced it is all genetics anyway. You can eat all the brocolli you want, but if your grandparents all had cancer...you're probably gonna get cancer. That's just the breaks.
Plus, what happens to all of these runners 30 years from now? They all need knee surgery.
You will not hear about the Madonna concert because we did not go. Nicki felt too beat after the run, and I didn't care too much about the show (Nicki was the one who wanted to get the tickets). So, we frantically called people we knew in Houston and found some takers (friends of a friend). Took a loss, but at least got some of the money back.
Your wife ROCKS! Way to go, Nicki!
Ray has enough preservatives to keep him pickled for a long, long time
That's "Dez", Charles.
Post a Comment