Marathon/Triathlon Anecdotes...

MCOS

An unlikely pacer...

Last year when I was training for my first marathon in Dublin my long run took me past a pre-teens hangout corner in Limerick City. I was well used to the chants, whistles and brief pursuit of little hooded shiny tracksuits. I usually just ignored it all as I was in the last few miles and more concerned with finishing the run. Once or twice there were some dogs on leads with the groups which did catch my attention, however gladly the hounds were never part of the pursuit!
One miserably wet afternoon I approached the corner worse for wear and thankful that the rain would hold off the pursuit. There were a few half hearted chants and just one hood emerged to sprint along side me. I took no notice as I gave him about 50 meters before he gave up and returned to the cloud of smoke. A minute later however he was still there. 2 minutes, still there. After half a mile I realised he was not racing me or impressing the other hoods, he just seemed to be running with me! I was so surprised that I forgot that it was lashing and I was nearly spent. He ran with me for almost 2 miles saying nothing before peeling off out of breath and soaked. In those two miles when I wanted to stop he was perhaps unknowingly pacing me and I still don’t know why. I completed my long run that day with a sprint for the last half mile…
[So whether it’s deep and meaningful, strange or a little light hearted, tell us about the ‘stuff’ that happens you while training or racing for marathons or triathlons…

Bambaata

well while on my lsr in the park last saturday i was the only runner on a certain stretch up the hill about 1 mile after the s-bends on the river side. i passed some 15/16 yr old yobs who decided it wud be fun to throw stones at me. i saw one land next to me but thought i had just kicked it but then a few more came. luckily i didnt get hit.

unbelieveable sometimes what u can meet. how can a human being be so thick. those kind are beyond education and trying to turn around. made my blood boil but then i remembered they'll have their day.

griffin100

Living in a rural area I am well used by now to being chased by dogs whilst on foot or the bike. However on my very first ever run on day 1 of my tri newbies training plan a cow who had a calf, startled by my huffing and puffing as I ran past her field, proceeded to vault the barb wire fence into the road behind me (I kid you not) and made a short charge after me. Jesus I don't think Usaine Bolt could have covered the next 100m as fast I as did. She only made a short charge at me but I kept running for a long time before I worked up the courage to look over my shoulder to see her trying to get back over the fence to her calf. Those brand new shorts I was wearing were almost a write off.

The most embarrassing incident happened when I was again in the very early stages of training. I was going really hard on the mountain bike I was using for training at the time and thinking I was flying. Next thing a 12 year old girl on a Barbie bike with pink ribbons hanging off the handlebars came flying out of a garden onto the road and proceeded to overtake me. I have never been so embarrassed in my life. It took me about 500m to catch her up and over take her.

hot to trot

Was running on a small country road that was being resurfaced in parts . There was a council man waiting at the top of the road advising people of the detour. A dog came out of a house and started chasing me down the road and I took off at a sprint until I reached the top of the road where the council man was waiting.
He said" God you run fast!" I said ..."theres a dog chasing me."
... to which he replied as he looked me up and down " dont' blame him!":D

MCOS

hot to trot wrote: »

Was running on a small country road that was being resurfaced in parts . There was a council man waiting at the top of the road advising people of the detour. A dog came out of a house and started chasing me down the road and I took off at a sprint until I reached the top of the road where the council man was waiting.
He said" God you run fast!" I said ..."theres a dog chasing me."
... to which he replied as he looked me up and down " dont' blame him!":D

I know how you feel! Those damn dogs. Out at 6am last saturday and it was pitch dark in the sticks. I had to run past a few houses where I knew the dogs come flying out the gate. I almost ran on my tip toes for half a mile on the far side of the road, held my breath and even stopped swinging my arm so my water bottle wouldn't make any noise. My attention was 100% on the dark bushes and the gates in anticipation until I realised I was in the clear and so much so that I climbed the second hardest hill on my run without even noticing! If they put a few of those dogs on the course in Dublin I'd probably scoot to a petrified PB without looking at the watch or taking a drink en route

gaf1983

Last weekend I went over to Brussels to stay with a friend of mine and do the half-marathon on Sunday, his first one. On the Saturday afternoon we went on a day-trip to another town, and arrived back in Brussels at around half 10 at night. Anyway, as my friend explained to me, he has enough French to get by but not necessarily enough to be fully aware of every event that takes place in the city - it just so happened that last Saturday night was this thing called La Nuit Blanche in the city centre, right on his doorstep, that took us both by surprise. Basically there were concerts and street parties on all through the night. Afraid the plans for an early night went out the window, we ended up stumbling back to his apartment at 5am. Somehow managed to remember to get up the next morning to do the 21k, a well organised race etc, filthy weather conditions though (rain and wind). Needless to say, Personal Worsts all round. (Apart from of course my friend, who got a PB, seeing as it was the first time in his life to run 21km. Speaking of which, he met an American runner who was doing the full marathon who had never even run 21km before - the guy gave up with 10km to go.)