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1998 1998 Chicago MarathonI am usually confident and relaxed before a race, but not this year’s Chicago Marathon. I was having weird feelings, I was afraid and nervous. I didn’t want to embarrass my family and friends and all my fans that were watching. After last year’s race people either told me that I would break the record this year or that I was a fluke. Either way, I had something to prove. And two weeks before the race I had hurt my ankle. I cut down my mileage below what I had hoped to run and used ice and anti-inflammatory medicine to keep the swelling to a minimum. The last few days before the race I met and spent time with many of the other elite runners. We have good relationships, one of the nice things about running. I began to feel a little more relaxed. I was able to get in a couple of short runs. In the marathon, there is no one best runner. There are many months of planning and anything that might go wrong in the last few days can cause all this work to go down the drain. Very often, the person with the least amount of pressure wins. This has been true in many of the Olympic marathons and it was true for me last year. There was a little arguing about the pacing before the race. Since I was the returning champion, I was able to choose the pace we would go out at. We would have three runners pacing us, with Leonid Svetsov trying to go out at between 1:03:15 and 1:03:20 for the first half. Some of the Kenyan runners wanted to go under 1:03 for the first half, but this would have been to fast, and in the end, they did not try this. During the first half of the race I was very comfortable, but the injury was on my mind. My cardiovascular system was fine, and it felt like jogging. I thought the weather was perfect, much cooler and less humid than what I was used to in New York. During parts of the race I felt a chilly breeze. I paid some attention to Thys and Tanui, who I felt would be my strongest competition. Svetsov took us through the half way mark in 1:03:28, which was a little slow, but fine with me. After the half, about the 22km mark, my ankle started to hurt. About the 20 mile mark, Kahugu took off, I think running a 4:42 mile and got a little lead. Thys and Osoro were behind him and then Tanui and myself. After waiting a little, I caught back up to Kahugu. I knew he didn’t have enough speed, but I had watched him win at Cleveland. With three miles to go I got a cramp in my left leg, first in my calf, then my hamstring. I had taken a lead over Osoro, but when he went by me it was like he was running a 1500 and I was running a 10000. I was looking behind me, but if someone else had come up to pass me, I would not have been able to keep up. It was the most painful race of my life. I worried that if I tried to go any faster, I wold have caused permanent damage. I thought about dropping out. But I thought to myself that I must finish, that there was so much training, commitments to my fans, family and the Chicago Marathon, that I must finish. But I learned that it is not a good idea to run a marathon with an injury. After finishing, I went to the medical tent because I had the leg cramps. I was massaged and eventually was able to go to the awards ceremony in a wheelchair. I started to feel dizzy then and they took me back to the medical tent for an IV. It was written that I was severely dehydrated, but that wasn’t true; it was the injury that caused my problems. I drank at almost all the water stops during the race, much more than I drink in training. In all I spent two and one half hours in the medical tent, a place I had never been to before. The pain was so intense in the afternoon, that I went to the Emergency Room that evening. X-Rays showed that I didn’t have a fracture. It has been so swollen that I wasn’t able to step on it for five days. I have had some minor foot surgery in the last few days and can walk gingerly on it now. I will start running in the water. I found this to be a very successful way of training while injured at the end of last year. After last year’s win and this year’s success I was expected to do well and I hoped to run faster, leading to lots of pressure. Now Osoro will be under the same pressure. Even though I didn’t win this race, I feel proved myself a marathoner. I didn’t run as fast as I can, but I have a chance to make up for it next year. I will not be racing again this year, so I will see you all next year. 1.Ondoro
Osoro,
KEN,
2:06:54 Harvard Pilgrim 5KThe
Harvard
Pilgrim
Downtown
5K
is
one
of
my
favorite
races.
I
have
been
there
for
five
years
including
this
year,
which
was
my
best
year
because
I
finally
won
the
race.
I
always
wanted
to
win
this
race.
Before
the
race
I
was
very
nervous
because
I
am
training
for
The
LaSalle
Banks
Chicago
Marathon
and
I
was
afraid
of
not
having
the
speed
that
the
other
athletes
have.
Well!
It
is
normal
to
be
nervous.
They
are
training
for
short
races
and
I
am
training
for
the
longest
one
and
also
I
have
the
pressure
of
everybody
wanting
me
to
win.
But
my
goal
was
to
get
this
victory
and
I
was
getting
ready
for
it
mentally
and
physically
as
well.
The
day
of
the
race
I
felt
even
worse
because
I
was
just
coming
from
running
my
long
run
6
days
before
and
I
needed
the
speed.
But
like
I
always
do,
I
visualize
myself
doing
the
best
for
me
and
the
best
for
my
fans.
I
went
to
the
starting
line
with
one
goal
in
mind.
Winning
the
race.
I
thank
God
for
guiding
me
well
through
the
race
and
helping
me
to
find
the
strength
and
the
speed
needed
to
win
this
race.
I
also
thank
to
all
of
you
for
your
support
and
for
believing
in
me.
Now
that
I
am
getting
so
close
to
Chicago
I
feel
better
and
better.
And
believe
me
I
am
really
looking
forward
to
running
the
race.
And
Ihope
for
your
support
no
matter
what
can
happen. Top 10: 1 KHALID KHANNOUCHI M 27 MOROCCO 4:20 13:27
2 STEPHEN KIOGORA M 26 KENYA 4:22 13:32
3 PETER GITHUKA M 29 KENYA 4:22 13:32
4 JAMES KARIUKI M 27 KENYA 4:22 13:33
5 JOSHUA CHELANGA M 23 KENYA 4:22 13:33
6 HEZRON OTWORI M 25 KENYA 4:24 13:40
7 JAMES BUNGEL M 26 KENYA 4:25 13:42
8 PAUL MBUGUA M 32 NEW PALTZ NY 4:26 13:45
9 ISSIAH KUREISHA M 23 KENYA 4:26 13:46
10 GODFREY KIPROTICH M 27 KENYA 4:26 13:46
A World Record at New HavenMy
experience
at
the
New
Haven
20K
was
exciting
and
enjoyable
like
other
races.
It
felt
like
home
due
to
being
very
close
to
New
York. I
prayed
for
good
weather,
but
the
day
of
the
race
came
out
to
be
very
humid. Visit
the
New
Haven
Road
Race
site
for
full
results.
Top 10: 1 Khalid Khannouchi 57:37 2 Stephen Kiogora 58:47 3 Luke Cherono 59:21 4 Joshua Chelang'a 59:38 5 Joe Kamau 59:57 6 John Kagwe 1:00:46 7 Paul M'Bugua 1:00:57 8 Terrance Mahon 1:00:58 9 Todd Resser 1:01:06 10 Brian Clas 1:01:22
The Falmouth VictoryThe Falmouth Road Race was an emotional trip for Khalid. He looked forward to this race as a bridge to marathon training. He had run it three times previously, improving his time and going from 15 to 11 to 1st place last year. He was set to compete against the Kenyans again, including John Korir who had just come off a victory at the Bix 7. Khalid had been criticized for not returning to the Bix 7 after his victory last year, but he had gone to Europe to run against the likes of Pinto, who would win the European championship 10K in a championship record. He had been running against the same group of runners in the United States during the year and needed different competition to test his fitness. In Europe he won the La Course Piu' Antica 11-K and returned home one week before Falmouth. After coming home he was devastated to hear that his oldest brother had died suddenly of a heart attack. He had heart problems but his death came as a stunning suprise. He thought about not running the race, but he was convinced it was the right thing to do. Arriving in Falmouth emotionally upset he was hit with the pressure of a returning champion, expected to win. Told he would win. During the race, Khalid thought about his brother. He felt like crying. The Kenyans were working together, glancing at him, talking amongst themselves. Khalid was strengthened by all the fans on the course yelling his name. At 10K, he surged and won the race, again faster than his previous and just a few seconds off the course record. The race gave him bigger motivation to train, and more confidence. He was very satisfied with the way he ran and his time. Top 20: 1 Khalid Khannouchi,27 Morocco 31:48 2 John Korir,22 Kenya 31:53 3 Luka Cherono,21 Kenya 31:55 4 Hezron Otwori,21 Kenya 31:57 5 Peter Githuka,29 Kenya 32:05 6 Simon Morolong,25 South Africa 32:08 7 James Kariuki,26 Kenya 32:18 8 Aurelio Miti,39 Angola 32:32 9 John Kariuki,29 Kenya 32:45 10 Abel Ondeyo,20 Kenya 32:46 11 William Kiptum,27 Kenya 32:47 12 Joshua Chelanga,25 Kenya 32:49 13 Simon Chemoiywo,30 Kenya 33:03 14 Joseph Kamau,25 Kenya 33:07 15 Jeff Jacobs,34 Roscoe IL 33:13 16 Andrew Letherby,24 Australia 33:27 17 Brian Baker,28 Dorchester MA 33:33 18 Tony Cosey,23 Knoxville TN 33:35 19 Aaron Gabonewe,20 South Africa 33:49 20 Joseph Kahugu,27 Kenya 33:51 |
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