Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2006 | 7:10 a.m.
What: New Las Vegas Marathon
When: 6 a.m. Sunday
Where: 26.2 miles around Las Vegas, course starts and finishes at Mandalay Bay
Tickets: Free
On the Web: www.lvmarathon.com
By the numbers
Race director Terry Collier tells us what it takes, in part, to host 25,000 runners for the New Las Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon:
3,500 volunteers
900,000 paper cups
41,000 gallons of water
31 water stations
9,500 gallons of Gatorade
475 portable toilets
10 trash containers
10-15 tons trash and clothing picked up along the course
4,053 barricades
16,000 servings of GU Energy Gel
18,000 Marathon Energy Bars
300 tubes of petroleum jelly
16,000 Mylar blankets
18,000 bananas
12,000 apple bites
16,000 units of frozen smoothies
185,000 safety pins
365 days to plan the 2006 New Las Vegas Marathon
Physically and psychologically, everyone who runs a marathon experiences the 26.2-mile race in his or her own unique way. So while this represents a fairly typical experience, it also likely differs in ways large and small from what other runners go through to reach the finish line.
I've come to view the marathon as essentially two races. The first half is a matter of body over mind getting the body to do what the mind tells you is inherently a little crazy. In other words, put your body on auto pilot so that you're not dwelling too much on the emotionally draining notion that you still have 22, 21, 20, 19 miles to go.
Then, as the body begins to tire in the second half of the race, the challenge shifts to one of mind over body willing your exhausted lungs, aching legs and blistered feet to perform far beyond their normal capacity.
If you didn't do a good enough job applying Vaseline or some other gel to critical body areas before the race, in the later miles, your inner thighs, arm pits and chest may be rubbed raw to the point of bleeding from the constant chafing of cloth against skin. (For males, the nipple is an especially vulnerable area, one of the few sensible reasons I can think of for running shirtless.) Here's a look at what most runners can expect to feel at various points along the course:
Starting line-Mile 1, along The Strip: With their adrenalin pumping and large crowds cheering them on, most runners feel ready to zip across the starting line and sprint through the first mile. The only thing saving them from a mistake for which they'd painfully pay several hours later is that the thousands of runners normally are packed almost shoulder to shoulder at the start, forcing anyone not at the front of the pack with the elite runners to ease into the race. So take in the sights, wait for the pack to open up and then settle into your normal running rhythm.
Miles 6-7: One 10K under your belt and only about three more to go!
This is deep enough into the race to make sure you're hitting the per-mile pace you established in your months of training. Physically, you should be feeling strong and comfortable your stride natural and unforced, your body full of untapped energy. One common measure of your aerobic capacity is being able to talk comfortably while running and marathoners often chat with each other along the course. At this stage of the race, that should be no problem. If, on the other hand, you find yourself already speaking with the halting cadence of Captain James T. Kirk on "Star Trek," you could be in for a long day.
Mile 10 Reaching double digits in miles covered provides a big emotional lift, much like the one that will come 3.1 miles later when runners realize they are halfway home and have less distance remaining than they have already covered.
That's a good thing, because no matter how well you train, this is where some of the first signs of physical stress commonly surface.
Miles 14-18 The second half of the race typically brings with it various aches and pains, ones likely to become progressively more bothersome as you approach "the wall," the point at which the body has exhausted all of the carbohydrates that it has stored in the days leading up to the race.
Leg muscles tighten, you may feel a dull throb in your ankles or knees, breathing becomes slightly more labored. One risk to avoid at this stage is taking on more water than you really need. Ideally, you should drink about as much fluid as you lose during a race. If you drink too much, it can lower the sodium level in your blood, causing vomiting or potentially much more serious complications. Take care to continue drinking about 4-6 ounces every half hour or so, drinking only when thirsty, not as some kind of pre-emptive attempt to ward off dehydration.
In training, most marathoners will have run beyond this distance a number of times, so these bodily sensations should not come as a surprise. However, because many experts recommend not running beyond the 20- to 22-mile range in training, what is different today is that you will be running miles farther while experiencing these conditions.
Miles 19-21 The average person's body can store enough glycogen produced by the liver and muscles from carbohydrates eaten to generate the energy needed to run about 20 miles. When the glycogen supply nears depletion, the body has to start burning fat for energy, a slower, less efficient process.
That, in turn, increases fatigue "hitting the wall," in runners' jargon.
The metabolism of fats produces acetone as a byproduct, causing runners to often detect a chemical smell on their breath. This is an indication that a different energy-generating process than the one normally used now has taken over the body's equivalent of a pilot switching on a reserve tank of fuel.
Miles 22-25 At this point, for most runners, the marathon becomes a mile-by-mile battle. The body is tiring, the finish line is still far enough away to seem elusive and you begin to convince yourself that some idiot on the race course crew must have incorrectly measured the distances, making the gap from mile 22 to 23 actually three miles.
Depending on weather conditions and how your body's faring, you can feel either overheated or chilly during these tough miles. In the London Marathon, where the final few miles pass near the River Thames, a breeze that kicked up prompted me to pull a black garbage can liner over my body, punching out holes for my head and arms without breaking stride. Down the stretch, dozens of Londoners cheered me on with shouts of, "Well done, trash bin boy!" That's still one of my favorite marathon memories.
Many runners, now two, three or four hours into the race, feel like they belong in a trash bin.
If family members and friends are going to watch you run, this is where you want them positioned along the course. You can feed off their energy; their cheers, chants of your name and waving of signs are like eating a half dozen energy gels at once. I've seen struggling runners limp to the curb to high-five cheering groups of their friends take off seconds later like they're Frank Shorter at the 1972 Olympics. Their enthusiasm can give you that last boost you need to bring it home.
Mile 25.2 When you see that "One mile to go" sign, you know, really know, that the goal is within grasp. The themes from "Chariots of Fire" and "Rocky" start running through your mind, you reflect back on the months of hard work and commitment it took to get to this point, and you can already feel that medal hanging around your neck at the finish line. And those sore muscles and assorted other aches from head to toe seem just a little less painful as you prepare for your "thrill of victory" moment.
Mile 26.2 Finish line This is the scene you fantasized about during your months of training in the heat, cold and rain, and it is very sweet, indeed.
Revel in your accomplishment, and then delight in the absolute joy of finally being able to stand still.
.
The body reacts differently to every marathon. After some races, I've wanted nothing more than to sit down with an aluminum blanket wrapped over my shoulders, and the thought of drinking or eating anything was stomach-turning. After others, I've walked off briskly in search of anything to be consumed. Once, within 15 minutes of finishing the New York City Marathon, I had downed a Coke, an ice cream cone, a large pretzel and a hot dog. That's hardly a typical or recommended post-race regimen, but on that day, it felt and tasted like exactly the right thing to do.
In the hours after the race, your legs will be particularly painful. On the evening of race night and especially the morning after, racers instantly recognize the slow shuffle of their fellow runners. Going up or down stairs is a misery to be avoided if at all possible. In the days after the race, some very light running or exercise can speed muscle recovery. This again, however, is very much something that varies from runner to runner.
One of the many lingering memories I've taken away from the marathons I've run was a huge sign near the finish of the London Marathon that said, "If you finish the marathon, you win the marathon." Whether they finish in 2:10 or 4:30, that's the feeling every runner should take home. And no matter how sore you're feeling in those first hours or days, remember that the race ended immeasurably better for you than it did for Pheidippides.
Famous runners
Some famous marathon men (and women):
Pheidippides: The man who started it all. According to the myth, Pheidippides, an Athenian herald, was sent to Sparta to request help when the Persians landed at Marathon to fight the Greeks. He ran 150 miles in two days. He then ran another 34.5 kilometers (21.4 miles) from the battlefield near the town of Marathon to Athens, to announce the Greek victory in the Battle of Marathon. Then he died on the spot. Makes you wonder if a can of Red Bull might have changed history.
Bill Rodgers: A four-time winner of both the Boston and New York Marathons in the late 1970s, Rodgers co-authored "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Running." If the shoe fits, put it on and start running ... and running ... and running ...
Frank Shorter: Most people remember Shorter for winning the marathon gold medal in the 1972 Summer Olympics. I remember him for the startled look on his face when an imposter entered the stadium in front.
Haile Gebrselassie: The native of Ethiopia switched from the 10,000 meters to the half-marathon late in his career - and broke the world record by a whopping 21 seconds in Arizona. As a child growing up on a farm, Gebrselassie used to run 10 kilometers to school every morning. This led to a distinctive running style, with his left arm crooked as if holding schoolbooks.
Spiridon Louis: After becoming the first Olympic gold medalist in the marathon, the king of Greece offered Louis the gift of his choice. All Louis could think of was a donkey-drawn carriage to help him in his water-carrying business. He also received a lifetime of free shaves from an Athens barber shop. So he had that going for him.
Alberto Salazar: Born in Cuba, but raised in the United States, Salazar is best known for his performances in the New York City Marathon in the early 1980s. Earlier this year he ran New York at age 48, serving as a pacesetter for retired cyclist Lance Armstrong, the seven-time winner of the Tour de France.
Paul Kibii Tergat: Regarded as one of the pre-eminent distance runners of the past decade, along with his rival Gebrselassie, Tergat holds the marathon world record of 2:04:55, set in 2003 in Berlin.
Emil Zatopek: A long-distance running hero best known for winning three gold medals at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Zatopek won gold in the 5000- and 10,000-meter runs and decided at the last minute to compete in the marathon for the first time - and won. Zatopek often wheezed and panted audibly while running, earning him the nickname of "The Czech Locomotive."
Joan Benoit Samuelson: The first woman to win Olympic gold in the marathon, in the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Grete Waitz: The Norwegian runner won nine New York City marathons between 1978 and 1988. In Norway, she is a sporting legend. There is also a statue of her outside the Bislett Stadium in Oslo, and she also has been featured on a set of stamps.
Rosa Mota: The Portuguese runner was one of her country's foremost athletes, ranking alongside soccer legends such as Eusebio and Luis Figo. Her kick was every bit as strong as theirs.
Thomas Levy: That was the character portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the 1976 thriller "Marathon Man." And no, it wasn't safe.
- Ron Kantowski
Kenyans dominate at distance
Once the Las Vegas Marathon became big time a year ago, with the Strip finally being included in the route and sponsors sweetening the prize-money pot, it was no coincidence that Kenyans flocked to the event or that one won.
Stephen Kiogora crossed the finish line first, in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 58 seconds.
Kenyans own 13 of the top 20 all-time marathon marks, and 32 of the top 50. Paul Tergat set the current record, of 2:04:55, in Berlin on Sept. 28, 2003. They've won 15 of the past 20 Boston Marathons, including 10 in a row from 1991-2000. Led by Catherine Ndereba's four, Kenyan women have won six of the past seven marathons in Boston.
In New York, men from Kenya have won six of the past 10 marathons and women three of the past six.
Kenyans typically hit their stride at 800 meters and thrive through 10,000 meters, which includes the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
The best runners in Kenya are members of the Kalenjin tribe, which lives in the Nandi District in the highlands of the Great Rift Valley. University of California, Berkeley anthropologist Vincent Sarich, the co-founder of the field of genetic anthropology, estimated that the average Kalenjin could outrun 90 percent of the rest of the human race.
"We are natural athletes," Kip Keino, who trounced American miler Jim Ryun in the 1,500 meters in the 1968 Olympics to introduce the world to Kenyan runners, told United Press International in 2000. "We feel that running is our blood."
Why are Kenyans so good?
Sports scientists, other experts and several world-class runners try to explain why Kenyans fare well at distance running:
- Rob Miech
archive
