Marathon You Can Do It

In my 5 years of marathon running I have seen some awesome Slogans written on runners T-shirts. The best are those slogans written on the backside of runners T-shirts. If you are behind a runner with a slogan written on his backside, the message can either inspire you or piss you off!

Slogans On running T-shirts that inspire

1. Pain is only temporary

2. Lets kick some ASSSSSS

3. Just do it

4. Its a piece of cake

5. I will let my running do the talking

Running T-shirt Slogans that can piss you off

1. You are now last

2. If you cant keep up with me, be a spectator

3. At least am not last – from a runner who beat you to the finish line.

4. I dont know what shit you drunk this morning

5. See you at the finish

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Assssss, Backside, Finish Line, Marathon Running, Piece Of Cake, Piss, Runners, Slogan, Spectator, T Shirt Slogans

“Run Austin Love Austin”that is one of the best marathon slogans have heard

According to race officials, 4,500 marathoners and a record number of 9,000 half-marathoners participated in 2010 Austin Marathon.

The race having fell on valentine day there was alot of roses at the finish line.

I found 2010 Austin Race photos at Flickr. The photos were awesome, the type you would love to keep in sports photos library or sports photos books.

Check out more photos at flickr andrew photo stream

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Alot, Austin Love, Austin Marathon, Finish Line, Library Books, Marathon Photos, Marathon Pictures, Marathon Race, Marathoners, Photos Books, Photos Pictures, Photos Sports, Race Officials, Race Photos, Roses, Slogans, Sports Books, Sports Check, Sports Photos, Valentine Day

I was going through my google reader when I noticed the following news item in the Guardian UK newspaper The story made my day!!

FROM CHINESE MARATHON : Almost a third of the runners who finished in the top 100 have since been disqualified for cheating in the race in the southern port city of Xiamen.

The reason given for cheating has something to do with the University entrance examination. In China those who finish in the marathon in under two hours and 34 minutes can add extra points to their score in the University entrance exam.

Methods used for cheating

Some of the methods the cheaters used were the good old method of taking short cuts, the now familiar one of hiring an impostor to race with your race number and the old classic of hiking a lift on a vehicle part way through the route. Taking a lift enroute was made famous by Rosie Ruiz when the unknown madam came in first at the finish of 1980 Boston marathon. It emerged that she had ridden the subway almost all the way, joining the route barely a mile before the finish line.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Boston Marathon, Cheaters, Cheating, China, Extra Points, Finish Line, Google, Guardian Uk, Impostor, Madam, News Item, Rosie Ruiz, Runners, Score, Short Cuts, Subway, University Entrance Exam, University Entrance Examination

The last runner to cross the finish line at the 2010 Chevron Houston Marathon was Diane Kassab (56) her finish time was 6 hours, 1 minute and 5 seconds.

When asked by houston chronicle why she took so long to complete the race, this was her reply

It was fun. The spirit is tremendous,” said Kassab, of Houston. “I danced to every band. That was probably my mistake.

Another interesting observation was that the former US president George H. W. Bush was at Mile 19 to give all runners a hand shake. I think that was brilliant of him.

I tried to find photos from houston marathon 2010 and I found them at Flickr, see all pictures at stratblues page.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Chevron, Chevron Houston Marathon, Finish Line, Finish Time, George H W Bush, Houston Chronicle, Houston Photos, Images Pictures, Kassab, Marathon Photos, Marathon Pictures, Mistake, Observation, Photos Images, Photos Pictures, President George H W Bush, Reply, Runners, Spirit, Us President George

Nipples bleeding when running is a common running problem among male runners. The bleeding happens when your running T-shirt rubs against your tender nipples.

This is how the bleeding happens

When you run your t-shirt moves up and down, that movement rubs on your nipples. The friction on your nipples makes them tender. Open wounds form and blood starts to flow out. When the salt from your sweat rubs on the open wounds you start feeling pain. Experts call this Nipple Chafing!

How to Avoid Bleeding Nipples

1. Apply a layer of vaseline over your Nipples, some marathons even offer Vaseline enroute.
2. Put a bandage over the nipples. This will prevent direct contact.

Another funny solution that I found at a Runners world article on this topic was this one:

Here is an easy solution, although a slightly embarrassing one… wear a ladies sports bra. They hide easily under a t-shirt and stop the chafe! Go ahead and laugh it up… I’ll see you at the finish line… bloody nipple free!

Posted by: Male Runner

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Bandage, Direct Contact, Easy Solution, Finish Line, Friction, Male Runner, Male Runners, Marathons, Nipple, Open Wounds, Runners World, Running, Sports Bra, Sweat, T Shirt, Tender Nipples, Vaseline, World Article

The following funny marathon signs were spotted by Jim, a spectator / volunteer at NYC Marathon.

- Don’t stop–we’re all watching you

- Who needs Toenails…Keep Running!

- You’re Almost there (They love this at mile 3)

- I got a bar of soap for you at the finish line

- Have to pee? Next rest stop 5 miles

Have you seen some funny marathon signs? please feel free to share your funny marathon race signs in the comments section!

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: 20bt, 2b, 2c, 3b, 3d0, 3e, 7b, 7d, Charat, Charcodeat, Comments Section, Document Write, Finish Line, Funny Signs, Marathon Race, Nyc Marathon, Race Signs, Soap, Spectator, Substring, Volunteer

“I want to beat Oprah!” That is the goal of many runners. Oprah Winfrey finished 1994 Marine Corps marathon in a time of 4 hrs,  29 mins, 15 Secs.

If Frank Shorter inspired the first (1970s) running boom across US, Oprah Winfrey inspired the second, by running the Marine Corps Marathon. If Oprah could run a marathon, shame on anyone who couldn’t.

How Oprah ruined the Marathon.

While race directors across US were happy to welcome the new generation of runners or is it marathon walkers, the hard core runners were not happy. Edward Mccleland writing for salon.com thinks :-

America’s competitive spirit has been wrecked by feel-good amateurs like Oprah whose only goal is to stagger across the finish line.

I totally agree with him! The marathon is a race, the goal should be to finish it and to finish as fast as you can.

Read the fantastic salon article here

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: 1970s, Amateurs, Boom, Finish Line, Frank Shorter, Hard Core, Marathon Time, Marathon Walkers, Marine Corps Marathon, Marine Marathon, New Generation, Oprah Winfrey, Race Directors, Runners, Running Marathon, Salon Article, Secs, Shame, Spirit, Time Marine

In a New York Times article it was reported that in 2008 NYC marathon 46 runners were disqualified for having taking a short cut to the finish line and an untold number of runners escape detection, marathon officials said.

Mary Wittenberg, the race director, called the number of cheats shocking.

Shortcuts methods at NYC marathon

According to the organisers the two most common form of cheating are

1. Stepping off the course and rejoining it closer to the finish, often sneaking into Central Park once they enter Manhattan near Mile 16.
2. Participants running with someone else bib. According to 2008 records, a 19-year-old in the field gave his bib to someone five years older, and that person posted the best time in the 18-19 division.

The biggest reason or motivation of taking a short cut is to secure a coveted qualification time for the Boston Marathon

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Best Time, Bib, Boston Marathon, Central Park, Finish Line, Manhattan, marathon runners, Motivation, New York City, New York City Marathon, New York Times, Nyc Marathon, Organisers, Participants, Qualification Time, Race Director, Shortcuts, Wittenberg, York City Marathon, York Times Article

2009 Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon. I finished in a time of 2:57:29, one minute slower than 2008…..a rather disappointing race.

Pre Race

I travelled from Embu to Nairobi on Saturday. When I arrived in the city I realised I had forgotten my racing short back home and I had to buy a new short. Luckily I had arrived early and I had time to go shopping and buy a new Reebok short.

A friend of mine was working at the marathon secretariat and he invited me to the offices. The lifts at the building were not working and I was forced to walk up nine floors.(what a waste of my energy)

Instead of staying in a hotel I stayed at the home of my childhood friend Alex who lives a walking distance from Nyayo Stadium, the start and finish area of the marathon. Alex and his girlfriend Miriam were running the half marathon.

The Race

The first kilometres were fast. I had trained to run at a pace of 4 minutes a Kilometre. I had hoped to see a 5K mark and calculate whether I was within my pace but I never saw any markings of distance. In the runners guide it was indicated there would be markings every 5K but this was lacking on the course.  SHAME ON THE ORGANISERS! Without markings I just followed the fast moving crowd and made my own mental estimates.

As usual my breathing was hard at the start but I knew things would get better and easier the longer I kept running. After 1 hour of running my breathing never got easier, I guese I was running faster than my planned pace. After 1 hour 15 minutes we hooked up with the half marathon crowd and the course now got more crowded. I found myself weaving from side to side trying to overtake the half marathon runners.

I got back at Nyayo stadium at 1 hour 35 minutes, at this point the half marathon runners headed towards the finish line while the full marathon runners were supposed to repeat the circuit. After parting with the half marathon crowd, I looked ahead of me and shocked to see an almost empty road, it was clear many of full marathon runners had decided to drop out of the race at that point. The idea of repeating the circuit was too bitter to swallow for many runners!

Doing the second circuit was hard because I was running alone. It is at this point when it started raining and I remember at one time I thought………this sucks am done with marathons!……… Although my legs were feeling fine my chest was having a harder time. Make no mistake, I wanted to go faster…I would look at my watch and say ok legs, lets speeeeedup! and I would think I was going faster, but then I would check the watch a little while later and, nope, no faster!

After 2 hours and 10 minutes of running I got at the final turning point and I was now on the home stretch. At this point I could feel the smell of fresh bread from a bakery on the route. The smell of bread induced a feeling of hunger. I started having this imagination of eat a post race meat pie. I guese I was getting delusional!

As the clock hit 2.40, the finish line was out of sight and it was clear my goal of 2.45 finish was way way out of reach. My target now was to atleast match my PB.At this point I met up with Miriam, my friend’s Girlfriend. The half marathon was proving too hard for her to handle. As I overtook her she tried to run after me begging me to wait for her……….I just couldn’t…nothing personal!

Luckily for me a determined young lady who had an elite badge on her chest caught up with me at this point. I chased her tooth and nail. Although it was physically hard on me she kept me on my toes. She was my white knight, she pulled me to the end. We crossed the finish line together at 2 hours 57 minutes 26 seconds. Uh! what a relief. At least I stayed under 3 hours.

After The race

My recovery has astonished me. Two days after the race and am feeling like I can run another marathon next weekend.

With the 2009 Marathon gone I can’t wait for next year. 2010 I will have another opportunity to get a crack at it. 2.45 is my target.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: 15 Minutes, Childhood Friend, Crowd, Embu, Finish Line, Friend Alex, Girlfriend, half marathon, Kilometre, Kilometres, Marathon Results, marathon runners, Miriam, Nairobi, Organisers, Reebok, Running Marathon, Secretariat, Shopping, Stanchart Marathon, Standard Chartered, Walking Distance

Stomach problem when running affects all kind of runners, from the seasoned elite runner to the casual runner down the pack.Stomach problem is described as a pain in the stomach. Experts call this stomach cramps.

Personally my last marathon was run with a nagging stomach problem. The pain struck even before I hit the 10K mark. I ran the rest of 32Ks with an on and off pain, it was like going through hell. I still cant believe I managed a sub three hours finish. Maybe it was the desire to quickly get to the finish line and put the pain behind me that pushed me!

Causes of Stomach Pain.

Expert explanations are : -

1. Dehydration
2. Low salt levels.

These two are the known causes of stomach problem, but another less reported cause is fatigued stomach muscles.

Fatigued Stomach Muscles

Although most runners spend alot of time getting leg massage, few think of massaging stomach muscles. Running engages almost all the muscles in a runners body. The most used muscles are the leg muscles. The core muscles are also heavily  used. Runners should remember to massage the core muscles to keep them in good working condition. I solved my stomach problem when I started massaging the stomach muscles.

If you still suffer stomach problem despite taking enough water and licking salt blocks maybe you should consider massaging your tummy. It worked for me and it might work for you.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Dehydration, Desire, Elite Runner, Explanations, Finish Line, Going Through Hell, Leg Muscles, Marathon, Massage, Pain Expert, Runners, Running, Salt Blocks, Stomach Cramps, Stomach Muscles, Stomach Pain, Stomach Problem