This book is about the 2006 Cayman Islands Marathon experience.
It's a book built around the experiences and stories -
the direct words - the quotes - of the runners, family and friends,
volunteers and race organizers.
The marathon distance is 26 miles and 385 yards (42.2 kilometres).
That's a long way. Especially at the End. Worthy of a medal.
The Half Marathon distance is also a long distance. Don't be fooled
by the 'half' - it is still 13 miles and 192.5 yards (21,097.5 meters).
For some runners the half-marathon is their favourite distance. It's
long enough to be a serious challenge if you haven't run before, although
it doesn't require the same level of training as that for a full marathon.
There is another alternative to the full and half - the
relay event. Here, teams of 4 runners run the marathon, less miles to
cover for each runner, but still a lot of energy on a course.
On the morning of Sunday 5th November 2006, 48 runners
completed the Cayman Islands marathon and another 214 finished the half-marathon.
In addition, 31 Relay Teams competed with one another. Close to 400
people ran that day. There were runners from the Cayman Islands, the
United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, United States, South Africa, New Zealand
and Australia. Organizers worked around the clock to ensure everything
was in place to create a memorable experience for everyone. Over 200
volunteers helped them make it happen.
It was a festive occasion celebrating friendships, achievements
and the attainment of personal goals at many different levels.
Above all else it was a lot fun.
Our story of the Cayman Islands marathon begins by sharing
some information about marathons in general. What are they? Why do people
run them? What do they do to us? And who runs marathons? It turns out
- as we'll see later in the book - that all sorts of people run marathons.
Most of the book describes the Cayman Islands marathon
experience - the race's history, the organization and logistics involved
in setting it up, and the experiences of the runners and volunteers
on the day. At the end of the book we look briefly at other attractions
in the Cayman Islands. This is a Destination Marathon after all.
As the author of this book I have tried to weave the weekend
together based on interviews, and the stories and photographs sent to
me by runners, friends and volunteers. I hope this unique blend of stories
and narrative works to make this an interesting book to read.
And so at 5am on the 5th November 2007, filled with a range
of emotions and preparedness, the runners set off in the humid Caribbean
darkness from the Breezes by the Bay intersection in Georgetown. By
the end of the morning it was all over, but the memories will remain
for years to come.
What's so special about running a marathon?
Our fuel for running is carbohydrates. The human body
typically has enough carbohydrates to endure a distance of 32 kilometres.
The marathon distance is 42 kilometres, leaving us with 10 kilometres
(6 miles) of what Tim Noakes in The Lore of Running calls the 'physical
no-man's-land'.
This is where the challenges come from the marathon distance.
It's where training is essential. Tim Noakes describes it this way:
"It is at that stage, as the limits to human running endurance
are approached, that the marathon ceases to be a physical event. It
is there that you, the runner, discover the basis for the ancient proverb:
"When you have gone so far that you cannot manage one more step, then
you have gone half the distance that you are capable of."It is there
that you learn something about yourself and your view of life. Marathon
runners have termed it the wall."
You will take somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000 steps
to run a marathon. Over that period carbohydrates, which are found as
glycogen in the muscles and liver and as glucose in the blood, get used
up. Your muscles get their energy from the glucose and the glycogen.
You hit the wall, or 'bonk', when the glycogen levels become depleted.
With no 'fuel' left the body then resorts to using slower-burning fats.
You'll notice a substantial change in your running speed and it is here
that the mind faces the challenges. It is this that makes the marathon
what it is.
But with proper training your body can improve the way
it burns its fuel and it can push the wall further and further out -
ideally enabling it to avoid hitting the wall completely.
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Excerpt
2: Why do people run marathons?
Ask
a runner why she runs and there is likely to be a long list of reasons
given to you. The reasons may not always be the same from one person to
another, but some reasons are consistently stated.
John
Stanton, the man who started The Running Room chain of stores said he
was once an overweight food executive who smoked two packs of cigarettes
a day. He went on a short fun run with one of his children and got hooked.
Hasn't looked back.
In
1983 Gina Little saw the London marathon go past her street. She thought
'I could do that' and started training. She only intended to do one marathon
but got the bug. Now, with over 240 marathons to her name she has run
more marathons than any other woman in the United Kingdom.
Bob
Dolphin, who has now run over 400 marathons, said his car wouldn't start
one morning so he walked 2 miles to work. He enjoyed the walk immensely,
so he kept on walking to and from work. At 48 years of age he started
running. He then decided to run to work and back each day. He ran his
first marathon at age 52. Now at age 77 he has his sights set on 500 marathons.
Inspirational.
John
Dawson had a heart attack in 1991. It changed his life. He took up running
and has not stopped. He has now run over 230 marathons. In May 2006 he
was one of eight runners who ran 10 marathons in 10 consecutive days,
and by so doing entered the Guinness Book of World Records. John turns
70 in 2006. In the latest London UK marathon John trained and then ran
with a boy who has Down's Syndrome, enabling this boy to run in the marathon.
Again, John is an inspiration to everyone who knows him.
John
Wallace, a school caretaker in London England, turned 50 in 2006. He has
run over 240 marathons and in doing so, has also raised $100,000 for charities.
These
marathoners are not elite runners. They are like you and I. They set goals.
They have a passion for running and do it for enjoyment and all the other
benefits that running offers.
In
their spectacular book '26.2 Marathon Stories' Kathrine Switzer and Roger
Robinson list the many benefits that scientific evidence attributes to
running. It goes like this: Running …
- Strengthens
the heart and reduces the rate of heart disease.
- Enhances
creativity and problem solving by stimulating endorphins.
- Improves
sexuality by maintaining strong blood flow and creating a positive self-image.
- Helps maintain
(or create) healthy sleep patterns by leaving your body fulfilled and
tired.
- Reduces the
incidence of many forms of cancer by pumping oxygen and antioxidants
through your body, which fight against carcinogenic free radicals.
- Reduces toxins
in your body by evacuating waste promptly.
- Burns out
infection by raising body temperature to fever level on a daily basis.
- Eliminates
toxins through the skin and air by stimulating sweating and increasing
breathing exchange.
- Pushes disease-fighting
white blood cells and immune substances through your system with the
release of adrenaline.
- Reduces stress
on the heart, joints, lungs and muscles and non-insulin dependent diabetes,
by reducing weight and countering obesity.}
- Reduces stress
by stimulating endorphins.
- Counters
depression by stimulating endorphins.
- Reduces the
incidence of osteoporosis by strengthening bones.
If
that's not enough, it's also been claimed by experts on aging that running
increases longevity and improves the quality of later life.
The
non-science attributes are just as supportive. There is an amazing spirit
associated with runners. It's well known that the distance runners and
walkers are a very friendly social bunch of folks. Runners come together
with a common goal, but behind the scenes, especially with marathons,
there are remarkable stories of courage, resolve, tenacity, dedication,
commitment - the list goes on. There are many wonderful people to meet
and share experiences with. The comraderie and common purpose coalesce.
It's addictive.
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Excerpt 3 -
The emergence of marathon running
At
some point while training for your marathon you might wonder how it all
got started. Or maybe you won't wonder at all and it will make no difference
to how you run. The thing is, the 'marathon' has blossomed from legend
to social mainstream. Now, 110 years since the first modern day Olympic
marathon, we are witnessing a significant social transformation in marathon
running.
The
17 runners in that first Olympic marathon in 1896 would not have imagined
there would be 16,000 runners finishing a marathon at a place called Disneyworld,
many of whom were taking photos and high-fiving Disney characters along
the way. It also required another 3,500 people to volunteer at Disneyworld
to make the race happen.
But
we need to back up. A few thousand years ago...
The
legend is the story of Pheidippides, a runner-messenger (a hemeroromoi
- all day-runner), who in 490 BC ran from Marathon to Athens to announce
that the 20,000 strong invading Persian army had been miraculously defeated
by a significantly smaller Athenian army. This was the Battle of Marathon.
The Persians suffered heavily, with 6,400 soldiers killed. The Greeks
meanwhile lost just 192. Without the help of Aid Stations, porta-potties,
a watch, Asics, GPS, gels or gu's, Pheidippides ran - and reached Athens
to tell the news as fast as he could.
Why?
Because the Athenians were prepared to burn Athens to the ground if their
army was defeated, which they all had expected. He needed to get there
before the bonfire began.
He
ran the 25 mile distance in time to alert the fire-starting Athenians,
and announced 'We have won'.
Or
he may have said 'Rejoice, we have conquered'. No one knows exactly what
was said, but these are the most commonly accepted accounts.
The
more significant thing perhaps is that he then dropped dead.
Exhaustion.
In
1879 the British poet Robert Browning wrote a poem about Pheidippides
that reignited interest in running long distances. It's reported that
the poem inspired those of sufficient position and importance to make
the marathon an official event in the first modern Olympics, held in Athens
in 1896.
Most
of the 17 runners who started in the first Olympic marathon - from Marathon
to Athens - were Greek. At 2pm on April 10, the runners set off from a
bridge in Marathon after hearing the Starters speech. They'd been taken
to Marathon the night before; some of them had competed in other Olympic
events the previous day.
Only
10 finished the race. This went to nine when they discovered the 3rd place
runner had cheated. All the runners walked at some point in the race.
The winner was Spiridon Louis - who ran alongside the horse-cart his father
drove transporting fresh water from the countryside into Athens each day.
Overnight he became a national hero. He never competed again.
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Excerpt 4 –
The Cayman
Islands
Although
it’s hard to imagine people not living on the Cayman Islands
there is no evidence of any existence prior to Christopher Columbus
in 1503. In search for the first destination marathon, or possibly a
route to the Far East, he instead saw turtles
swimming around the islands. The islands were initially named the Las
Tortugas, after the sea turtles, one of whom is the mascot/logo
of the Cayman Islands marathon.
There
were three islands spotted by Columbus – Grand Cayman,
Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.
Not surprisingly there are still three islands, although it is on the
Grand Cayman where most Caymanians live and where
the Cruise ships and other tourists come to visit, including marathoners
from all over.
Word
got out that the Cayman Islands actually existed
and in 1586 Francis Drake arrived. By this time the islands were known
as the Caymanas – the Carib
word for marine crocodiles (likely lizards on the islands). There are
no crocodiles on the islands now. No-one lived permanently on the islands
but they were a popular destination for weary pirates looking for a break,
and folks with an appetite for sea turtles. Even then there was a holiday
spirit.
Drake
reported that you could eat the crocodiles; an important fact for sailors
out at sea for lengthy periods. But it was the turtle that was more in
demand as ships looked for fresh meat for the crews. Bad
news for the turtles, and perhaps one of the very first cases of overfishing.
The
first known permanent settlers were two deserters from the British Army
who arrived in the 1660s from Jamaica,
just 180 miles away. The first recorded permanent inhabitant was Isaac
Bodden, born on the islands in 1700. Isaac was the grandson
of one of the original settlers.
Perhaps
in pursuit of the deserters or simply realizing it was a good idea to
own and occupy another tropical paradise, the British Government seized
the opportunity, and formally said the islands were possessions of the
Royal Crown in 1670. The islands were administered from Jamaica,
where the British were already busy creating the foundations for one of
the top cricket teams in the world.
Meanwhile,
the Cayman Islands continued to be cricket-free, and a safe haven for
holidaying pirates and anyone else looking for sun, sand, sea, a good
time and plenty of turtles. It was Blackbeard, in fact, who, by now bored
with cricket, organized the first marathon in the area as a way of competing
with fellow pirates to see who had the ship with the most athletic prowess
and endurance.
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Excerpt 5: Gearing
up
In
2006 the sun was shining brilliantly on the Bay as it began its daily
setting ritual. The sun, that is. Music played as tropical breeze blew
gently. While there was an option of sitting out on the second storey
porch, most people were staying cool, and soaking in the views while
they talked indoors. Even if you don’t know anyone else at the event
by the end of the Pasta Party chances are you will know several runners,
and will have shared training, travel and/ or previous race stories.
Complete strangers can quickly become life time friends.
As
coincidence would have it, in 2006 the last night of the Cayman Islands
Jazz Festival began shortly after the Pasta Party. Just a 15-minute walk
from Breezes by the Bay, for some runners it was too tempting not to miss
an opportunity to see great performers.
Some
people may say that it’s unwise to go to a Jazz Festival the night before
running a marathon. They’re probably right. But this is where running
intersects with the rest of your life. If it so happens that Natalie Cole,
Arturo Tappin, Hi-Tide and Swanky are playing
the night before the race, in an outdoor venue on a tropical island and
just 10 minutes from your hotel, you are extremely tempted to forgo sleep
in exchange for the Jazz experience. You may be quite prepared to forgo
a few minutes in your race time in exchange for a night of live Jazz music.
Some
runners do indeed take the Jazz option. Some of these get little sleep
before the 5am start. Some don’t
even go to sleep at all and still race the next day. But
what a great night of music. Life’s trade-offs.
But
for most runners, it’s off to bed for a good night’s sleep. The next day
they are running either 13.1 or 26.2 miles. Their bodies will appreciate
some down time.
But
as was mentioned earlier some runners may actually end up spending a restless
night tossing and turning thinking about the next day even if they do
go to bed early.
With
a start time of 5am the runners
may also be a little concerned about sleeping through the alarm. It’s
not unusual to wake up several times in the night fearing that you’ve
slept through the alarm. You can see why some people felt it would simply
be easier to stay up, enjoy the Jazz music and not worry about the alarm
at all.
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Excerpt
6:‘24 Hours’
Saturday afternoon:
Confused. Should I laze by pool or on beach?
Decide
to do both, but not at same time.
Mentally
prepare for race horizontally. Take a break – cleanse mind and spirit
with swims. Lie down in ocean.
No
guilt about doing nothing.
Two
drinks with umbrellas placed in front of me.
Make
effort to walk to pasta party 25 minutes away.
It’s
hot and humid. Like a tropical island. Oh, right.
Pasta
Party veritable United Nations.
Decide not to solve world’s problems. Concentrate instead on our own.
Get
more nervous about race.
Walk
back to Hotel. No-one has turned thermostat down.
Wander
accidentally past Jazz Festival. Drawn in like magnet.
Amazing
music. Forget I’m running at 5am. Crowd
grows through night. There is a buzz. Discover it’s in my ears. Drink
water.
Drink
more water.
Natalie
Cole finally comes on stage. Explosion of sound.
Cuba and Jamaica
hear Natalie.
11:30pm. Must go. Have race at 5am.
Natalie
stays. Perhaps not racing in AM?
Race
Day:
3:55am.
Alarm goes off. Why? Hit snooze.
3:58am.
Alarm goes off. Start to get idea. Hit snooze.
4:01am.
Alarm goes off. Oh, Got it.
4:02am. Hotel wake-up
call.
4:03am. Make coffee.
4:07am. Hotel wake-up
call. Don’t believe me from first call.
4:12am. Hotel wake-up
call. Yes, I’m sure, thanks.
4:20am.
Shower.
4:25am. Begin to
wake-up. Eat energy bar. Put all running gear on. I think.
4:30am Catch shuttle bus to start-line. Meet others
on bus. Share ‘hoped for’ finishing times. Turns-out we’re all dreaming.
4:40am.
Bus makes way to start-line solely on nervous energy of passengers.
4:41 Runners, friends and family mingle with volunteers and organizers.
Music. Darkness. Festive. Last minute preparations and thoughts, like zombies with an excuse.
4:55am. What am I
doing?
4:56am.
Assemble with others behind Start Line. Put Lifeline MP3 player on.
5:00am.
Bang! We’re off.
5:01am. Holy %$^%&&(^%$#...
What am I doing?
5:03am. Soaking in
sweat. My own.
5:03am. Smiles, concentration,
darkness. Roosters.
5:20am. Am in the
groove. Feels good. Love the music.
6:00am. ¼ of the way. Still feels good despite hot and humid. Am
on track for 4-hour marathon. Can I do it?
6:50am. Meet runner from Hotel. Not looking good, not sounding good. Says he’s not good. Start
to worry.
7:00am. Something possibly wrong with distance on
Polar watch. Says am half-way already at 12.5 miles. Is distance of course
wrong?
7:12am.
Reach real Halfway. Feeling good but not as good as
before.
7:20am. Sun coming
out. Not good.
7:25am. Sun getting
hotter.
7:26am. Body systems
losing power. Imminent shut-down.
7:45am.
Crisis. MP3 music gets scratchy and intermittent, losing sound.
7:46am. Become audio
technician for next 30 minutes. Use valuable scarce energy turning MP3
player on and off 100 times. But no hope for Polar watch, which is lying
to me now.
8:15am: Plod like Sloth on valium.
8:18am: Turtle walks past.
8:20am. Decide silence
better than scratchy noise. Put MP3 away. Now what?
8:25am. Reach ¾ mark.
4-hour marathon? No chance unless Jerry on motorbike
picks me up.
8:26am.
Begin longest 6 ½ miles of my life. Why does sun get hotter?
8:30am.
Meet-up with fellow runner. Share longest 6 ½ miles of my life. Start
run-walk strategy.
8:35am.
Talk incoherently. Raise possibility with other runner that course is
too long. He smiles and nods head. Must think I’m in LaLa
land.
8:36am.
Am I in LaLa Land?
8:37am. It’s hot
in LaLa Land.
8:45am. See mirage
of taller buildings 500 miles away where Finish Line waits.
8:50am.
Run-walk becomes walk-run. Still moving in right direction
with brother-in-arms. Legs gone. Instead
am now dragging heavy lead weights around course.
9:00am. Don’t recognize part of course apparently
just ran over earlier. Are we lost?
9:15am. ‘Not long
now – almost there’ say’s spectator. Good one.
9:20am. Getting closer
to tall buildings. They now look real. There is hope.
9:25am.
Conversations with fellow runner priceless. Tell life story.
9:30am. Other runner
now runs ahead of me. What?
9:30am.
Run to catch-up with fellow runner. Why?
9:32am. Can’t run
any more. Sloth on valium returns to body. Run
anyway.
9:34am.
Catch-up with fellow runner.
9:34am.
Run to finish line with smile on face borrowed from spectator. Feels like
sprint. Can’t feel body below waist. Mistakenly think am lifting feet
off ground. But realise legs just painted on now.
9:35am. Cross finish-line together with fellow runner.
9:35am. Receive medal.
Smile lots. Weight of medal pulls body closer to ground.
9:36am. Stop moving.
Legs start to seize up.
9:40am.
Wait in short line for massage.
9:41am. Line not
short enough. Sit down in line.
9:42am. Get moved
up line and on to massage table.
9:43am.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh.
10:00am. Sinks in.
I’ve done it. Tough one. Am
very proud. Start thinking of next marathon.
Roll gently off massage table.
Thereafter: Drink
and eat as if come out of 30 days in desert. Everyone
proud of everyone else. All share congratulations, hugs, stories,
contact information. Special moment, special memories shared.
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Excerpt 7: The Cayman Islands:
More than just a marathon
In
many ways it can be quite busy relaxing. The nice thing about the Islands
is that you have the choice. You can simply sleep on the beach or by
the pool, or be more active and go swimming, diving, snorkelling, riding,
parasailing 400 feet high, or jet-skiing... virtually anything is possible.
I’d even suggest running, but ...
Visitors
can experience the turtle farm, or the butterfly farm, swim with Stingrays,
take a ride in the Atlantis submarine, walk through gardens and woodlands,
catch up on some history, take in the views from Rum Point, and shop!
Or do nothing.
Average
water temperatures are about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so it’s perfect
for weary aching muscles after a run. As the waters are teeming with
fish snorkelling is a great activity for all ages. There are dozens
of dive operators and numerous sites for diving around the island, including
shipwrecks, coral reefs to explore and deep wall dives.
And
somewhere in between diving and snorkelling is the ability to go to
depths of up to 100 feet, day or night, in an air conditioned submarine.
Or ride the Nautilus – a 60-passenger semi-submarine that cruises five
feet below the surface. There’s also a ‘Bubble Sub’- a small battery
operated 360 degree glass bubble submarine which sits two people.
Biodiversity
is a word increasingly associated with the Cayman Islands. If you love
the outdoors there’s plenty to look for. There are over 700 species
of plants and 380 species of fish. Over 200 species of birds have been
recorded on the island, including 50 resident species.
And
then there are the more unique attractions like the Stingrays and turtles.
Perhaps the most unique experience though is to swim with Stingrays.
This is possible either at Stingray City or at the Stingray Sandbar.
Stingray
City is not your typical city. In fact it’s not a city at all but rather
a specific place where Stingrays congregate in the hope of getting some
food. Many years ago a local fisherman noticed stingrays swimming around
his boat when he was throwing scraps overboard. Some Divers started
to feed them by hand and now it has become a major tourist attraction.
But
it is a very low key and natural experience.
You
are taken out on a boat to the ‘City’, which is close to the reef. You
then simply go into about 12 foot deep of water and swim with the Stingrays.
They
are curious and always interested in getting something to eat – typically
this is squid. They feel like Velvet as they brush-up alongside you
and will eat from your hand with what feels like a high-powered vacuum
cleaner that sucks the food out of your hand. The more adventurous swimmers
may choose to hold the Stingrays in their hands. Although they do have
a Barb on their tails for defensive purposes, it’s very safe to swim
with them and hold them. Especially because they know that there is
always a good chance of being fed. In fact, they are very friendly and
like being petted. The tour operators have given many of them names.
Another highlight is a visit to the Cayman Turtle Farm, the only
one of its kind in the world. For some, this brings back memories of
the race just run. There are about 14,000 green sea turtles living at
the Farm, some of which are up to 600 pounds in size. These turtles
take between 15-50 years to mature and can live to 100 years old. The
Farm has an active release program. Visitors can see them being fed
in the mornings and afternoons.
If
such places are of no interest to you, you can go to Hell.
Really.
In
an area of West Bay on Grand Cayman Island there is a rugged outcrop
of eroded limestone and dolomite that is reputed to be over 1.5 million
years old. A postcard from the nearby ‘Devils Hang-Out’ store explains
that it was named ‘Hell’ after a commissioner from England in the 1930s
shot at, and missed, a bird in the rocks and cried out ‘Oh Hell’. Somehow
this stuck over time. It’s quite the thing to go to the Post Office
there and have your postcard or letter stamped with a Hell postmark.
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