Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon, Los Angeles, CA . April 25, 1998
By Eric Barron
Reprising last year's weather, the day was hot, hot, hot (that's one
"hot" for each team TCLA entered). In general, given the
unseasonably warm air, and the fact that most members had not raced a
5 or 10K in several months, the times may have been slower than hoped
for, but the performances were strong, and the atmosphere was
festive.
Team I (Jacinda, Elizabeth, John B., Jeff, and Mike A.) turned in a
6:46 per mile average for a total of 2:57:40, good for second place
in the mixed running team category, and 42nd overall. This time also
is a new club record by five minutes. The team would have needed to
shave off twelve minutes to earn the gold in its division.
Particularly commendable was Mike's effort while on antibiotics for a
sinus infection. He gives new meaning to the phrase, "He could be a
great runner if he could just get his head clear."
Team II (Ann, Silvia, Shauna, Sheri, and Kim) turned in two of the
three outstanding performances of our club. Taking the baton from
Ann, Silvia proceeded to leave not only her effort, but just about
every ounce of fluid she had, on the course. Anyone familiar with
cellular biology can tell you that this is less than ideal for
post-race recovery, and, indeed, about sixty seconds after finishing
her leg, her leg almost finished her. Fortunately, the medical tent
had ample supplies of saline, and while her teammates kept her
company, she had her tank somewhat refilled. And instead of taking
the first opportunity to leave, she insisted on staying to watch Kim
cross the finish line in three hours, forty-seven minutes and change.
Just before Kim's leg, Sheri ran a wonderful race, finishing the
slightly-longer-than-five-mile loop in 8:00 per mile pace. This is a
fantastic time in its own right, let alone the conditions and the
fact that Sheri had run the Los Angeles Marathon only three weeks
earlier.
Team III (John D., Wenise, Bao, Wayne, and Melinda) also made a great
team showing, finishing eighth in the mixed running team category
with a time of 3:20:05. The star performance, here, came from John,
who ran an opening leg of 33:40. Although the first leg is a bit
shorter than the other legs, this time is still quite impressive, and
it bodes well for future races. Perhaps jealous of the attention
being paid to Silvia, Wayne dragged himself to the medical tent, too,
when he discovered that his shin had swollen to the size of the baton
he had been carrying. After icing it for twenty minutes, Wayne was
able to limp back to the baton exchange area and cheer on his
teammates. Silvia was a little less lucky, and ended up briefly in a
hospital room, but now that she has rested and re-hydrated, she and
her cells are doing well.
Also spotted running/cheering for other teams were Lydia, Todd,
Shelly, and Terrence. These individuals should bear in mind that
treachery is a capital offense in this country when they consider for
whom they will run next year.
