Monday, May 14, 2007

Did You See That?

It's amazing what you don't see late in a marathon. When I ran the WDWM in 2006 I ran right by a giant dinosaur in Animal Kingdom and I never saw it. When I looked at the professional pictures later, I said, Huh? When did I run by that? (Right: That's me in the white shirt running away from a dinosaur in the 2006 Walt Disney World Marathon that I never saw.)

Since we ran through the four theme parks on Disney property during the marathon, I later surmised through a process of elimination that I probably ran by it in Animal Kingdom, apparently around MP 17. But I never saw that towering leviathan.

Here's another thing I ran by without a clue in a marathon. In National Marathon in March, apparently a gentleman took a nasty tumble near the finish line right in front of me. He lay prostate for several moments, facedown on the ground while a steady stream of runners, myself included, ran right by, ignoring him. (Left: At National Marathon in front of RFK, two hundred yards from the finish, a runner is lying facedown in the middle of the picture. I am approaching in the distance in black shirt and black trunks.)

I never saw him. When I looked at the professional pictures later, I said, Huh? Did I run by that? (Right: The man is still inert facedown on the pavement. I'm running up on him, unknowing.)

Although bloodied, he was all right I suppose. At least he had a finishing time (I looked it up). I don't know whether he tripped or collapsed. (Left: Finally the downed runner received some assistance as medical workers roll him over. Runners continue on by, oblivious.).

Some help he got from me, a former EMT. (Right: Bloodied Finisher. A Fifty-Stater at that. Now he has DC in there too, the hard way.) It's a jungle out there in the last miles of a marathon.




(Left: Downed runner? Huh?)

1 comment:

Rich said...

... and you expect us to think you're a synchronized runner?