Went to watch London Marathon today. What a day! I knew there should be fast times, because the weather was great, around 46F at the start and 51F at the finish, almost no wind. But there could be showers. I mainly wanted to see Ryan Hall run in person. I was wondering if looks as great in real life as on video, with that long, smooth, effortless stride. I thought of a place to watch, and decided on the Embankment, after Blaskfriars bridge - around mle 24.5. I was afraid it would be very crowded, but it was actually very easy to get a good watching spot, at least before the masses started going by.
First, I saw elite women (they started at 9:00, 45 minutes before elite men and the masses). As I got out of the tube, it was raining, and then it started pouring, much like yesterday, sans the hail. The elite ladies looked very lonely, there were all going one by one, with large gaps in between, few minutes gaps. Some looked pretty strong, others pretty miserable. I later noticed that faster women that started with the mass start, looked stronger than these elite women. At least they were surrounded by guys and had a lot of company. So I'm not so sure this separate start for women is so great. I also paid attention to their foot strike, and almost all were landing on midfoot.
Finally, I saw leading motorcycle, a bunch of support vehicles, so it was clear the elite guys were approaching. I was very disappointed not to spot Hall in the first three from about 150m - they were three Africans running side by side. When they got closer, I realized they were Martin Lel, Sammy Wanjiru and Moroccan Gomrie. All running abreast and looking like they were just out for a Sunday stroll (at 24.5 miles). It was hard to judge their pace, but they looked strong, for sure.
Then, about a minute back was Mutai, another guy, and then finally, there was Ryan. I have to say, he did NOT look as good as at the end of Olympic Trials in NYC. His stride was not as impressive as on TV, but he wasn't grimacing in pain either. He was holding his own, and he appeared to be speeding up somewhat. Mainly, he just looked focused. Oh, and he was definitely running on his toes, no doubt. Not midfoot, but clearly on the forefoot. His heels were never touching the ground. I thought it was amazing for him to do this so late in the race. Of course, now I know he ran 2:06:17, an amazing time, and it only got him 5th place, this was a great year in London, and I'm so glad I got to witness it. Very fast times, but arguably could be even faster (maybe even world record) if they didn't start so fast - 14:21 first 5K. Geez! Although it's a little bit downhill, but still! I think it was too quick for Hall (but not for Lel, who put in a sick looking sprint last 385 yards - 57 seconds!!!), and he paid for it in the end. But of course, he had a terrific race, 2:06:17 is an awesome, world class time, and a PR by 2 min. for him. Brian Sell commented today in his training log: "Felt sort of pointless after seeing London results.". I guess he felt a little disheartened by the blistering speed of the first 7 or so guys. He will have to face them in Beijing, but it will be a very different race there, with the heat and tactics determining the outcome.
Then I walked to Westminster, past 25 mile mark and watched as more and more people started to go by. Saw some interesting costumes: few guys in tutus, tons of guys in various wigs, Scooby-Doo, 4 guys wearing jail striped uniform and physically chained to each other. But the "best" was the guy wearing a Borat-like costume, if you know what I mean. He was practically naked, with some strips of neon green material covering some parts (actually, just one part). So yeah, pretty much naked all around - he drew the loudest cheers from the crowd.
When I finally decided to go home, Westminster tube on my line was closed due to overcrowding, and it took me the whole hour to get home. But it was great watching the race. I know I said last year that I will not run another marathon until I get faster in shorter races, but I was so inspired today, that I entered an online ballot for 2009 race. It's only a lottery, so no guarantee of getting in, but I entered. I'm still upset about missing "good for age" standard by 45 seconds last year in Rotterdam sauna, but what can I do? We'll see if I get in next October.
PS One important observation I forgot to add: a LOT of elite women were wearing compression socks, a la Paula Radcliffe. Some men too, but more women. I just read in Running Fitness magazine (a running magazine that runs parallel to Runners World in UK) that some studies have shown that compression socks improve blood flow back to the heart along with multiple other benefits. The artcile said that for a 3:30 marathoner wearing compression socks can make 6 minutes difference in final time! I'm not sure I buy this, it seems really large time difference, but maybe I should look into these socks for other reasons, like preventing more blood clots in my legs! | 