Khon Kaen(ya)

Lilly and Katie got on the overnight bus with me the following day to get to Khon Kaen, where my marathon was going to be on the 25th of January. We arrived at 7 am and dropped our bags off at a hotel before trying to find where I had to register. They decided they were going to get on a bus to Laos that day, so they went on their way and I checked into a dorm room on campus. When I arrived, no one was in the house, so I wondered around campus for a while and when I returned five Kenyans were sitting around the TV. Turns out, I’m the only American with about 30 Kenyan and Ethiopian professional runners. HA! I went for a training run with two Kenyans, Thomas and Robert and at the end they showed me their real pace. I could do it for about a minute…weak. It’s like a four minute mile!! I was talking to them about Kenya and they were telling me how difficult it is to travel. Not only do they struggle to obtain viasas, but when going through immigration it is common for them to have to pay off the officer to let then in. If they don’t have the money they will be sent back to Kenya for any fake reason the officer can come up with. One of their friends may not make it to the race because he was left at the border and they took off with him bags . I had no idea there was so much corruption like that.

The next day I woke up early because the kenyans tried to get me to go for an early show run with them. I was tempted, but had consumed some very spicy curry the night before so I told them I wanted to sleep....awkward. I took myself for a slow job a little while later and joined everyone for breakfast. Normally, on Carbo-loaing day, I eat everything that I normally don't such as cookies/brownies/pizza, etc, but for the first time I felt self conscious about my eating habits so I stayed a bit healthier. I spent the rest of the day wondering around with Thomas going to the expo for some energy gels, and the agricultural fair on campus. This reminded me of the Minnesota state fair due to the live stock exhibit and food stalls (however, the food was nothing like home...no cookie buckets or unlimited milk spouts). I basically sat around blogging and resting the rest of the day until it was time for dinner. I ate with all of the Kenyans; they made a traditional meal of Moogalli (sp?) where they make a camp fire and boila big pot of water, stirring in Maiz flour until it becomes the consistency between mashed potatoes and bread dough. It doesn't have much flavor, but it was paired with chicken (thought it could be vegetables or really anything) and all is eaten with your hands.

I went to bed at about 8 pm and at two am Margaret flipped on the lights and said it was time to get ready! So EARLY! The bus came at 3 in order to bring us all to the starting area. i met a woman, Cynthia, from California and we chatted for a while. It's funny how all the white English speakers flock right together in foreign counties where they cant speak the language. We chatted about previous travels and races; once deemed a traveler, everyone tends to become comfortable sharing intimate details you would normally only tell your doctor--she shared an unfortunate incident involving her race around Mt. Kilimanjaro involving a shrub, a sponge, and certain bodily functions (I'll leave it at that). On our way to the starting line, I saw a Thai racer dressed up as Spiderman and asked to take his photos; they, he jumped over to Cynthia and me and everyone starting taking pictures of us. HA! I wonder what website those will show up on.

The gun went off at 4:30 and Cynthia and I stayed together for a few K's until I lost her at a water station. It was actually extremely peaceful running the first half of the race. It was pitch black on the roads; there were very few street lamps so I was running by star and mood light. I ididn't even turn my ipod on until halfway when the sun came up.

The course was basically flat. We ran through villages, along the freeway, around lakes and temples and within the city limits. There weren't a whole lot of fans along the way, but the clusters that were there were so motivating--they either had music playing or had a live band. Everyone else was dancing and holding up sights that said "You are the Champion." Thought it was early, there were TONS of excited kids holding out water, fruit, or just their hands for a little high five. even thought this is only their sixth race, it was very organized, many water stations and first aid tents. The finish area had all sorts of food (sor I've been told) and a massage area. I didn't get to partake in any of this because when I crossed the finish line they handed me a badge with a "4" on it and it said to report to an official immediately; everything else was in Thai writing. I wasn't sure what it meant. There is no WAY this means fourth place, right? Finally, I found Jade, a sweet girl working for the race that spoke English well. She found out for me that I needed to go into the stadium. There, I ran into Jacky (my hero for this race, she was SO helpful every step of the way) who told me that I did indeed take 4th place in my age category. Haha...what??? Ii ended up going on stage to receive a trophy and then getting an envelope with 4500 Baht (130 US Dollars). NICE!

AKWARD MOMENT

The Thai Receptionist saw my marathon bag and this was our conversation;

Thai Receptoinist: You run marathon?
Kelly: Yes
TR: OH! How many kilo?
Kelly: You mean KiloMETERS? Like how far? 42; are you going to watch? Will you cheer for me?
TR: oh no no
Kelly; Umm ok…why not?
TR: Oh bc I think you too fat to run

ouch. I believe what she meant was that I’m not of the physical stature to win the race…which I’m really not; but still….

The Kenyan’s manager gave me a similar reaction

“you don’t have the body to run”

Ouch again. After a few minutes, he threw in,

I mean, you have the body of a model.

hahaha ok nice stretch but good recovery.

FOOD CORNER

Tamarind-
Looks like a giant peanut shell which you crack open and there is flesh around small seeds that taste like and have the consistency of a fruit rollup…mmmmm

Taste:4
Aftertaste 1