A human #running machine! Very motivating…
dmfb:
Human Machine
This is David Goggins. He runs ultra marathons.
“When you think that you are done, you are like 40% in to what your body is capable of doing. That’s just the limits we put on ourselves.”
Show no weakness.
A compendium of collected wisdom, served up in bite-sized form.
By Scott Douglas
As featured in the March 2011 issue of Running Times Magazine
Just a little running motivation for you guys.
2008, Berlin, Germany, the 35th IAAF Marathon, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia won for the third straight time, breaking the world record yet again at two hours, three minutes, and 59 seconds
by Denby Fawcett KITV 4 News Reporter
HONOLULU — Gladys “Glady” Burrill, 92, the oldest woman to enter the Honolulu Marathon finished the race Sunday in 9 hours, 53 minutes and 16 seconds.
Burrill’s finish time was about an hour short of the world record for her age group (90-94). The record time for that group is 8 hours, 53 minutes and 8 seconds.
Burrill is from Prospect, Ore., but she spends part of each year in Honolulu in her Waikiki condominium.
When Burrill crossed the finish line she was given an orchid lei by Honolulu Marathon President Dr. Jim Barahal.
Barahal called Burrill’s perseverance remarkable.
“I think it is absolutely unbelievable. It is inspirational and to anyone who has an elderly parent or perhaps has lost someone to realize what she is doing at her age. It is just astonishing. What an inspiration,” said Barahal.
Burrill began running the Honolulu Marathon in 2004 when she was 86.
She finished the race four times but she was unable to complete the last two marathons. In 2008, she was in distress because her husband had just died. She dropped out at the 25-mile mark. Last year, she failed to finish after suffering from severe stomach cramps on the course. She left that race at mile 16.
“So it was a struggle even though I am a positive person to know I could finish this time,” said Burrill.
Burrill and her 66-year-old training partner, George McCarthy put in 30 to 50 miles a week for almost a year to prepare for this year’s race.
“I was more relaxed. I didn’t have the stress that I had before. This just felt so much better,” said Burrill.
Six-time past Honolulu Marathon finisher Jimmy Muindi is a friend of Burrill’s and came to the finish line to congratulate her.
Burrill had this advice for anyone over 90 wanting to enter a marathon.
“To think positive and to take care of yourself, and I have never drank or smoked and I think that makes a big difference,” said Burrill.
Burrill said she will keep training in hopes of entering another marathon.
Beyond that, she said she dreams of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.
It took Tim Sweeney almost seven hours to finish the New York City Marathon but he walked on air every step of the way.
The 33-year-old medical miracle competed in the epic race Sunday with a new set of lungs after receiving a double transplant a year ago.
“It was so much more than I expected. It was overwhelming,” Sweeney said after clocking in at just under six hours and 55 minutes. “I didn’t care about time. I really wanted to finish. It meant a lot to me.”
Sweeney, a personal trainer from Connecticut, suffered from cystic fibrosis, but always stayed active.
In 2007, however, he lost 80% of his lung capacity. He underwent the transplants at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia last year.
If Sweeney had any doubts along the 26.2-mile course, he had his surgeon, Dr. Joshua Sonett, running with him every step of the way. “When he said he wanted to run the marathon … I didn’t know if it was the right thing. But he did it, and he did it safely,” said Sonett, a five-time marathoner.
Sweeney was one of 43,000 runners to compete Sunday in a field filled with inspirational and dramatic stories.
