Angkor Wat Half Marathon

December 7, 2008
Today is the Angkor Wat half marathon. This is what we came to Cambodia for! We got up and traveled by tuk-tuk to the starting line, which is in the parking lot in front of Angkor Wat. We arrived a bit later than I had hoped, but we still got to see the sunrise behind the temples.

We first heard about this run during the Free the Bears Opening at Cat Tien. For the last four years Free the Bears has sponsored runners...who run in animal costumes! Jonathan's advisor, Bert, will be running the 10k with Jonathan. Bert's wife, Sherri, and I will run the 5k. She and I were running buddies last year, training to run a 5k in under 30 minutes. We were doing quite well at achieving this goal, until Sherri was diagnosed with Guillan-Barre Syndrome at the end of June. She spent more than a month in the hospital unable to move her arms and legs. The doctors are not sure how she got it-it could've been after she had been fighting a virus of some sort. The way I understand this syndrome is that your immune system gets confused and begins attacking your nervous system. This can be fatal if it is not caught and treated in time. Treatment can be tricky because everyone's body is different and the doctors have to find the right combination of medications to decrease pain and help to encourage the body to build myelin sheath in the nerves.

So, in July Sherri was in the hospital. She was determined to get better and worked very hard every day to improve. She had to re-train her body how to do everything! In August she began walking again. In October she began running again! I mentioned the run to her and she set it as a goal for herself. We both started running again with the intention of finishing the 5k.

Our run was good. We began the race strong and at a comfortable pace. We chatted and enjoyed the setting. We didn't stop to walk, although it was an option if we decided that we would need to in order to finish the run. We had set out to finish the race and I figured that our pace was slower than what I had been running, so we might finish in 32 or 33 minutes. As we came around the final turn into the chutes to the finish line I looked up and saw our time: 29:30. I couldn't believe it! We were running very comfortably- our first run together since the Earth Day 5k in April- and we were seconds away from not only finishing the run, but finishing it in under 30 minutes! In that instant we agreed to sprint and try for less than 30 minutes. We made it across the finish in 29:50! I was so excited! I felt strong and I was beside myself with glee. I was SO proud of Sherri! She is one of the strongest people I know. I admire her commitment and confidence.

After the race we walked back up the route to see Bert finish in 48 minutes. Jonathan came in a bit later. He, too, amazes me! He doesn't normally run, so, "off the couch" he got up and ran a 10k. At the last minute he chose to run the race in a gibbon costume! He came in to the finish line with a crowd of support as they cheered for the Monkey Man (NO! I'm a Gibbon!) Everyone wanted to take photos with him and try on the big gibbon head. He was cheerful and funny as people approached him for the next 2 hours! The rest of the crew for Free the Bears had run the 1/2 marathon and finished a couple of hours later. It was a great way to spend a morning-running for wildlife!