Up early this morning. A long, uninterrupted sleep last night. Not much to do now but wait these final few hours. Will go for a short jog, stretch a bit, prepare. The track athletes, all 99% of the population, seem fewer by the day. The throwers seem more jovial than usual. An Estonian was lying on the cafeteria floor, laughing, at 7:02 AM. The Japanese, mostly coaches, are neatly tucked into a corner, sipping their tea. You can see in their expressions an excitement for the marathon. The Japanese cable network has purchased the marathon viewing rights, paying millions so their public can view the race in prime-time. This is why the marathon will start at 11:45 AM. For no other reason. This does not concern me. If it starts at 4 AM, I will prepare to race at 4 AM. The weather reports are calling for a cooler day. Rain showers all today, then clearing and cooling. They say it will reach 72 degrees high. It has been upper 80’s, lower 90’s. I have expected it to be hot, and I have known the time the race will start, and neither of these elements have particularly concerned me. I know it concerns some.Yesterday an American sprinter started yelling at the hotel chef because he wanted his eggs “on top of” his ham. The chef was on the verge of tears.
I can’t help but believe that most people in east Berlin spend their nights practicing graffiti.
On the USATF pamphlet they offer explicit instructions on how to find the nearest McDonald’s.
I have not seen Usain Bolt in person. Does he really exist?
I have seen Tyson Gay. He exists.
Two volunteers asked for Tyson Gay’s autograph in the lobby of the hotel. Gay told them to wait a moment, as he was having a conversation with a friend. 20 minutes later, he gave the autograph. The two volunteers couldn’t be happier.
There is a very large Muslim population in Germany. This does not concern me.
Lagat seems happily up-beat.
Radcliffe seems particularly motivated or concerned. I’m not sure which. She has dropped out of the race.
Mo Farah is exceptionally thin.
The ice cream cones in the cafeteria are the size of a toothpick.
Why do throwers eat so much candy?
Doug Logan wears luminescent red-colored eye glasses.
Two small breakfasts at McDonald’s costs $16.00.
The internet service in the rooms costs 25 euros per day. That’s 35.6075 dollars.
They serve the exact same food every day. Breakfast is pancakes, eggs, some sliced meat. Lunch is rice, fish, pasta, unsliced bread. Dinner: same as lunch.
Got an invite to the Puma after party on Sunday. Will Bolt be in attendance? This is my wife’s only concern.
The run ended up being in the rain. I was explicitly told not to run in USA gear in the streets. But I was also told to not wear any logo gear inside the host hotel – except USA gear. I am still wondering how to effectively make the transition from the non-USA gear to the non-logo gear which must take place between the streets and the hotel.
I just ran in USA gear in the streets. I wasn’t mugged. People love Obama here. There are signs outside restaurants offering the Obama burger on their menus. They also are serving the Obama colada. This is a beverage, I presume. I don’t know if they’re aware that Americans don’t seem to like him as much. At least that’s what FoxNews tells me. We’re a fickle group, I guess.
I still like him, however. Not that it matters.
More to come from after the race. Hopefully I can report good news. I may be able to take video at the Puma party. Let me know if this is something people would like see…any other requests…feel free to comment and I will do my best…
mzungo.org is a little worried about USATF's recommendations for their athletes when staying in Berlin. You've got to be fucking kidding me!
ShareThis