EXPLORATIONS - Running a Marathon

EXPLORATIONS - Running a Marathon
By Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Wednesday, November 03, 2004

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This is Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

 
Runners at the start of the Baltimore Marathon.
And this is Steve Ember with Explorations in VOA Special English. Today, we report about marathon races in the United States. And one marathon runner tells about his experience.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Forty-two kilometers is a long way to run without stopping. But as many as thirty-five thousand competitors with a lot of energy will try to do that on Sunday, November seventh. They will take part in the thirty-fifth New York City Marathon. This race is so large that competitors must take part in a game of chance to win the right to enter.

Two million people will watch the competitors as they run through the streets of America's most famous city. The athletes will run across five bridges and through the five boroughs¹, or areas, of New York City. These are Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. The race ends in the city's famous Central Park.

Like other marathons, the New York City Marathon is an international race. World champions and Olympic athletes will compete. So will top athletes from twenty countries. The athletes will compete for prize money worth more than five hundred thirty thousand dollars.

VOICE TWO:

Many other cities in the United States hold marathons. For example, the United States Marine² Corps³ Marathon took place last Sunday in Washington, D. C. and the state of Virginia.

The city of Chicago, Illinois also held its yearly⁴ marathon last month. The running area in Chicago is almost completely flat. This has permitted runners to set some of the world's fastest times there. The Chicago race offered some of the largest prizes among American marathons. It gave six hundred fifty thousand dollars in prize money.

VOICE ONE:

In April, other runners will take part in the Boston Marathon in Massachusetts. That race is the oldest marathon in the world held each year. The first Boston Marathon was held in eighteen ninety-seven.

Some people run in the Boston Marathon just for fun. These people have not officially joined the race. They just start running with the crowds. They are called "bandits⁵." Many of them finish the race hours after the serious runners. But these unofficial racers are just as happy. They sometimes kiss the ground after crossing the finish line.

((MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

The word "marathon" comes from an area along the coast of Greece. An important battle took place in Marathon about two thousand five hundred years ago. An army from Persia had invaded⁶ Greece. Greece's army defeated the invading⁷ army at Marathon. An Athenian general sent a Greek runner to Athens to tell the news of the victory. Marathon was about forty kilometers from Athens. The man ran to Athens at top speed. He announced his message. Then he fell to the ground, dead.A men's marathon of about forty kilometers was included in the first modern Olympic games in eighteen ninety-six. The distance of the marathon was increased to forty-two and two-tenths kilometers at the nineteen-oh-eight Olympics in London. The marathon continues to be a popular Olympic sport.

VOICE ONE:

What is it like to run a marathon? Recently, one of our Special English writers, Mario Ritter, ran in a marathon race. He thought it would be fun to tell about it. Most people would never think of running forty-two kilometers for fun. But, the pleasure in running a marathon is not in doing it - but in knowing that you did.

Mario runs almost every day to keep healthy. He is not a competitive⁸ runner. He ran a marathon before-ten years ago. This year, he decided⁹ to run another in the city of Baltimore, Maryland.

Training is extremely important. Starting in May, Mario began training by running more often. He also increased the length of his runs to eight, twelve and even twenty kilometers. Soon, he ran five days a week. Running regularly is necessary to build the needed strength.

In the months before the race, Mario ran a total of more than eight hundred kilometers in training. That really is not very much. Competitive runners train much more. But for someone just trying to prepare, that seems enough.

VOICE TWO:

The day before the race, Mario travels to Baltimore with his wife, Yaxue, and three-year-old daughter, Atalanta. They stay at a hotel near the start of the race. He gets his identification¹⁰ number and a computer chip in a band that he wears around his ankle. The chip is activated¹¹ at the start of the race and keeps time.

Race day is cold and windy. Runners gather at the starting line. They are stretching their arms and legs or jumping up and down trying to stay warm. Many are talking with friends and other runners. The line of people stretches hundreds of meters behind the start.

The very best runners are in the front. They are competing for prize money. The winner will receive fifteen thousand dollars. There is a total of one hundred thousand dollars in prize money. But more than two thousand people will run only for fun.

The mayor¹² of Baltimore is talking. The sound of his voice flows in the air above the runners. But no one is listening to him. It is almost time to start the race.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

It is eight o'clock in the morning, October fifteenth. A horn sounds. The runners are off. The big race starts slowly. The top runners quickly move out. But, a crowd of hundreds waits behind them. This is a dangerous part of the race. It is easy for a runner to trip and fall in a storm of elbows and shoes.

The runners gain speed. With more space, Mario worries less about being tripped. He can run his own race. The first few kilometers are up hill. This does not seem too bad. Kilometer number three…four…ten…fifteen. The first half of the race feels "easy."

VOICE TWO:

A marathon is a civic¹³ event. The city police block traffic on the main roads. Some runners thank the officers as they run by. Every few kilometers, volunteers offer water to the runners. Hundreds of people in the community give their time and effort. Lots of people cheer.

Half way. Mario has not run as fast as he wanted. But, he is saving¹⁴ energy for the second half of the race. The hard part starts here.

About half way into a marathon, the human body starts to show signs of extreme tiredness. Pain starts to build in the legs, knees and feet. The mind plays tricks too. While half the race is over, the other half is just beginning.

VOICE ONE:

At the thirty-kilometer mark, Mario really feels horrible. His legs just do not want to work. To make matters worse, the path of the race goes up several big hills. Every step hurts.

This is "the wall" -- the point were the body wants to stop and rest. Here, only the mind can tell the body to move forward. Competitive runners condition their bodies to go beyond this point regularly. Runners like Mario only become this physically¹⁵ tired a few times in their lives.

Mario centers his thoughts on putting one foot in front of the other--continuing the motion¹⁶ of running. He remembers to use his arms and shoulders to lengthen¹⁷ his stride¹⁸.

VOICE TWO:

As he reaches the top of the last big hill, Mario can sense that the finish line is only a few kilometers away. He tries to cover more ground with each step. Other runners speed up too.

But as the long line of runners heads down hill, the path becomes crowded. The street is uneven¹⁹ and tricky²⁰.

If someone trips at this point, the runner will not be able to avoid falling. A young woman ahead mis-steps and cannot react quickly enough. She falls directly on her face and is bleeding. People rush to help her.The runners can only look on. They ride a wave of motion that they are powerless to halt²¹.

VOICE ONE:

The finish line represents a goal that Mario has thought about for almost four hours. When he sees it, he speeds up. He is able to pass a number of people. Suddenly, a thin, young woman sprints²² across the finish line just ahead of him. He did not see her coming.

Mario finishes seven hundred thirty-first in the Baltimore Marathon. It has been one hour and forty minutes since John Itati of Kenya won the race. Two thirds of the marathoners have yet to finish.

VOICE TWO:

A crowd of runners, volunteers and family members gathers at the end of the race. People are laughing and calling out. The atmosphere feels like a holiday.

Mario's wife and daughter find him. They are happy, caught up in the excitement. "You did it!" his wife, Yaxue, exclaims²³.

Mario realizes that he cannot bend down to untie²⁴ his shoes. In a few hours he will feel satisfied with his effort. But at this moment, he wonders why anyone would run a marathon for fun.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This program was written and produced by Mario Ritter. This is Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Steve Ember. Join us again next week for Explorations in VOA Special English.

1 boroughs   

（尤指大伦敦的）行政区( borough的名词复数 )； 议会中有代表的市镇

参考例句：

• London is made up of 32 boroughs. 伦敦由三十二个行政区组成。
• Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City. 布鲁克林区是纽约市的五个行政区之一。

2 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

4 yearly   

adj.每年的，一年一度的；adv.一年一次地

参考例句：

• The flower show is a yearly event in our town.我们镇上的花展一年举行一次。
• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。

5 bandits   

土匪，强盗( bandit的名词复数 )； 盗匪； 盗贼； 草寇

参考例句：

• After a few hours of fierce fighting,we saw the intruding bandits off. 经过几小时的激烈战斗，我们赶走了入侵的匪徒。
• The bandits struggled to tear her away from the safe. 匪徒使劲想把她从保险柜跟前拉开。

6 invaded   

v.侵入，侵略( invade的过去式和过去分词 )；涌入；侵袭；侵犯

参考例句：

• Troops invaded on August 9th that year. 军队是在那年的8月9日入侵的。
• The diseased tissue can be easily invaded by these microorganisms. 有病的组织容易被微生物侵袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 invading   

v.侵入，侵略( invade的现在分词 )；涌入；侵袭；侵犯

参考例句：

• The invading troops were guilty of rape and pillage. 侵略军犯了抢劫和强奸的罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The invading army desecrated this holy place when they camped here. 侵略军在这块圣地上扎营就是对这块圣地的亵渎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 competitive   

adj.竞争的，比赛的，好竞争的，有竞争力的

参考例句：

• Some kinds of business are competitive.有些商业是要竞争的。
• These businessmen are both competitive and honourable.这些商人既有竞争性又很诚实。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 identification   

n.视为同一，证明同一，确认

参考例句：

• He's made a formal identification of the body.他正式确认了死者身份。
• We should have identification card on the person when we go out.我们外出时应随身携带身份证。

11 activated   

adj. 激活的 动词activate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The canister is filled with activated charcoal.蒸气回收罐中充满了活性炭。

12 mayor   

n.市长

参考例句：

• The new mayor said he would clean the city up.新市长说，他要整顿本市。
• The mayor hurried into his office,brushing off the reporters.市长赶快走进办公室，拒不接见记者。

13 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

14 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。

15 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

16 motion   

n.打手势，示意，移动，动作，提议，大便；v.运动，向...打手势，示意

参考例句：

• She could feel the rolling motion of the ship under her feet.她能感觉到脚下船在晃动。
• Don't open the door while the train is in motion.列车运行时，请勿打开车门。

17 lengthen   

vt.使伸长，延长

参考例句：

• He asked the tailor to lengthen his coat.他请裁缝把他的外衣放长些。
• The teacher told her to lengthen her paper out.老师让她把论文加长。

18 stride   

vi.大踏步走，阔步行进；n.大步，步态

参考例句：

• In a big stride he came out of the room.他一个箭步出了房间。
• The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。

19 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

20 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

21 halt   

n.停住，停止，暂停；v.(使)停住，(使)停止

参考例句：

• When the children's play got too noisy, their mother called a halt.当孩子们的游戏过于吵闹时，他们的母亲叫他们停下来。
• No one can halt the advance of history.没人能阻挡历史的前进。

22 sprints   

n.短距离的全速奔跑( sprint的名词复数 )v.短距离疾跑( sprint的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• You can run sprints only so long before you're out of breath. 你死命地跑，只能跑那么一段时间，到了喘不上气的时候，只好停下来。 来自辞典例句
• The cheetah finds the open grasslands ideal footing for its lightning-quick sprints. 非洲猎豹把开阔的草原作为它们闪电猎食的理想处所。 来自互联网

23 exclaims   

v.呼喊，惊叫，大声说( exclaim的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He exclaims that it must be a typing error. 他惊呼道那一定是个打字错误。 来自辞典例句
• Everyone has been lying to her, she exclaims; Pinkerton is Back, her love is triumphant. 她大声说，人人都一直在骗她；平克顿回来了，她的爱情胜利了。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

24 untie   

vt.解开，松开；解放

参考例句：

• It's just impossible to untie the knot.It's too tight.这个结根本解不开。太紧了。
• Will you please untie the knot for me?请你替我解开这个结头，好吗？