Martin Parnell Finish the Race Attitude

Quest completed:

• Comrades Quest 87
  

• The Comrades Marathon (87km)
• Sunday May 29th 2011
• Durban to Pietermaritzburg
• South Africa
• Finish Time (target): 11hrs 59 mins 59secs
• Finish Time (actual): 11hrs 51min 23sec
• Course: Stats and map
• Video: Comrades in 8 1/2 mins
  

At 5.30am on Sunday May 29^th the cockerel crowed and the 86th running of the Comrades Marathon began. The day had started at 3.00am. My running buddy Ken had flown over from India and that morning we met in the Polo room of the Durban Hilton for a pre-race breakfast. I have the same thing before any race, oatmeal, honey and a banana. The plan was to leave the hotel at 4.45am and make our way over to City Hall two blocks away. I had made up a recovery bag for after the race and Ken's wife Dori said she'd meet us at the end. We left the hotel and everyone was complaining about how cold it was. The temperature was 15C which to me is a summers day in Cochrane. The race had 16,000 starters and the streets were packed with people trying to get to the start line. Ken and I were seeded in section D and we were jammed like sardines in our coral. At 5.15am the crowd started singing "Shosholoza" a traditional Zulu mining song, then "Chariots of Fire" started to blare out of the loudspeakers. At 5.30am on the dot the cockerel crowed and the race began.

I had 12 hours to complete 86.5km from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and I felt good. Ken and I started off together but I knew it wouldn't be long before he would pull away. I maintained a good pace and the kilometres clicked by. The weather forecast had predicted a clear and sunny day so I wore my "Sahara hat" with the neck flap, a very good move. I was moving well and hit the half way mark at 5hr 20min 40sec. Each year they alternate the direction of the race. This year is an "Up" year and next year is "Down'. The "Up" is meant to be easier on the body. Tell my body that.

In races in North America "Pace bunnies" are used to help runners achieve a certain time. In marathons, there will be 4hr, 4.30hr or 5hr pace bunnies. If you can stick with the bunny you'll make your time. In the Comrades, they have "Buses". There's a 10hr, 11hr, and 12hr bus. I had been running with the 11hr bus, on and off, for the first 50km so I knew that if I could stick with him I'd be OK. At the 55km mark the wheels fell off the bus. It was getting hotter and hotter and my legs started to feel weak. The bus pulled away from me and I never saw it again. For 10km I was in a dark place. I walked most of it and couldn't get going. Time was slipping away and the possibility of missing the 12hr cut-off was looming large.

At 65km a voice behind me asked, what was the "Parnell 250" on the back of my shirt? I explained about the Marathon Quest 250 and he said I must be nuts. His name was Roy and he was from Johannesburg. He had completed nine Comrades races and if he finished today's run it would make it ten and a special medal. Two other runners were with him, Tony and Terrence. Running with this "mini-bus" picked up my spirits and my pace improved. In the Comrades you have 12 hours to complete the race. If you come in at 12 hours and 1 second you get no placing, no medal and no t-shirt. Now that is tough love.

It was going to be close for our little group. Roy was cramping up and his pace was down to a slow shuffle. We entered the Pietermaritzburg Cricket stadium at 11hr 49min and staggered around the last 400m. The crowd was yelling and screaming and our little band of comrades crossed the line at 11hr 51min and 23sec. Not a moment to soon!

Dr Randolph Randolph's book of animal jokes

Q: What's blue and has big ears?
A: An elephant at the North Pole!

Quote of the Day

"We should seek the greatest value of our action."

Stephen Hawking

On the road from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, South Sfrica.

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Quest completed:

• Comrades Quest 87
  

• The Comrades Marathon (87km)
• Sunday May 29th 2011
• Durban to Pietermaritzburg
• South Africa
• Finish Time (target): 11hrs 59 mins 59secs
• Finish Time (actual): 11hrs 51min 23sec
• Course: Stats and map
• Video: Comrades in 8 1/2 mins
  

In late November 2010, I received a call from Sarah Stern. Sarah works for Right To Play in Toronto and had been my contact during Marathon Quest 250. She told me that I was invited to go to the country of Benin in West Africa, with two RTP Athletic Ambassadors, and visit a number of schools that used the Right To Play programs. My immediate answer was yes. My next thought was, I've never heard of Benin. I thanked Sarah and quickly went to the source of all knowledge: Wikipedia. There I learnt that Benin gained its full independence from France in 1960. It has a population of 9.3 million and is the size of the Island of Newfoundland. Its capital is Porto-Novo and its largest city is Cotonou, the location of our visit. The life expectancy is 59 years and the literacy rate is one of the lowest in the world at 35%. In fact, most children in Benin do not complete their primary school education, with slightly more than half of enrolled kids completing the fifth grade.

Right To Play have been in Benin since 2001. They've used three main sports and play-based education programs: Red Ball Child Play, Live Safe Play Safe and Early Child Play. Also, in 2011, after piloting and ongoing teacher training, Right To Play, together with Benin's Ministry of Early Childhood and Primary Education, is introducing an early childhood play-based curriculum for 80,000 children.

My introduction to Benin started on Monday May 30^th. I landed at Cotonou airport and, on stepping out of the aircraft, was hit by a wall of heat. It had been warm in Durban, but this was a furnace. I was met in arrivals by Himi, who works for Right To Play. The ride to Hotel Ibis was pretty hair-raising, with hundreds of motorbikes and scooters zipping around us and weaving in and out of the traffic. Fortunately, we arrived in one piece. I love air-conditioning.

I received a call later in the evening to say that Robert Witchel, Caroline Ouellette and Heather Moyse had arrived and I headed down to meet them. Robert is the Director of Right To Play in Canada and was a great help during MQ 250. Caroline is a three time hockey Olympic gold medal winner and has played in eight world championships. She's reputed to have one of the hardest shots in the women's game. Heather is a bobsleigh Olympic gold medalist and has represented Canada as a member of the National Senior Women's Rugby team. Heather also spent three years in Trinidad and Tobago developing and establishing a camp for deaf and hearing-impaired children.

In my next two blogs I will tell you about visiting King Allada 16^th with a group of five students, who would be making a presentation to him on children rights. Going to several schools, including one for the deaf and participating in Right To Play programs. Learning about the history of the slave trade and leading a marathon with a group of kids who wanted to start a running club. I had never run a marathon at 40C!

Dr Randolph Randolph's book of animal jokes

Q: What powerful reptile is found in the Sydney opera house?
A: The Lizard of Oz!

Quote of the Day

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Cotonou, Benin: Balance is the key to this operation

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Quest completed:

• Comrades Quest 87
  

• The Comrades Marathon (87km)
• Sunday May 29th 2011
• Durban to Pietermaritzburg
• South Africa
• Finish Time (target): 11hrs 59 mins 59secs
• Finish Time (actual): 11hrs 51min 23sec
• Course: Stats and map
• Video: Comrades in 8 1/2 mins
  

In my last blog, Robert, Caroline, Heather and myself had arrived in Cotonou, Benin in West Africa. At 8.00am on the morning of May 31^st , Himi, who works for Right To Play, was waiting for us at the front door of Hotel Ibis. As we left the building, a blanket of heat engulfed us. Himi drove through the crazy rush-hour traffic to the local offices of Right To Play. We were met by Marie-Josephine (Country Manager), Romeo Essou (Program Manager) and Christiane Boton (Project Coordinator). These three staff members were born and raised in Benin. Marie-Josephine explained the work which Right To Play has been doing in the country. In 2011, the programs will reach over 167,000 children in 1,052 schools and 48 youth centres.

Our first school visit was planned for the afternoon. Lunchtime traffic was no better than the morning. Himi is a gifted driver and we survived the trip to the school. Dogoudo school goes from grades 1 to 6, has 295 students, but only 6 teachers. The lack of teachers was a recurring theme. The three open-air classrooms boarder on to a large dirt court-yard. We were greeted by a group of grade 5 and 6 boys and girls doing a traditional dance. Then it was right into the games. The first was a team event with three teams of ten members. We had to fill a ladle with water, run down a course, put the water in a pail run back with the ladle and pass it to the next team member. I raced two grade 4 kids and managed to win my heat. The kids loved this and were yelling and cheering. I was then taken over to a set of drums and became part of the school band. The temperature was 35C and I was soaked. The kids found this funny.

After saying goodbye, we were on the road again, heading out of Cotonou for a very special meeting. We had been granted an audience with King Allada XVI. Benin has 12 domains or provinces and there are several Kings in each one. They still hold a lot of power over the local people and it's important to get them to support the Right To Play programs. With us were five children, three boys and two girls, from five different schools and they were going to make a presentation to the King. We entered a large room and it was stifling. We were shown to the comfy chairs but the rest of the King's 70 strong entourage were seated on the floor. We waited. Then King Allada entered and sat on his leopard skin covered throne. He had a fan lady and an umbrella lady with him. There were a number of speeches. I haven't mentioned before but, Benin is French speaking. This was a bit of a challenge for me because, unfortunately, my French is not good. It was not much of an issue with the kids because I can communicate with gestures, but formal speeches were tough.

We each had to introduce ourselves so I'd learnt "Je m'apelle Martin. Je suis Courier Marathon" and that seemed to work. Then the kids gave their presentation on children's rights. It was in French but it's meaning was crystal clear. The room was hushed as the children stated that they had a right to education, they had a right to being looked after, and they had a right to play. For a moment the place was absolutely still. Very powerful.

In a future blog I'll talk about Day 2 of the visit, the inaugural run of the Right To Play Benin Running Club and the visit to Houekegbo school for "Tree day".

Dr Randolph Randolph's book of animal jokes

Q. What do you get if you cross a frog and a dog?
A. A croaker spaniel!

Quote of the Day

"The person who answers the starting gun of their first Ironman is not the same person who reaches the finish line"

Ray Fauteux

Robert and Caroline chat with kids at Dogoudo School

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Quest completed:

• Comrades Quest 87
  

• The Comrades Marathon (87km)
• Sunday May 29th 2011
• Durban to Pietermaritzburg
• South Africa
• Finish Time (target): 11hrs 59 mins 59secs
• Finish Time (actual): 11hrs 51min 23sec
• Course: Stats and map
• Video: Comrades in 8 1/2 mins
  

Benin Right To Play staff members, Marie-Josephine and Romeo, had asked me to hold a running session for all the RTP employees at the Cotonou office. Each week, on a Wednesday morning, they do an exercise routine on the roof of the building but they wanted to add a "learn to run" session. Robert, Caroline, Heather and I arrived early at the office and the first thing I did was give them a Running 101 tutorial. We chatted about shoes, hydration and nutrition, then we hit the crazy streets of Cotonou. Some had not come prepared for this endeavour. The open toed sandals and three inch heels could prove to be an issue. The plan was to walk 4 minutes and run one minute, for 30 minutes. In Calgary, when you get to a crossing, the motorists are very good and stop for you. This was not Calgary. We all survived the 2.62km run and lived to run another day. The objective is to do this once a week and hit 5km in 12 weeks. I made Romeo club captain and he will send me a weekly report.

We had two activities planned for the rest of the day. The first was tree planting. After cooling down and consuming several bottles of water, it was off to Houekegbo school and "Tree day". We arrived at the school and the first thing we did was a Right To Play game, then we dug holes and planted 20 trees around the perimeter of the play area. After saying goodbye to the kids it was off to the Fidjrosse Sports field. Travelling with Caroline and Heather had been a blast. They had been helping me with my French and had been so supportive of the children we had met. They asked me what I was planning to do after the Benin trip and I mentioned that I was trying to get on Mantracker with my buddy Roy. It just so happened that Mantracker is one of their favourite shows and they offered to do a video, in support of Roy and I making the show. If I can't get on with the support of two Olympic gold medalists, I'm not sure what it'll take.

That afternoon, we were to meet members of the Benin women's soccer team and they particularly wanted to talk to Caroline and Heather about women in sport. Arriving, at the Fidjrosse Sports field, a practice session was already in progress. Afterwards, Heather and Caroline talked to the young women about their sports careers. I headed off and found a bunch of young kids to have a kick-a-bout with. After 20 minutes I was soaked and I headed back to the group. Romeo explained that the young women had told the two Olympians that girls who do sport in Benin are treated as outcasts. They're expected to be at home doing chores, instead of following their dreams. Even getting an education is seen as a luxury for girls past grade 5. Caroline and Heather told them that they were leaders of tomorrow and change will happen. I listened to this and realised how brave these young women were.

In my next blog I'll talk about the Slave Trade and Benin TV.

Dr Randolph Randolph's book of animal jokes

Q: What is a polygon?
A: A dead parrot!

Quote of the Day

"Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

Emerson

Soccer drills with a group of kids in Benin, West Africa

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Quest completed:

• Comrades Quest 87
  

• The Comrades Marathon (87km)
• Sunday May 29th 2011
• Durban to Pietermaritzburg
• South Africa
• Finish Time (target): 11hrs 59 mins 59secs
• Finish Time (actual): 11hrs 51min 23sec
• Course: Stats and map
• Video: Comrades in 8 1/2 mins
  

Robert, Caroline, Heather and myself had been in Benin for three days and the reception we had received from the Right To Play staff, teachers and children had been tremendous. This morning we were going to learn a small part of Benin's history and it was to have a profound impact on me. First, we traveled to Quidah, 40km west of Cotonou and visited the Adjara-Dovie elementary school. We observed a lesson on child protection strategies. The children were in grade 5 and were hard workers. The lesson was an hour and they stayed on task the whole time. Robert, on the other hand, was sitting in a corner and starting to nod off.

Our next stop was the Quidah museum and the story of the slave trade. In the 1700's Kings ruled the country and they sold their people as slaves. A clay pipe was 20 slaves and a bottle of gin was 50. The slaves were then kept for two months, at a location that is now the museum, on only food and water. Many died and the rest walked the 5 km trek along the slave's road to the coast. We drove that road and along the way we were shown the slaves graveyard, where millions are buried. At the end of the road we reached the "Port of no return". Slaves would walk under an arch, knowing they would never see their homeland again. These slaves were sent all over the world and half of them would die in the boats before they ever saw dry land. When slavery was abolished a number of them did returned to Africa and form Liberia. Standing on the beach looking out to sea one can only think "But for the grace of God…"

That evening we headed over to Benin TV for a one hour program on the importance of sport in children's development. This is a national show and goes right across the country. The main speakers were Caroline and Heather with Marie from Right To Play and a government representative. Robert and I sat in back row with two members of the women's soccer team we had met the previous day. I really couldn't understand a lot that was said, but it was obvious that the discussion was somewhat heated at times. The presenter reminded me of a grumpy Tony Harris (if Tony ever got grumpy). I found out afterwards that he had been quite aggressive, asking why should girls do sport and was there any benefit to them. Interesting.

It had been quite a day and there was a lot to reflect on. I will never forget the morning at Quidah museum and the slave road.

Tomorrow, in my final blog on my trip to Benin I will talk about visiting the Vedoko school for the deaf and setting up a kids running club.

Dr Randolph Randolph's book of animal jokes

Q: What is cleverer than a talking cat?
A: A spelling bee!

Quote of the Day

"Whatever course you decide upon there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Standing at the Port of No Return

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Quest completed:

• Comrades Quest 87
  

• The Comrades Marathon (87km)
• Sunday May 29th 2011
• Durban to Pietermaritzburg
• South Africa
• Finish Time (target): 11hrs 59 mins 59secs
• Finish Time (actual): 11hrs 51min 23sec
• Course: Stats and map
• Video: Comrades in 8 1/2 mins
  

Only two days left of our visit to Benin. Robert, Caroline, Heather and myself had made a number of visits to schools that used the Right To Play programs but today's visit would be special. We made our way through the crazy Cotonuo morning traffic and arrived at the Vedoko school for the deaf. The school has 120 students and three teachers. Classrooms are on either side of a yard and at one end is an outdoor kitchen. Just as we arrived, the heavens opened and it started to pelt down. This is the rainy season, but we had been pretty lucky so far. We were welcomed to the school by the head teacher and asked to present ourselves. Heather knows signing and she explained she was a bobsleigher and rugby player. Caroline demonstrated hockey and the teacher explained ice. I took advantage of the black board and drew a stickman and wrote 10,500kms next to him. I then drew a picture of Africa and a stickman on a bike and showed my cycle trip route.

Before the game began I headed out of the classroom. The rain hadn't eased up and part of the yard was flooding. Down the street I could see water creeping into the tin roofed shops. There's no real drainage and the water carves a path along the road. Back in the class it was time for some Right To Play games. All the kids wore Right To Play shirts and the first activity was a threelegged race. My partner was a grade 1 boy, Joseph. I didn't want to step on his toes so we went slowly. After the game the teacher signed to the kids the importance of working together. We did balance games and team games. The kids couldn't get enough of these activities. Soon it was time to go and another farewell.

Saturday was a big day for me. It was my last day in Benin but also, I was scheduled to lead a marathon for a group of kids. The furthest I had run in Benin so far was 2.6km so doing a marathon just a week after the Comrades and in 30C and 90% humidity seemed a bit much. Arriving at the CEG1 sports field, I spotted 25 runners and they all had numbers on. I was introduced to all the children and youths. Their leader was Parfaite. She was 26 years old and was also a member of the Benin Soccer team. I asked about the marathon and she said that 30min running would work. Phew! We ran around the sports field a couple of times then headed out on the streets of Cotonou. This was a challenge. The motorist and motor cyclist aren't used to runners, especially girls and there were a few shouts and yells at us. After 30 minutes we'd covered 4.5km and everyone was back safe. Parfaite said that the group wanted to start a running club so I asked her what it would be named. She went over to the group and 5 minutes later returned. She said they wanted to be called the "Undefeatables".

After spending 5 days in Benin that pretty much summed up my feelings. These kids just want to be given a chance. They don't want charity, pity or gimme's. They just want encouragement and a helping hand. Right To Play is doing it's bit and so can we.

Dr Randolph Randolph's book of animal jokes

Q: What's another name for a clever duck?
A: A wise quacker!

Quote of the Day

"You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get."

Michael Phelps

Running with the "Undefeatables" in Cotonou, Benin

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