SPORTS
Dutch treat:
The Amsterdam
Marathon
By Ross Forman
Cheryl Ash McKenzie: I barely know her, but never will forget her.
We met Sunday, Oct. 19, about 10 miles into the 33rd Annual Amsterdam Marathon. We met as each of us was running solo en route back to the Olympic Stadium, which served as the start and finish lines for the 26.2-mile grind. She asked about my pace and my run-walk style, and then asked if she could run with me.
'Of course,' I told her, thrilled to be running with someone, and not just my iPod.
For the next two hours or so, Cheryl and I ran side by side. I pushed her to the finish line at times. She did the same for me. She struggled some; I struggled some. She saw my friends along the course from the National AIDS Marathon Training Program, such as Chicagoans Katie, Beth, Dan and Steve, and Josh from Los Angeles, among others. I shared some Ritz crackers that Beth had been holding for me. We talked about our careers and she told me about her husband, Tim, who also was running, though at a much faster pace on this cool and mostly overcast day. We talked about her lack of interest in European soccer, which surprised me. And so much more.
Ultimately, we reached the stadium, together. We crossed the magical finish line, and then hugged each other.
It truly was a moment I'll never forget, quite possibly my fondest memory of the grueling journey, past windmills, around lakes, near some farm animals ( pigs, sheep, horses, etc. ) and more.
The Amsterdam Marathon was my third marathon, all completed in an 11-month stretch. Amsterdam and my first marathon, last November in Florence ( Italy ) , were fundraisers for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Nashville last April was simply Beth, Dan and I running with a goal of finishing, nothing more.
I'm still truly amazed that I've finished one marathon, let alone three. And the morning after the Amsterdam Marathon, as I boarded my nonstop United Airlines flight bound for Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, I felt fine. Sure, my quads were a bit tight, but hey, I just ran 26.2 miles, so perhaps they should be.
The support I've received for my marathons has been incredible—truly heartwarming. There are casual friends, longtime friends and people I've never even met but have read my running tales and decided to support the cause. Family members and family friends also have been there. There have also been countless business associates, including everyone associated with Total Nonstop Action ( TNA ) Wrestling, including President Dixie Carter, who text-messaged me well wishes before and after the race. Many TNA Wrestling stars—such as Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, Sonjay Dutt, Roxxi and Jacqueline, among others—also called and/or texted me their good wishes. Heck, about a month before leaving for Amsterdam, a few TNA Wrestling stars presented me a pair of brand-new Nike running shoes with their wishes.
When the leg pain was there in Amsterdam at, say, mile 22 or 23, it truly is amazing how the support of others helps motivate. I never once thought about stopping, knowing that so many others were, well, intrigued—if not amazed—that I have all of a sudden become a marathon runner.
And I'm not done running for 2008. Next up, it's the Honolulu Marathon, starting at 5 a.m., on Sunday, Dec. 14. This marathon also is a fundraiser for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. And this is the marathon that, of all I have done so far, is the one I am most excited about. Sure, the first was, and always will be, the most exciting, but I have so many close friends in Honolulu and have spent so many days on Waikiki Beach. Darren and John from the National AIDS Marathon Program will be in Hawaii, so seeing—and hearing—them on the course will be motivating. Hawaiian JR also will be running, which will be cool to see. My friend Hector from Orlando will be running in Honolulu too, though I know he'll in all likelihood finish ahead of me. Still, standing alongside Hector after the run, as we both will be wearing our medals, will be an honor. Hector, after all, has already finished an Ironman. ( No, I don't plan to train for an Ironman. ) I'll be running Honolulu with Dell, a Hawaiian friend who truly is a marathon veteran. This will be his 20th consecutive Honolulu Marathon, and though he's a much faster runner than I, he's agreed to do it at my best pace so we can finish together.
It's just like I did with Cheryl … because that's how marathon memories are made.
To support my Honolulu run, see www.firstgiving.com/rossruns08. Thanks!!
Four cities named
finalists for 2014
Gay Games
Groups from Miami, Cleveland, Boston and Washington, D.C., have submitted letters of intent to bid for the ninth edition of the Gay Games, to be held in 2014, according to a Federation of Gay Games ( FGG ) press release.
Bid documents are due to the FGG in March 2009. FGG site inspectors will then visit each city between May-August 2009.
The Gay Games have taken place in the United States four times ( out of seven stagings ) , most recently in Chicago in 2006. The next Games will take place in Cologne, Germany, in 2010.
The ninth edition of the Gay Games will be held in 2014, and will include more than 30 sports and cultural events with over 12,000 participants and hundreds of thousands of family, friends, fans and spectators.
Men's basketball
open-gym sessions
start Nov. 8
The Windy City Athletic Association ( WCAA ) Men's Basketball League begins open gym sessions on Saturday, Nov. 8, at Amundsen High School, 5111 N. Damen.
The league is open to everyone, regardless of basketball or athletic experience. The Nov. 8 schedule is 12-1 p.m. ( recreational ) ; 1-2 p.m. ( intermediate ) ; and 2-3 p.m. ( competitive ) .
See www.wcaasports.org for more information.