Kill Kuato

Woke up at 7am for the Wenatchee Half Marathon today. The gun goes off at 8, so I peel out of bed and seen it snowing. Visions of slipping down a hill and compound ankle fracture bone sticking out with drops of snow melting upon its hot surface. Arrival to race start area around 745. Light snow, yet only wet streets. I headed to the back of the line, not wanting to get ran over. There were about 100 people. I started following this hippie looking dude that looked that looked straight out of a Grizzly Adams Nike advertisement.

On Grizz's ass near the end.

I ended up sprinting past him about 100 yards from the finish.

Off we went down Wenatchee Avenue. We even ran red lights. We turned right at about 1 mile to head onto the loop. My pace was semi slow steady. I felt alright. @ Mile 3 the group was thinning out and I was behind with about 10 others. One was a 40 someting guy I semi know from the UK. He had a thick sweater on. There were three sets of 2 girls running together. I tried to keep up with them. I held sturdy yet strong behind the UK and a set of girls I called Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Kinda fancy girl runners with their little baseball running caps, running tights and pony tails bouncin.

We crossed the south Wenatchee bridge and hit the 5 mile marker. I unzipped my wind breaker a bit. Sweaty. I felt ok. I felt stronger on some of the small hills and past some peeps, yet UK and Tweedle Dee/Dum were still ahead. I passed my IronMan friend Brian at about Mile 5.5, he was about 1.5 miles ahead of me. I half shouted to him that I felt like my perriwinkle had novacaine in it. I couldn’t feel anything due to the cold. Tingly. The turn around was mile seven. Full Marathoners cruised passed me and shot on through the “GU” water area.

At mile 8 I heard steps upon my head (that’s what it sounds like with one ear) possibly coming up behind me. A guy was running off the pavement in the gravel and the sound was driving me nuts.

sham sham sham sham. Across the bridge @ mile 10 I decided to check my watch. 1:10 WOOT! I was cruising!

Thinking back to the beginning, there was this symbiotic couple with there friends making it all look easy too, they would take breaks, cracking jokes and talk about the latest Dr. Phill episode. I barely passed them at the end when the dude was tying his shoe, yet they took breaks along the way and passed me like five times. I don’t think I was enjoying it as much as they were. Their cackles were annoying to my one ear.

Couple goofin' round'

I decided to push it a little more to catch Tweeddee n dum. All of a sudden I saw my chance to pass UK! I saw him hopping through the sagebrush towards a stack of apple crates. Yes! Saved by the bladder!@

Tweeddee dum though were still ahead, with a steady cheerleader squad pace. We crossed back over the bridge. Sham sham sham sham still in my head, “DAMN Dude, pass me already”, I was thinking.

Tweedle Dee and Dum trotting along making it look easy

He zoomed past me on my right. Gravel crunching. I didn’t bother to look back for UK, hoping he didn’t have to use sagebrush for number 2. At mile 11 or so, I decided to push upon Tweeddee dum. They were trotting hard and it was pissing me off. A sudden vision of Disney movie WE ARE SIAMESE IF YOU PLEASE, cats strutting around all snobby like. I decided to check my watch, 1:10 WOOT! WTF! My watch had stopped working somewhere back probably at mile 5 8(

@ Mile 12 I felt someone behind me, a skinny guy w/ tattoos on the calves, passed me. He even passed Tweeddee dum. After mile 11 I decided to stretch out my stride to catch Tweeddee dum, but at mile 12 I had lost them; only a blurry vision in the distance of two baseball caps with bouncing pony tails. I stretched it out at the end-semi nausea setting in. Strong finish at the end. Time. 2:07.53 -was kinda dizzy.

About 200 yards to the finish!

Photos: John Brunk

Found on the net this beautiful photo of the “Marathon of the Drunks” Held every year in Apopa, San Salvador in December. After the marathon, they are registered for alcohol treatment centers. In some colonias of San Salvador, it is common to have the typical friendly drunk roam around acting as garbage collector, car security, or even mariachi singer to entertain the neighbors. Everybody knows their names and respects them. To give back to the “bolos”, the marathon acts as a place to build self esteem and hope for the future. I was encouraged by this image since I am attempting my first half marathon this Sunday. I’m not running it drunk though!

Participantes en la Cuarta Carrera de Borrachos en Apopa, unos 12 kilómetros al norte de San Salvador, El Salvador, el martes 12 de diciembre de 2006. Después de la carrera, fueron inscritos en proyectos para ayudarles a dejar de beber —Associated Press

Participantes en la Cuarta Carrera de Borrachos en Apopa, unos 12 kilómetros al norte de San Salvador, El Salvador, el martes 12 de diciembre de 2006. Después de la carrera, fueron inscritos en proyectos para ayudarles a dejar de beber —Associated Press

Music died for me along with kuato on 11/29/06 R.I.P. -I lost my left hearing.

One of the last bands that I allowed to baptize my stereo hearing before losing it was DEFTONES.

I had been living out of the country when I first heard them. I had met a Salvadoran Fan of Deathmetal who wanted to trade me some old Maiden tapes. He offered me sepultura, all the death metal bands from south america and others. I told him something I wanted something a little “mas tranquilo”, so he offered me a tape called White Pony.

I had not been into music since 89-94 sound garden days and it absolutely blew my mind. It was only one of 2 bands that I thought evolutionized the alternative music scene of late 80s. Since I get depressed pretty fast since I “hear the power” yet not “feel it”, I thought I’d share some power that died to me. turn it up.. like all the way..pound your brains.

La musica se ha muerto para mi,

Getting really burned out on wow. Went hardcore from 04 to 06 with a gnome lok.
Sold her.
Cut back.

Then started a spriest. Recently rerolled a hunter. When the frustration with the “game” *) matches or supersedes the fun. Time to jam.

Here is my bro in Law Jese Obed Martinez attempting his second 10 k Race in Downtown San Salvador. I hope to join him near the end of 2008 to do a Triathlon Salvadoran Style!

Watch out for the cars!

Aqui mi cunyado partcipando como concursante en su primer 10k Maraton.

Cuidado de los autos!