Chapter 10 – Preparation can take you far
Missed marathon
“Coach, the marathon is fully booked. Registrations are closed,” Fay sent me a WhatsApp message.
“I hope you registered already,” she sent a second message before I contemplated a response. She momentarily sent a screen shot indicating a congratulatory message from TCS Amsterdam Marathon 2019, celebrating their registering the 17,500 runners target for full marathon with 45 days to go before the run.
This was a big setback. It was just the previous day, a Tuesday, that we had discussed this marathon at length. I had already checked the organizers page and they had indicated that the 20,000 places for the half-marathon had been fully taken, same to the 7,500 places in the 8km run. However, some of the 17,500 places for the full-marathon were still available. The site had not indicated the number of places remaining. I had assumed that that 17k number was so large that it would not be reached. After all, people do not like the full marathon. Didn’t the last marathon at Stavanger hardly register 300 people on this distance?
Fay and I had discussed my possibility of my attending this run, on the full marathon, after all it was the only available option at that time. We discussed logistics, accommodation, travel within Amsterdam and even visa requirements. When running in a foreign country there are four things that must be done all at the same time. You cannot do one first and ‘hope’ for the others to just happen. You must click 4 buttons at the same time – or none.
First, you must register or be assured of registration. Without it you have no run. Registration has its own issues. You must get your run category or get any other run if you must run. You must have the means to register, which may include credit/debit cards or event other payment systems such as PayPal. Registration fees are usually non-refundable. That means that you cannot change your mind once you decide to run, unless you want to lose your money!
Secondly, you must travel to the event country, and then the event venue. If you are not there, of course, you cannot run. Travel has its own issues. The issues are fully loaded. You must look for transport, including flights, do your booking (and suffer cancellation fees if you make changes) and also worry about connections to your final destination, then arrange how to travel back thereafter. Flights get expensive as you approach an event date – call it supply and demand forces. The earlier you book the better. I have already cautioned about change of bookings once done – it shall cost you… but delay in booking may cost you more. That also means, just similar to marathon registration – be ready to lose (some/all) your money if you do not travel.
The third thing that you must plan for is the accommodation. Security accommodation at the marathon town, during marathon time is just a crazy thing. Everybody wants to book any available joint at the same time. It is something you need to arrange in good time (two months before!) and then book, usually by paying. The costs go high as you near the date of the marathon. Availability gets towards zero as you near the marathon. Location of available accommodation gets further and further from the start line as you get near the marathon, since most people would have booked places near the venue. Be ready to stay as far as 50km as the D-day nears.
Finally, you have to sort out the logistics that go with the run. The pre-, on- and post-run issues. Get the travel relates things sorted including visa, permission from work/class and then pack properly, know how to get to your port of exit and finally how to get from your arrival port to your accommodation. On run day you must know how you shall get to the venue and make your way to the starting line. Of course, you must have arranged on how to pick your runner number, without it you cannot even stand one kilometer to the starting line. You would usually pick the runner number a day before the run, if you are international runner or on the run day itself if allowed (usually not allowed). You are lucky if you can get someone to pick for you, which is difficult in a foreign land. After the run you need to know how you shall make your way back to your residence, how/what you shall eat and how/where you shall rest to recuperate. Travelling back home after the run is taken care of by the travel logistics of point number two.
You must have all the four sorted out and generally finalized and then hit the ‘execute’ button and have them all working out at once. You cannot do one and leave the rest hanging. Unfortunately, each of them is complex and involves many other issues that may even be beyond your immediate control. I was in the situation of working out the four issues when I informed Fay that I was planning to register for the marathon. They had not yet synched properly. Some issues were still a bit gray, but things were shaping up. I could now easily register.
“I shall register by tomorrow,” I had told her on the WhatsApp message of Tuesday. I had to finalize the travel bit, which still needed permission issues to be sorted and my cash planning was not adding up on the full-cost-accounting bit. All the four variables were proving to be quite expensive. At some point I did second guess my wisdom in deciding to participate in this run.
So, it is a Wednesday evening. I am all relaxed with some success in my planning the travel, where I had shortlisted my best flight options and had even managed to shortlist some accommodation options. I had discussed logistics of moving around NL, by virtue of Faye being already there. She would easily assist in getting some issues sorted, such as advise on where to get a bus or train, and how to get the runner kit. I was therefore totally taken aback when I got that message that the marathon registration was closed. I had not yet hit any of the four buttons to make this happen. This was bad.
I checked the organizers website and as sure as the ten o’clock nighttime sunlight that shines over here, the registrations were closed for all runs. A small footnote indicated that, “Registrations for the 3km kids runs were still open”
Surely!
I however reacted quite well. Maybe it was because I had not clicked any of the four buttons to set the ball rolling, hence was not likely to suffer any loss at the moment. The only thing I would lose was the mental energy and long hours of research and preparation. No cash money had yet been spent. However, it was still a disappointing moment.
“I shall send you the Amsterdam marathon FB page,” Faye would send a message at some point, “Sometimes runners who cannot attend sell their numbers there.”
I found myself on FB, which I hate. I started monitoring the conversations and for sure we had issues of registration under discussion. We had sellers and buyers, but mostly buyers, with few sellers. I scrolled through and found five sellers of their full marathon registrations. I messaged them and none responded.
“I am leaving for my evening run, I have messaged few people but no response. However, there is nothing to worry, what will happen will happen,” I messaged Fay.
I failed to go for the evening run despite dressing up for it. The weather was just too crazy. It started raining, heavily, every time I opened the downstairs main entrance ready to get out of the block and go for the run. Three more attempts failed and by seven I gave up, though it was still bright. This run would not happen.
When I got back to the computer, I checked the FB messages and found one response of the five. It indicated that I should provide my details and send Euro 77.50 for the registration. I did not know when the person had responded, but must have been over one hour ago. I responded to the message that I was just seeing it and the person should reconfirm if it was still possible to buy the runner number. I spend another agonizing hour before the person send a “Sorry, already sold.”
The other four messages remained unanswered. I was going to just wait, nonetheless, the worst that could happen was to fail to get a place. So, I already knew the worst that could happen, so how worse could it get? There is nothing worse than the worst anyway, so relax. I went to bed feeling quite OK with the situation. In fact, I was even happy that I would save the 50k that would otherwise be inevitably spent on this run. I was already planning on the many things that 50k could do. I was happy with the new plans for this 50k. I was not thinking about this marathon anymore. I have never been happier.
I woke up late on Thursday. I open the Amsterdam marathon FB page expecting nothing of interest. Just then I saw a response from one of the four remaining prospects, “I can sell you the number, send Euro 77.5 by PayPal”
The message must have been sent at night. I was not expecting much from the message, from my previous experience with a similar case.
“Are you still selling?,” I responded and just gave up, and walked out to make some tea.
“Yes, I am selling, send the money.”
This was not real. I now started wondering whether it was even a genuine person or a chatbot. What if I get conned of my hard-earned money? This was almost 10k Kenya money on the line. I had to try something to confirm, so that I am conned on the side of caution, that being conned silly.
“What was your anticipated timing?,” I asked. I had already known that each registration would indicate an anticipated running time, for purposes of being grouped at the starting line and also for the different start times. This was information privy to only those who surely registered or attempted. It was not foolproof but better than nothing.
“About 4 hours,” came the answer.
“So how do I get the registration in my name?”
“I shall send you the link and password for you to change the details”
As a sign of good faith, the person on the other end posted a screenshot of the TCS registration page, but with the password bit was masked. That was a good start. At least I was as caution as humanly possible. However, I was not getting that password without transferring money – and conversely – there was no guarantee that the stranger would send me the registration link even after getting the money, despite the screenshot.
It was time to take a leap of faith. “Preparation can only take you so far,” I remembered that saying.
I got the PayPal details and in a click of a button the Euro 77.50 had left my bank. Then two things happened…
The respondent delayed in responding.
“This is it!,” I kicked the room heater under the table, “I am done!! I am conned!!”
I looked at the screen as if it was a strange object. I really wanted that FB response to come through. I felt like refreshing the page, in case I was not getting a good internet connection. The connection was on, as per the icon on the lower right side of the screen.
Then, after a minute that seemed like an hour, “I have got the money, give me your email address.”
I have never typed that fast. I could have even typed a wrong email before hitting ‘send’.
Another one minute that seemed like another one hour, then, “I have sent, check your email.”
I quickly switched tab to the email page... And… the email was arrived. It was there! The email with registration details and password.
I was saying my “Thanks a lot,” on FB while I was already busy on another web browser tab logging in and confirming that I can surely change the details of the run participant. For sure, there was a button to “Transfer registration”, which I quickly clicked and started replacing the seller’s details with my own. I was so apprehensive. My body was hurting!
The second thing that happened was the SMS notification beeped on my phone. I knew what it was, a transaction confirmation. I did not even bother looking at it. Then a second beep immediately, and I glanced on the phone to see a flash of SMS that started catching my attention before the phone screen timed out.
“I cannot be reading right!”
The second SMS was notification from my bank that my Credit card had been changed from Active to Restricted. I know exactly what that means. It means it is blocked. They were just being semantically polite!
“This cannot be happening!”
How tense did these two parties want me to be in a mere five minutes!! First the FB thing, now the bank thing!!
I had already seen that I had to pay an extra Euro 2.50 for transferring the registration, and an extra 0.09 for paying by credit card. A card that I-was-now-not-going-to-use since it was blocked. There was no chance of just pick up a phone and call the card centre as I would have done back home. The only option that I had here at the Artic was to send an email and hope that the bank would check their email and respond in a minute. This was something that was quite unlikely. But I had no choice. I was not even able to complete the registration transfer, since I was now stuck with the Euro 2.59 bill which I had to pay first… but could not pay.
I wrote the email in a flash and sent it out to the bank. I was not going to chance on waiting for a response and so I searched the bank’s webpage looking for their SMS number or something. The something I found was an instant messaging system, which required my name and email, which I quickly filled in. It was not long before the familiar, “I am so and so, how can I help,” showed on the chat box.
Before I even started typing, I saw another, “I am so and so #2, how can I help”
What? Chatbots? What? Call center? They do not sync or listen to each other while communicating to customers?
I stated my issue, though I was still in doubt as to whether I was even on the right platform. I had to re-double check the web address and secureness of the server. Both seemed genuine.
After stating my issue, I got a response from the two still, though after that only one chat continued. The person on the other side asked for the card number for verification. I hesitated. Would I be conned again? Once you give out the card number you are as good as having given out an open cheque. I had risked once with that Euro 77 and gotten away with it. I surely had no other choice but to risk it again. Otherwise, how else would I finish up the registration change? I gave out the card number and almost immediately the chat ended with “We shall get back to you.”
And getting back they did, after about ten minutes, first by SMS that indicated that my card was back to active, then by email to confirm the same. By this time my marathon re-registration page had already timed out and I had to restart the process from scratch. This time I was to speedily working through the change of details process all the way to the payment. The only thing that the change of registration could not do, despite checking, retrying and even looking for online tips, was to change the T-shirt size. The original entrant had picked a size ‘S’. I could not see any function, button or method to change the T size. I gave up after five trials. I would just have to ‘souve’ the ‘S’. NMMT T-shirt would do for this second run, having just survived the last month’s event. The only problem now was that the Kenyan flag on the left short sleeve had been washed out during the last laundry – but things happen.
But stories on the marathon page on FB were equally interesting, with many shouts of “I want to buy”, with very few “I want to sell.” People narrated their ordeals with a view of persuading that sympathetic elusive seller, but to no avail. Someone narrated on how he had already booked a flight and hotel, but still had no run number. Someone, like me, had not imagined that the registration would close that soon. Someone else had ‘forgotten’ to register and now the registration was closed. Someone else was lucky to have registered but now wanted a ‘cheap’ place to stay. For this one, the FBzens advised him that the cheapest place to stay was ‘the airport’.
I survived the morning registration ordeal, and now believed that I would survive the rest of the logistics. Nothing else in the process could be this tense-full. I did not even notice the day long rain. But when the sun decided to reveal its bright head around five, there was only one thing to do – get out there and do the Wednesday run on Thursday. I was going for a test run after the marathon. I was not that tired, however, I could not just rely on feelings for such a the tiredness test – I just had to run it out on the road and see how it goes.
The evening run was smoother than I expected. I did not have any pains, especially on my right leg that had caused the Sunday limp. I was generally back to normal. The evening run however turned out to be quite chilly. I wondered whether I would continue surviving evening runs with these temperatures. I may have to start running in full tracksuits – first time. The run would finally come to an end and get judged by my gadgets:
Endomondo: 1.21.49 – 16.62km
Runkeeper: 1.21.59 – 16.93km
GOA: 1.21.48 – 17.63km
For today’s run, I would give it to Endomondo as the distance to keep – for no apparent reason, or maybe I just pick Runkeeper which was accurate to the cm during the marathon?.
Marathon unmissed
I cannot account for my last three days – Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That would mean that I did not go out of the room. But let me try. On Friday I remember that noon seminar, after missing the ten o’clock seminar at Kjolv Egelands-hus. After that I just stayed at Kjell Arholms Gate 34, where P10 is located and relaxed away my afternoon. The evening had a chill, then a drizzle, then a chill, then a drizzle. My ‘wheels’ were still not very normal after the previous Saturday’s marathon and the trial runs of yesterday. I had already decided to skip the Friday run anyways.
However, I would not ‘just’ skip the Friday run ‘like that’, and so after the chilly weather of six, I decided to take a ‘short’ walk that should eventually get me to Rema 1000 supermarket just down the road after UiS. And marathoners can take long routes! Eh! It took me five kilometers to get to an otherwise one-kilometer distance to Rema. I enjoyed the long walk and savored the cold, bright evening. By the time I was back to P10, after my errand at both Rema and Kiwi, I had covered 9km.
On Saturday I stayed indoors through the day. The furthest I went was the washrooms, some 8 doors away on the long corridor of the east wing of P10 first floor. On Sunday, when we would otherwise be going for the walk at the Atlantic Ocean beach, I found myself 24-hours indoors, trying to watch ‘24’ series, but failed on both. I found myself leaving the room to get some food and stopped the series hardly halfway through after one of the episodes failed and needed a re-download. Both my 24s would have to be tried another day.
On Monday I started my day by going to the town centre to transact at Western Union offices at the main bus station. I was soon back and ready for the evening run. For the first time I started by run at 6.45pm. I was in fact almost cancelling the run since the cold in the evening and drizzles that accompanied it did not seem to relent, until that sweet timeslot. I just left when the weather become stable – chill or no chill and started out round UiS twice, then up to the forests in the hills. I wanted a 90-minute run.
I got more than I bargained for when I checked out the timings just after 8.30pm when I ended the run. For the first time I ended my run when it was dusk. Previous, as late as two weeks ago, it would be sunny at this time, with the sun visible on the horizon. For the first time there was no sun. It was dark and dark it was for sure. What a change in climate! I was still wondering when I discovered that the Endo had ceased and gave that ‘has stopped working’ error message that I am now accustomed to…
Endomondo: has stopped worked…
Runkeeper: 1.44.54 – 22.39km
GOA: 1.44.58 – 24.03km
For today, I give it to Runkeeper, just because it downloaded a map to support the metrics, but how about if the map is not true to the distance indicated? 1.6km difference is a bit too much. I am starting to doubt if Runkeeper was really keeping the run!! I give it to it, but if it continues giving a difference of over a ‘k’ with my trusted GOA, then I am dumping its time. But wait a minute, Runkeeper was accurate to the cm during the marathon, so, let me give my gadgets some more tests, rather more runs.
Preparing some more
It has been an uneventful five days since I did that Monday run. I took a rest from my mid-week run on Wednesday, mainly because my right foot was kind-a-aching. Kind-a because it aches after the run, pains ‘in the background’ rather ‘bone-ground’ after the run for another 24-hours, then it gets back to normal. I just wanted to give it a longer rest and see how it would behave after a prolonged rest of 4 days. It was with this in mind that I took the mid-day bus to town centre. I knew that I had an hour to fully utilized my ‘adult’ ticket of KShs.370. I had now avowed to never again risk my blood pressure by using the half-price student ticket that had an age limit. I would rather reduce my trips to town and travel without pressure.
My mission was to get some cash from the ATM, which I did without much ado on a street ATM machine, well exposed to the public, in the middle of the street. That thing could spew upto KShs.50,000 at ago, just like that… of course in Norwegian Kroner. I liked its ability to ask the user to select the currency denominations desired. It would give out only ‘big ones’ for NOK 500 as the default, but the user had the option to mix-up the 500s, 200s and 100s at their volition. Being ‘out there in the open’ also meant that I was rained on as I get the NOKs out of that machine. However, I have already learnt that life continues ‘as usual’ come rain, come rain.
On Thursday I stayed in the room the whole day, while it rained and shone at alternating intervals, with the rainy durations become longer as the evening approached. The night was full of rain, the windy type. Friday started as a sunny day, and even went for the customary Friday seminars while it was bright, but cold. After missing out on the seminar that was cancelled at the last minute, I did give the town centre another visit, just to confirm that I can work with the available hour to do a transaction and be back. So, for another KShs.370 I got to the Kolumbus number X60 at 12.25pm for the trip to town.
This was probably the worst of times to get a bus to town. The UiS stage was so full of students that for a moment I thought that I would miss out on the one-hour time slot to travel. However, I was among the first people to jostle for the double doors when the two-carriage bus stopped at the stage. I did not mind standing all the way to town – but this was such a short trip. I was alighting at Breiavatnet lake, ok, call it ‘the fountain’, which marks the town centre in exactly 15-minutes. I did my business at the Western Union agency and was out of there ready for the X60 scheduled for 13.12pm as per the display on the screen on the stage. True to expectations, I actually got the bus at 13.12 at ‘the fountain’. It drizzled as I traveled the 12-minutes back to UiS.
After a see-saw of rain and sun, it was eventually time for the Friday evening run. This was to be a 2-hour run for whatever distance that fits into that time slot. I was learning fast. Somethings have to be timed and fitted within the time. The ticket had taught me that. I did not bother with the ‘no GPS’ warning on the phone with Endo. I just left and started my three gadgets. Even during this ‘timed’ run, partly around UiS and mostly on the hills and trees neighbouring UiS, it still drizzled at times. I was now used to it. The chill was however real.
The usual hikers and those with dogs were not as many on the hill sides. In fact, I do not remember seeing anyone walking their dogs on this cold. I also remember seeing just two couples in the whole of the vast forest land. I would later meet the same two couples somewhere along the paths during the run. Very few runners were brave enough on this chill. I only recall seeing one gent and one lady at different parts of the route. Each fully clad from top to bottom, unlike my short-sleeved Tee and pair of shorts. I had already learnt not to even attempt to say “Hi”. I was passing by though I was being hit by pangs of guilt with every missed greeting – but that was that.
When I heard that announcement by Runkeeper that I had done “One hour and fifty-five minutes”, I decided to get off the route and start my run back to P-10. However, there was no shortcut to land me back in five minutes. I was still too far in the woods to finish in five minutes. I therefore just formulated a way back and hoped to be as near to the two hours duration as would be possible. The stats would prove that I did try…
Endomondo: 2.05.02 – provided time but no distance
Runkeeper: 2.04.48 – 25.71km
GOA: 2.04.50 – 26.77km
For yet another day, I give it to Runkeeper. I was too tired to give my reason for giving it to Runkeeper even as I queued until almost ten in the night waiting for a washing machine to do my laundry.
I observed that two out of the four washing machines were not working, leaving the one-story block of forty students to struggle for two machines and two driers. And students can take advantage! They used this ‘shortage’ to set the washing and drying times on the machines to the very maximum that they could. I visited the laundry room downstairs, just next to the entrance on the left wing of the block, about three times looking for a free machine, but none was available since I started checking on them at eight.
I did my last visit to the laundry at around ten and decided to stay put in that heated room fully occupied by the eight machines, four on either sides – with driers on top of washers. I just withstood the heat waiting for the users of the washing machines, which had now finished their cycles but there was no way to touch someone else’s laundry but themselves.
“This is unfair!,” I found myself telling the machine, which just stood there quiet, with the display “0” minutes left, with the Stop light flashing.
“This is not fair!,” I looked at the two quiet machines. The two driers on top of these washing machines were equally finished with their cycles, waiting for the owners of the clothes to unload them.
“This is not workable,” I looked on the other side of the four working machines, where another four machines were all dead. The two washing machines underneath the two driers were all not working. They were not even powering. I had an instinct that probably the main power line on that side of the wall was off. I knew where the main circuit breakers were located, but did not know how to diagnose a switched off circuit since the writings were in Norsk.
“This is bad!,” I said loudly, having stayed in the heat for over fifteen minutes – all machines quiet – doing nothing!
Finally, someone came in, said nothing, and opened one of the washing machines and removed his clothes from it. He proceeded to check the driers above and confirmed they were occupied. He left with his wet clothes. I started loading my material on this empty machine. I still needed a second machine to load the rest of the clothes due to colour separation issues. I set the 40 minutes timer and soon the loaded machine hummed back to life. It did not take long before another lady would match to the room, say nothing, and unload one of the driers and leave, just as soon as she came in.
It did not take long for the second washing machine to be emptied in a similar ‘quiet’ fashion, and the wet material to be put on the now empty drier. I took the opportunity to load the rest of my laundry on the just emptied washing machine and was soon out of the heat to wait my forty minutes. I had to wait another thirty minutes after concluding my wash to get a drier – and only one. It took me another forty minutes to dry the first lot then use the same machine to dry the second lot of my clothing. This situation of only two washing machines and driers was not working – and it was just a Friday. How would the situation be on the ‘normal’ laundry day of Saturday?
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