U-Emma Bates ungenele iBoston Marathon ngesu eliwele phakathi nje nomjaho ngoMsombuluko.

UBetts uchithe isikhathi esingaphezu konyaka eziqeqesha nomqeqeshi uJoe Bosshard kanye neTeam Boss eBoulder, Colorado ngonyaka odlule ngemuva kokuthi i-COVID iphazamise uhlelo lwakhe.Bekuwumzamo wakhe wokuqala eBoston futhi kwamnikeza ukuzethemba.Ezinhlanu uzizwa njengenqaba.Kodwa bengingalindele ukuthi ngizohamba phambili ngemuva kwamakhilomitha angama-25.
“Lelo bekungelona neze uhlelo,” kusho yena.“Umqeqeshi wami wangitshela ukuthi ngingakwenzi.Wayefuna ngempela ngigxile kuleli qembu futhi ngivumele amantombazane angcono kakhulu alwe bese eqhulula phezulu.”
UBosshard, obebukele i-Heartbreak Hill marathon iminyaka emibili edlule, akazange amangale ukubona uBates ehamba phambili.
“Ngabuka umqeqeshi wami ngathi, ‘Angazi ukuthi kuqhubekani, kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi sizokwamukela,’” kusho yena."Isikhathi eside bekuyi-surreal ngempela."
“Usanda kuqala lapho,” kusho yena.– Ngiqonde ukuthi, njengamanje, asihambe siye ekhaya.
Ababhejayo bahole ku-35k ngaphambi kokujahwa iqembu eliholwa owagcina ephumelele u-Hellen Obiri.Kodwa abakwaBett baqede isihlanu ngesikhathi esingu-2:22:10, isikhathi esingcono kakhulu kuthrekhi nenkundla yabesifazane base-US.
“Ngangisaqhubeka nokuliqinisa ijubane ngagcina sengihamba phambili nokuyinto eyangimangaza kakhulu ngoba ngangicabanga ukuthi ngizoyibamba,” kusho yena.“Ngangifuna ukungena kwabayisihlanu abahamba phambili, ngakho akumangazi ukuthi ngifinyelele ezingeni engangikulo ngagijima kakhulu njengakuqala.
Nakuba kuthathe isikhathi ukuthi abaBhethi bafudumale kubanda kanye nemvula, abakwaBett bafinyelele entanjeni futhi bagijima u-5K wokuqala ngemizuzu engu-17 namasekhondi angu-48, wathola indawo yakhe kwabahlanu abaphezulu.
“Bengilokhu nginenkinga nezintokazi ezihamba phambili ngoba ijubane liyashintsha ngokushesha,” kusho uBates.“Ngakho kubukeka njengefartlek.Kodwa ngikholwa nje ukuthi ngingahamba nabo ngejubane elifanayo futhi ngikwazi ukungena kwabahlanu abahamba phambili.
”Ngakho ngahlala futhi ngethemba ukuthi ngingawina.Kodwa kwakungamakhilomitha angu-2 okugcina lapho banciphisa khona isikhathi saba ngu-5:00 futhi angikwazanga ukubloma nalelo qembu.”
Kunjalo, uhhafu we-Boston ongemuva yindawo eyijwayele kakhulu i-Betts.Ngemuva kokujoyina i-BAA High Performance Team ngo-2015, wathuthela eBoston.U-Bates uthi kuzo zonke izindawo aziqeqeshelwe, kusukela eBoise ukuya eBoulder, i-Boston vibe igqama.
“Kunomlando omningi lapha, ukuthanda i-Battle Road nokushayela u-Charles ngisho ne-Newton Hills kuyinto ekhethekile,” kusho yena."Ngakho ukukwazi ukubuya lapha futhi ngishaye umgijimi wasekhaya futhi ngigijime ngemuva kwethrekhi engangigijima kuyo kwakupholile kakhulu."
Uphinde ahlomule ngokujima kwe-Boulder iTeam Boss eyaphindaphinda ukulingisa amagquma aseBoston.
“E-Boulder, uma uya empumalanga uye entshonalanga, uhlale ukhuphuka amagquma,” kusho uBosshard.“Ngakho sikwazile ukwenza izifundo ezimbalwa zamamayela angu-24 lapho sikhuphuke khona ngamamitha angu-900 futhi ngicabanga ukuthi sasinamahloni ngempela ukwehla.Ngicabanga ukuthi sasingamamitha angu-1300 futhi e-Boston – 1400 ft. Yilapho senze khona konke ukuqeqeshwa kwethu.”
Phakathi kwamadoda, uzakwabo weQembu LeBetts Boss uScott Fauble uphume endaweni yesikhombisa emijahweni emine yokugcina e-Boston (2:09:44) futhi waba yindoda ephambili ekilasini labesilisa laseMelika.Emhlabeni okahle, u-Fauble uthe, angathanda ukuba phambili, kodwa ukubekezela kuyisu elingcono kakhulu.
“Angifuni ukubonakala ngibekezela,” kusho yena.“Kodwa angikwazi ukuphuma [ngokushesha njengomholi] emjahweni webanga elide.Ngakho kufanele ngizenzele izinqumo ezifanele ngosuku lomjaho.
“Namuhla bekuseqenjini lesibili, bengizama ngempela ukulandelela isigamu sokugcina.Ngacabanga ukuthi ngingalalisa abantu futhi kwathatha isikhathi eside kakhulu kunokujwayelekile.Angizange ngiqale ukubamba abantu kwaze kwaba ikhilomitha lokugcina.”
“Ukuba ngumgijimi ohamba phambili hhayi eMelika kuphela, kodwa nokuba ngumgijimi ohamba phambili kuBoston Marathon yinto ezohlala enhliziyweni yami isikhathi eside,” kusho yena.