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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014 SPORTS NEW DELHI: Runners pass by the India Gate monument during the Delhi half marathon in New Delhi in this file BOSTON: In this April 21, 2014 file photo, runners restat Boston Common after completing in the118th Boston photo. Ethiopian runner Guye Adola won the annual half marathon. — AFP Marathon in Boston. — AP Blood, sweat and tears yield ultramarathon joy LOS ANGELES: Running 135 miles through the enced ultramarathoner Shannon Farar-Griefer, “It’s the innate human desire to push our lim- burning desire to be the best they can be while ning with supplies strapped to her back. searing summer heat of Death Valley in California who has five times raced the gruelling Badwater its,” Holland told Reuters. “I believe many people often competing well outside their comfort zones. Farar-Griefer, a 53-year-old mother of three before ending the route with a cumulative gain of 135 across Death Valley, told Reuters. find incredible personal satisfaction in achieving “The people who finish are not the most physical- who lives in Hidden Hills, California and took up 17,000 feet to reach the slopes of Mount Whitney? “They might say, ‘What’s wrong with you that these challenging goals. “They run a marathon or ly fit but the ones that are mentally strong, those long-distance running at the age of 39, has no Slogging across four desert courses, each 150 you want to run 100 miles? Were you abused or three and then have a need to push their bodies who don’t entertain the possibility of not finish- doubt about her most brutal ultra experience. miles long, in Chile, China, Egypt and Antarctica in were you a drug addict?’ We just love to run. It’s all even further, both physically as well as mentally. ing,” she said. “The 292-mile Death Valley Badwater double, what is known as the Four Deserts Grand Slam? about passion in this sport. Pushing through periods of incredible discomfort Gash, who is featured in the 2013 documen- by far,” she said, referring to her feat in becoming Racing against the clock through 75 control “You know you’re going to hurt, you know and coming out on the other side is extremely tary “Desert Runners” which chronicles the Four the first female to complete the ‘double’ by finish- points in the footsteps of ancient Athenian mes- you’re going to have a long day. That’s why people empowering.” Deserts Grand Slam, gained a massive jolt of self- ing the 135 ultra, then summiting Mount Whitney senger Pheidippidis, with a cut-off of 36 hours to think that we are a little different from the rest belief after her pioneering accomplishments in before returning to the race’s original start. complete the 153-mile Spartathlon? because we keep pushing our bodies. Ultras are A METAPHOR FOR LIFE Chile, China, Egypt and Antarctica. “All the other runners finished at the portals of Risking dehydration, exhaustion, broken all about learning how to be able to accept pain.” Holland is a veteran of several ultras, including “Being (previously) a nobody in the world of Mount Whitney but I continued on and I summit- ankles, kidney failure or the need to throw in the An ultramarathon involves a combination of the Run to the Sun, a 36-mile journey to the ultra running, if I could do something of this size ed Mount Whitney and then I ran back. It was 130 towel and give up-all possible reasons for an ath- running and walking further than the traditional 10,023-foot summit of Haleakala on the island of and scale, it makes you feel that anything’s possi- degrees on the way back. lete to abort the gruelling challenge of an ultra- marathon of 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometres). Though Maui, and he regards the ultra challenge as a ble,” she said of her success in the Four Deserts “At mile 270, I got an edema really bad. I was marathon? For the uninitiated, all of the above most ultras cover distances of either 50 or 100 metaphor for life. “You realize that no matter how Grand Slam. “There were moments when I won- swollen, I couldn’t pee. It was scary because you scenarios suggest a twinning of sadism with sheer miles, many are much longer. bad you think things are at the time, you are dered what I was doing, when I was so dehydrat- could go into total renal failure at that point. lunacy. For the ultramarathoner, however, it is all For Connecticut-based running coach Tom strong enough to push through them and things ed it hurt. I felt new depths of pain. Thank God I had a very experienced crew. about running for joy, setting personal goals and Holland, an exercise physiologist and certified will always get better,” he said. “But I really never let myself contemplate giv- “It’s a sport where you have to be able to trying to overcome every obstacle faced. sports nutritionist who has competed in over 60 Australian Samantha Gash, the first woman to ing up,” said Gash, who had to contend with heat, endure pain and you have to be comfortable step- “People are intrigued by the thought of some- marathons and 21 ironman triathlons, ultras are all complete the Four Deserts Grand Slam in a calen- cold, dehydration and extreme fatigue in some of ping out of your comfort zone. It’s a constant one wanting to run 100 miles, or more,” experi- about achieving objectives. dar year, believes that ultramarathoners share a the world’s most hostile environments while run- mind battle. I love it.” — Reuters British trio on brink of knockout phase Europa League PARIS: Everton, Tottenham and Celtic can wrap up their places in the Europa League knockout stage in today’s penultimate batch of group matches. Red Bull Salzburg, Dinamo Moscow, Fiorentina and Legia Warsaw are already guaranteed their place in the last-32. That leaves 20 places still up for grabs from the group phase with eight third-place finishers from the Champions League also set to parachute into the draw. Roberto Martinez’s Everton side are enjoying a fine return to European foot- ball since their glory days of 1985 when they won the now defunct Cup Winners’ Cup, the same year they became English champions. The Toffees, on eight points, face a daunting trip to Wolfsburg carrying a one point lead over their Bundesliga hosts with French side Lille on three and tackling Turkish side Krasnodar who prop up the group with two draws from four matches. ST. PETERSBURG: Zenit’s Javi Garcia (left) and Benfica’s Nicolas Gaitan struggle for One player Everton will have to keep an eye on is Wolfsburg’s dynamic mid- the ball during the Champions League Group C soccer match. — AP fielder Kevin De Bruyne who has three goals and three assists in the competition so far. The 23-year-old Belgian has been revelation both in the league and on Zenit send Benfica packing the continent since his 20 million euro transfer from Chelsea in the summer. “Surely one of the best players Wolfsburg have ever had,” said his defensive SAINT PETERSBURG: A late goal by Portuguese be a forlorn hope if Monaco win against teammate Marcel Schafer. “Maybe things are going a bit better for me than last international winger Danny gave Russian league Leverkusen. In a game of few chances, the season, but that is the same with other players,” said De Bruyne who came up leaders Zenit St Petersburg a crucial 1-0 win Portuguese champions had the best opening of through the Genk system before a loan spell at Werder Bremen and then finally against Benfica in the Champions League yester- the first half when Nicolas Gaitan concluded a signing with Wolfsburg. “I am young, I can still improve. When I play football, I day. Danny, formerly of Sporting Lisbon, struck great run down the left by crossing to the back always enjoy myself. I am a winner - I am here to win every game,” he added. 11 minutes from the end of a hard-fought post for Eduardo Salvio, whose shot was well The two teams can advance with Everton needing a win to top the pool while encounter to keep the Russian side in the run- saved by Yuri Lodygin. Zenit created little of note a draw could see both sides move forward if Lille fail to win in Turkey. Everton’s ning to qualify for the last 16 for the second sea- and lost both Nicolas Lombaerts and Javi Garcia veteran defender Sylvain Distin says the team are in good spirits and ready for son in succession and end Benfica’s hopes of to injury but Andre Villas-Boas’s side never gave the challenge in Germany. advancing from Group C. up and were rewarded with the winning goal in “We’re full of confidence at the moment. We always have been to be honest. Regardless of the outcome of Wednesday’s the 79th minute. Brazilian forward Hulk, who like Even if things were a bit difficult at the beginning of the season, we were aware other Group C game between Bayer Leverkusen his coach Villas-Boas is formerly of Porto, deliv- of our qualities and knew that things were going to get back on track,” said and Monaco in Germany, Zenit know that a win ered a cross from the right to the near post for Distin. “At the moment, things are going well but it’s going to be a tough game.

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