Marathon in LEO

[brellis]

Sunita Williams will run a Marathon in Space<br /><br /><font color="orange">BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Zooming through low-Earth orbit at 17,500 mph, Suni Williams completes the standard marathon distance every 5.4 seconds.<br /><br />But for next month's Boston Marathon, the U.S. Navy commander will run the equivalent distance on a treadmill -- 210 miles (338 kilometers) above Earth in the international space station, and tethered to her track by bungee cords so she does not float away.<br /><br />"She thought it would be cool if she gave it a try," said Williams' sister, Dina Pandya, who will run the race the traditional way with almost 24,000 other runners. "She said, 'I'll call you on Heartbreak Hill.' "<br /><br />Although the world's oldest annual marathon starts at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) on Earth, Williams might not be able to run at that time because her sleep schedule -- a fairly arbitrary matter in space -- is set for the arrival of a Soyuz mission.<br /><br />"I'm not sure the timing will be that she'll be awake," Pandya said. "They're going to be on Russian time, so they're kind of sleep-shifting."<br /><br />Williams, 41, qualified for the Boston race by finishing last January's Houston Marathon in 3 hours, 29 minutes, 57 seconds. On December 9, Williams took off on the space shuttle Discovery, and it became clear she was not going to make it to the starting line.<br /><br />"I considered it a huge honor to qualify, and I didn't want my qualification to expire without giving it a shot," Williams told the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the race.<br /><br />The BAA offered to send an official entrant's bib and a special finisher's medal -- made without lead, per NASA orders -- to the space station. But when this month's launch of the shuttle Atlantis was postponed, Williams had to be e-mailed a bib that she can print out; the other souvenirs will have to wait.<br /><</safety_wrapper></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[dreada5]

No hot showers on ISS! If I was Cmdr I'd stop her from doing it. Suppose the ventilation systems breaks down she'd stink out the place for months! LOL!<br /><br />Good luck Sunita! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[dreada5]

LOL, I dunno. But there was all that talk recently of doing some favours for Sunita because she has to stay up there longer than planned...

 

[jimfromnsf]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><br />'m sorry that Sunita Williams feels inconvenienced by the circumstance of being an ISS Astronaut and missing a marathon.<br /><br />How narcissistic is that? Excuse me, Sunita, but exactly where on your list of "honors" do you consider living and working in space on the taxpayer dime? Frankly, not too many Americans are left (probably fewer than actually run the Boston Marathon in a given year) that have any clear idea why at enormous risk and financial expense we still send astronauts to the ISS, but I think a big percentage of Americans know that we don't send them there to run marathons. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />lighten up a little. There is no risk as in the other two "stunts". It is part of her regular physical training (just a little longer) and she can trade the extra time for some on her day off

 

[jimfromnsf]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><br />1. Is there no project that Sunita is part of that might command her attention during her "time off" that is of more interest to her than pretending to run the Boston Marathon?<br />2. Did no one at NASA anticipate that her stay might be longer than predicted... including her?<br /><br />3. I'll go out on a limb here and predict that each and every one of the remaining Shuttle flights to the ISS will be delayed to some extent. <br /><br />4. Perhaps NASA should inquire of those astronauts whether or not their mission might unduly inconvenience them in their Earthly persuits, and what compensation they require for being so put out. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />1. It is her time off. It is not "time off", it is really her's to determine what she wants. She could stare out the window for 4 hours if she wants<br /><br />2. yes, and so what? It has been dealt with<br /><br />3. Of course. and it will be worked around<br /><br />4. She isn't "inconvenienced". More like "oh well, guess I will have to miss that" It happens to all of us. It is not a big deal as you make it out to be. And there is no extra compensation for them.

 

[spacester]

anvel, I hear what you're saying and I partially agree. This is the kind of liberal fuzzy-headed me-first thinking that pushed me to become a moderate. Perhaps her wants and needs should not supersede programmatic realities.<br /><br />Just a couple of points of clarification, FWIW<br /><br />The Boston Marathon now has parallel events in several other locations.<br /><br />It is in fact "THE" marathon, and a lot of people try to get in and don't. Thus, in Sunita's mind (apparently), having received an invite that others didn't, she is "honoring" all those who didn't get in by going ahead with it anyway.<br /><br />Like I said, FWIW . . . <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[brellis]

hi anvel<br /><br />I feel your peeves, man.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">The story seems to "lack any legs"</font> -- excellent one, hats off to our clever friend anvel! <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /><br /><br /><font color="yellow">...unless you really care about manned spaceflight and access places like SDC, the impression that the media leaves you with is that manned spaceflight consists of high-tech makework. It is clearly within the realm of possibility that Congressmen in charge of funding NASA are left with this impression as well. <br /><br />This goes to the heart of Sunita Williams doing the Boston Marathon from space. It's kind of a cute story, but as PR, it cuts both ways. This is what I'm trying to point out.</font><br /><br />You're absolutely right. Over the years, I've come to reluctantly accept the occasional spoonfuls of silly space news coming out of NASA's PR department. Some "PR expert" probably has them convinced they have to speak to the LCD first, hence the wasted time hearing about "human interest" mumbo jumbo. <br /><br />In this case, I have two things to say in support of the story of the LEO Marathon stunt: first, I simply like Sunita Williams, so I'm going to like any story about her stay on ISS, no matter how silly. Oh wait, I guess I only had one thing to say in support, lol. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[brellis]

{In deep gutteral tone} it is alive! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br /><font color="orange">WASHINGTON: Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams will attempt to do something 210 miles above Earth that no other astronaut has ever done. She will run the Boston Marathon while in orbit.<br /><br />The 41-year-old plans to run the 26.2-mile race on a treadmill onboard the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday at 7:30 p.m. IST as this year's marathon begins in Boston at precisely the same hour.<br /><br />The Boston Athletic Association has issued Williams bib number 14,000. The bib has been sent electronically to NASA, which has forwarded it to her, the US space agency said on Friday.<br /><br />A Needham, Massachussets native, Williams says her reason for running the marathon is simple. "I would like to encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives. I thought a big goal like a marathon would help get this message out there."<br /><br />Regular exercise is essential to maintaining bone density while in space for astronauts. "In microgravity, both of these things start to go away because we don't use our legs to walk around and don't need the bones and muscles to hold us up under the force of gravity," she said.<br /><br />No one knows that better than Steve Hart. For two years, he's been Williams' flight surgeon. "There are specific challenges to staying healthy while in space. Sunita wants to make fitness the hallmark of her expedition stay. She wants to educate and motivate others about being physically fit in general."<br /><br />Williams, an accomplished marathoner, has been training for the marathon for months while serving a six-month stint as a flight engineer on board the ISS. She runs at least four times a week, two longer runs and two shorter runs.<br /><br />Williams qualified for the marathon when she returned a time of 3:29:57 hours in the Houston Marathon last year. Her biggest challenge running in space will be staying harness</font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[erioladastra]

"Another PR stunt like the golf shot and the empty space suit flung out the ISS door? "<br /><br />Not a PR stunt. She was going to do this quietly on her own time and the medica guth wind.<br /><br />"I'm sorry that Sunita Williams feels inconvenienced by the circumstance of being an ISS Astronaut and missing a marathon. "<br /><br />She doesn't. She qualified and then found out she would be in space and decided to run it ont he treadmill.<br /><br />The rest of your post is just silly mean spirtedness.

 

[erioladastra]

"LOL, I dunno. But there was all that talk recently of doing some favours for Sunita because she has to stay up there longer than planned... "<br /><br />This was planned from the start and had nothing to do with her possibly staying up longer which may not happen anyway.

 

[erioladastra]

"She'll be wired tighter than a cobbled up TV sales showroom. and everything will be monitored and studied. "<br /><br />Yes, while nopt the reason, she is being monitoroed and the station's dynamics will also be checked.

 

[erioladastra]

"I think it's frivolous nonsense. Earth to Sunita... The Boston Marathon is in... um... Boston. "<br /><br />yes, and she is not an official runner. She is just doing some fun stuff.<br /><br />"Is the treadmill designed to accomodate marathon "distances"? Apparently not in that the elastic restraints are apt to at best create severe discomfort, and at worst injury. I recall that during the very first ISS expidition one of the first mechanical breakdowns was the treadmill. Is it so bullet-proof now that it can be used for a lark? What a relief to know that so many breakthroughs on microgravity alloys and outerspace frog [shut your filthy mouth!]ion have freed up enough billion dollar a year time to examine the essential knowledge of what ramifications might surround LEO shin-splints. "<br /><br />Yes it can handle it and was evaluated before this came up.<br /><br /><br />"They do not expect inordinate "favours" like rotating out of Baghdad to run a famous marathon, nor is it the notion of most people that they should get such favors. Isn't doing the mission, whatever it is complete with a few frustrations and some boredom, of manning the ISS for her country sufficient enough favor? "<br /><br />I don't understand the point. This is something she is doing oN HER OWN TIME. She is allowed free time. You need to do things to keep you happy in space and this is what makes her happy. She is not getting any special favors, or skipping key work. The treadmill is there and she was going to run it regardless of whether anyone else knew or cared.<br />

 

[erioladastra]

""A ton"... of course not. Some data, perhaps. Is it worth it?"<br /><br />Again, she was going to do this anyway, any data we get is bonus.

 

[erioladastra]

"Is there no project that Sunita is part of that might command her attention during her "time off" that is of more interest to her than pretending to run the Boston Marathon? Did no one at NASA anticipate that her stay might be longer than predicted... including her? I'll go out on a limb here and predict that each and every one of the remaining Shuttle flights to the ISS will be delayed to some extent. Perhaps NASA should inquire of those astronauts whether or not their mission might unduly inconvenience them in their Earthly persuits, and what compensation they require for being so put out. "<br /><br />You are incorrectly characterizing this as an inconvenience. Suni si already doing lots of science, much of it on her own time. This has nothing to do with staying extra - this has to do with someone doing something on the own time that the media has found interesting.

 

[erioladastra]

<br />Well she did it - pretty gruelling, but she made it in about 4:20! The entire crew cheered her across the finish line!

 

[bobw]

Thanks for the update. I didn't see it anywhere else today with all the other news. I was hoping she would beat them all because of the bad weather on Earth. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[brellis]

Lance Armstrong ran last year's NY marathon in just under 3 hours. He said it almost killed him to do it, but just to put his time in perspective, he said a guy finished 17 minutes faster than he, while balancing an egg on a spoon!<br /><br />Anyway, the first LEO marathon is over, it's time to get back to work up there, hehe. <br /><br />4:20 - on NASA-TV they said they have to do 2.5 hours exercise per day to counter loss of bone mass, so she just did two days' workout in one shot. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>