THERE WAS A stretch in the Olympic marathon when a suffering Malindi Elmore sought inspiration from all those counting on her.
But, really, she was counting on them.
The heat shimmered off the miles of pavement and the humidity weighed heavily on Elmore's shoulders as she churned mile after mile on the streets of Sapporo on August 6. It was 77 degrees at the 6 a.m. start with 82 percent humidity. It got worse.