Chilean Miner trained for NY Marathon while trapped below

I you ever thought, and complained, that your training conditions were not good enough.. one of the Chilean Miners spent his time trapped in the mine training for the New York Marathon.

From the NY Post:

The 5-foot-5, 145-pound Peña earned his nickname, "The Runner," because he logged up to six miles a day through the underground tunnels, killing time during his ordeal.

"We [were] inviting him to be a guest; we [were] not inviting him to run. That's nothing short of mind-blowing," New York Road Runners president and race director Mary Wittenberg said earlier this week. "Now we've had several conversations, and he wants to run. He absolutely 100 percent wants to participate."

Peña, who gave the crowd a thumbs up as he flashed a huge smile, will be one of a record 120,000 runners who will hit the pavement on Sunday morning in the New York City Marathon.

Other people on the same flight with Peña unfurled a large Chilean flag and sang songs as he was escorted through the airport.

Peña, 34, was one of the most depressed of the trapped men, asking rescuers for Elvis music and a picture of the sun. Now Peña -- who was the 12th miner rescued at 10:11 a.m. on October 13 -- will get a chance to run in one of the world's most famous races.

"He's very confident he can make it," said Chilean Consul General Julio Fiol. "He's been preparing for this. The idea in his mind is to participate and come to the finish line. He's not going to beat anyone, but he's practicing to finish."