Wash. U. marathoners go the distance
Posted February 2, 2009 at 4:38 am
There are many different types of runners on the Washington University campus. There are those who enjoy a casual treadmill workout or jog outdoors when the weather is nice and others who couple a quick estrogym visit with several Bosco sticks from the conveniently located Bear’s Den. Then, there is a completely different breed: These athletes don’t allow the time, weather or even their workload to affect their running schedules. Their log of total miles run may rival that of a gently used car, and their dedication to the sport of running is unparalleled.
For many of these runners, the ultimate goal (or daily practice) is the marathon. At a total of 26.22 miles, the marathon is not an event that one decides to run on the spur of the moment. Even the half marathon, which is around 13.1 miles long, is no easy feat. Marathon and half-marathon training require months of practicing and grueling workouts.
Senior Lee Cordova, who completed the San Francisco Marathon in August 2008, said his training schedule included building up successively longer runs of around 45 miles per week. Cordova chose to run a marathon over the summer so that he could dedicate more time to training.
“If I run a marathon, I want to devote time to it, which I couldn’t do during the school year…I waited for an opportunity to really run it and to get a time I’m proud of,” he said. And by finishing 51st overall with a time of 2:59:42, he certainly succeeded in that.
So what would make an otherwise perfectly normal Wash. U. student want to endure what many consider to be hours of pain and suffering?
Renee Leatherman and Hannah Kaplan, two freshmen who intend to run their first half marathon at the Spirit of St. Louis this April, cited the pride that comes with finishing the race as their motivation.
“We started running together first semester, and we’d run long distances, and one day we said, ‘Hey, we should do a half marathon to make it official,’” Kaplan said. “We just want to be able to say that we finished it.”
“No walking allowed!” Leatherman interjected.
The two plan on running the half marathon together and have been training by building up mileage both indoors and outdoors, as well as lifting weights.
Training for the race can be a lot easier when you have running partners. Erica Woodruff, a current senior who finished the Chicago Marathon during fall break of 2006, ran with both her sister and her father. She said that she decided to run the marathon after her family members told her that they were planning on doing so.
“[Running a marathon] was always something I said I wanted to do, but I didn’t think I actually would,” Woodruff explained. With the help of a marathon training guide and her family’s company, Woodruff was able to complete her goal.
While Woodruff said that she takes it “easier” in terms of exercising in college, she has plans to run the Walt Disney World Marathon with her sister in the future.
So, if you’ve been slacking on your New Year’s resolution of “getting in shape,” don’t abandon the idea altogether; sometimes training for an event like a half marathon or full marathon can be just the inspiration you need to pick up your exercise schedule. Don’t fall into the common trap of doing extreme and exhausting workouts for one week and then giving up. Remember to devote several months to training, and gradually build up your runs.
Choosing an interesting place to run the marathon can also motivate you. If you think you can run through the cold, consider the New York or Chicago Marathons. Or, if you want a fun and unique experience, try running San Diego’s Rock N’ Roll Marathon or New Orleans’ Mardi Gras Marathon. Whichever one you choose, know that running a marathon is a huge endeavor and a great accomplishment.
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