My First Marathon

For serious runners this is probably a milestone in their running accomplishments. For me it was an extra special achievement, because I ran my first marathon at the age of 60. So where do I start to describe the experience?

I started running when I joined Team AllEars 2011 about a year ago. Having a goal of raising breast cancer awareness, and money for research and to help breast cancer victims was all I needed to get me going. The icing on the cake was that running a race at Walt Disney World during Marathon Week justified yet another trip to my favorite place. Knowing that I had a “team” behind me was an added incentive to my training.

My first goal was to finish the Walt Disney World Half Marathon 2011 which was my chosen race as part of Team AllEars 2011. I completed the half marathon in January 2011, and exceeded my fund raising goal for Team AllEars 2011.

I decided to sign up for the Buffalo Marathon, which was scheduled for Memorial Day weekend in my hometown of Buffalo, NY. I started training during the cold winter months. I ran quite a bit at the gym on treadmills. Winter was very snowy and cold in the Northeast this year, and I really didn’t get as many long runs outdoors as I had hoped. As the day of the marathon approached, I decided to go on with it and see how well I could do.

May 29, 2011 was a beautiful overcast morning with temps in the low 60s. The Buffalo Marathon was also a half marathon, with the shorter race using the first half of the course. I had several members of my local running club, The Lancaster Striders, running with me as we started the race at 7:00am. I was on my own soon enough, as they were all much faster runners. I decided to take it easy on the first half, trying to save enough energy for what was yet to come. I knew that a fast time was out of the question, due to my lack of enough training. I would be content with just finishing within the allotted time.

We ran through a large part of the Buffalo Metropolitan area, including our downtown area, waterfront district and parks. The morning clouds gave way to brilliant sunshine, and I knew the hot sun would come into play in the second half of the race. The first half took us around our Waterfront District, and it was actually very pleasant and cool running along the water. I felt good at this point and I was a little behind in time as I had expected. Around the 10 mile point I was cheered on by fellow club members who were volunteering at the water stop. I can’t emphasize enough how valuable it is to have supporters there to cheer you on.

The sun was starting to feel hot, the temperature was reaching the 80 degree mark, and I was feeling tired. I was hydrating at every water stop. Before long I reached the “moment of decision.” As we approached mile 13, there came a point where the half marathoners were directed to the left to their finish line, and marathoners to the right. For a moment the thought crossed my mind about turning left and making it a half marathon. I was feeling that moment of doubt. That’s where I had to kick in the mental power. I started to recall the reasons for my marathon commitment, and I took the right turn. It would be all or nothing.

I’d been running using the “run walk run” method, alternating a four minute run with a one minute walk. I actually walked for a few minutes during the transition into the second half of the race. When I started to run again, I found my calf muscles beginning to cramp. OK, so I’ll just keep a fast walk going for now and try again in a while. My calf muscles were good for walking, so I just kept moving forward. I kept this walk for a good part of the second half, as my attempts to run brought on more cramping. Slowly, I was picking up mileage as I worked my way through our Delaware Park area of town, 15, 16, 17 miles. Then I reached mile 18 and my quad and calf muscles both started acting up. My feet were sore but still good, and I prayed that I could just keep moving. This was the point where I had to kick up the mental power, remembering why I was doing this. I thought of all the people I was running for, and all the time and effort I had put into this endeavor. All the people cheering me came to mind. I couldn’t let then down, and I wouldn’t let myself down.

I know they say endurance running is like a 90 percent mental thing, and I believe it now. I felt like I was in a semi-hypnotic trance as I slowly proceeded onward. I developed a mantra that kept humming in my mind”¦”they believe in me, keep fighting!” I reached a point where the pain I felt was no longer a focal point, and as I passed the 20 mile mark, I started to feel more confident that I could actually finish the 26.2 miles. I found that I had settled into a pace that my aching muscles could tolerate. Miles 23 and 24 took me past my Alma Mater, the State University College at Buffalo, and I thought about the hard work I had done to achieve my degree. I thought of how this marathon was yet another event in my life requiring hard work, and I kept moving along the course. I reached mile 24 and then 25, where a fellow club member was working the hydration stop. I knew that it wasn’t far to the finish line.

As I approached mile 26, back into the downtown area, I was greeted by one of my teammates, who had finished ahead of me. He cheered me on and was going to walk me in. I decided to go in with a running finish. I started passing my friends holding up signs of cheer saying “Run Dave, Run!” One last turn and the finish line was in sight. I heard the cheers from my friends as I proudly crossed the finish line. My marathon medal was presented to me, and I realized that I had done it.

As a final thought, I can’t stress enough how much of this is a mental thing. Surround yourself with friends to cheer you on and thoughts of why you are running. These things are what got me through my first marathon. It was one of the hardest things that I’ve ever done, and one of the most gratifying.

I’ve joined Team AllEars 2012 where I’ll be running the “Dopey” = 5K + “Goofy” during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend 2012.