Baltimore Marathon

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement."
Steve Prefontaine

Since my last year at Brigham Young University, I have wanted to run a marathon. My only experiences with organized racing were two 10K runs (6.2 miles), both of which I loved.

I would love to tell you there was some great underlying motivation to run a marathon. However, there wasn’t. I just wanted to run a 26.2-mile marathon – simple as that. I'm not a runner by nature, and I will never claim to be so. It's just an experience I wanted to have. Now, I'm hooked.

The following picture was taken by a friend, Janae Lakey, who attended the Boston Marathon recently, and was the final push I needed in starting my training.


Click on that, if you need to see it a little bigger. A man with no legs, running the Boston Marathon. This was at mile 23. How can anybody view this image and then say they can't run a marathon? To me, this image, obliterates any personal limitations or excuses. Of course, I don't know his familial situation, if he has children, etc. Yet any personal, selfish excuses for procrastinating simply cannot hold a candle to this picture. This man in this picture will perhaps never know how much I am in his debt.


The entire race was wonderful. Beautiful weather, kind runners, effectively organized, and everyone along the route was so extremely kind.


I will openly confess, though, that Baltimore is a very polar city. The majority of the race was along BEAUTIFUL avenues, through well-maintained parks, and along their stunning harbor. A few sections, though, I was amazed they had us running through. Think 1940's Polish Ghettos, slightly americanized.


A few Lowell-isms for you.

• Run a marathon yourself. Seriously. Marathon running has suffered a bad image by those who complain about their experience. Well, they didn't train properly. You will be tired, and yes, it requires time. But it's not hard. It's just tiring, and takes time. Big difference there. And if you think you don't have the "time" to, put a hold on your NetFlix, cancel the internet, put your Wii in the closet, and you'll be be surprised how much you do NOT miss any of that. I believe one of my first thoughts after crossing the finish line was some combination of "That's it? Not as hard as they say." and "I can't WAIT to do this again!"
• If you can find the time to run for 40 minutes a day on M-W-F, and an hour on Saturday, you can easily prepare to run a marathon. Make sure you buy a manual, though. I'd recommend mine, however many are just as good.
  
• When you run a marathon, use a fuel belt. I feel confident in saying I didn't "bonk." I don't believe I hit the wall, and I attribute that to both my training routine and my wonderful fuel belt (you'll see that in a few pictures above). People who hit the wall and have their body give up on them are the ones who don't have a fuel belt. I am convinced that Marathon Organizers are only required to provide the minimal amount of liquid to keep you from dying; after that, you're on your own. Combine your fuel belt with the sports drink they provide every few miles, and you'll be a lot more hydrated, refreshed, and happy. (Long-time runners will laugh at this. Forget them.)
  
• To the makers of "Body Glide": Thank you. Thank you for being you. Thank you for helping me avoid any and all rashes, blisters, or other uncomfortable feelings in my feet and elsewhere during all of my training and during the marathon.
  
• If you don't run a marathon, use some other excuse than "bad knees." Bad knees = untrained, non-strengthened knees. BIG difference. There are simple exercises you can do twice a week which, over time, will strengthen your knees to the point of experiencing no trouble whatsoever. I'm living proof of that.
  
• To the random woman who slowly was passing me in the last mile, and encouraged me to push myself harder by saying, "Oh come on, I've been right behind you the entire marathon. You can't let me get ahead of you now!" Thank you, mystery woman. Thank you for cheering for me by yelling "There you go!" as I found a new reserve of energy to sprint the last 2/10 of a mile. You entirely changed my experience by your few kinds words and your anonymous friendship.

I'm very, very happy with my Marathon Time. Not posting it, though. It's different for everybody, and the fact that we've run should be good enough. No use comparing times. Let's start doing that the second time around.

Next year, I will be running the 2010 Baltimore Marathon again (ahem... Jon Dewey, feel free to join me). I hope to run the 2010 Chicago Marathon the weekend after that. It's amazing what running one does to your body and mind.