Brittany Zale, 22
Paralegal
Washington, DC
Baltimore Marathon, 4:31:00

Why did you decide to give up your Marathon V-Card?
My freshman year of college, I  decided to go out for my first run in months. I consistently ran around my neighborhood through high school, but I had fallen out of the habit. That run was over six miles long and I decided I wanted to run a marathon. I wanted a fitness goal now that I wasn’t involved in sports (read: cheerleading) and once it was in my head I had already made my decision. Nope, not a 5k. I wanted to run a marathon.

How did you select your race?
I knew nothing at all about the world of running and racing. I got the idea of running the Marine Corps Marathon through the Team in Training ads. I went online to see that there was a $7,000 fund-raising minimum and I didn’t want to commit to that. Once I found out you could run a marathon without fund-raising (duh!), Marine Corps was already full and so I chose the closest fall marathon.

What shape were you in when you began your training?
I had done a few four to six mile runs in the last month or so, but otherwise hadn’t worked out in almost a year. I used to be a gymnast, and so I had a good muscle base and fitness level, but definitely wasn’t ready for a marathon. I didn’t know much about running. I still went out drinking every night after a morning spent finishing a long run. I did all my training in cotton, didn’t know what a split was, and I had yet to discover Runner’s World. Basically, I did everything wrong!

What was your training plan?
Once I went home for summer, I started going to the gym more (honestly, spurred by a break-up) and a guy there gave me a book on marathon training for beginners. So I just steadily increased my miles and my long runs over the summer and fall. I did a long run about one to two miles more every weekend, until I hit twelve miles. And then I did two or three long runs of each distance before adding another mile or two. During the week I ran as my schedule allowed, alternating between a four to five and a six mile route. My mileage did not get very high, and I only got to eighteen miles before my hip gave out on my last long run and I limped home.

What was your motivation for running?
At the time, running a marathon was a crazy idea and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it!

What was your biggest mistake in training?
I ran all summer around my very flat town for one of the hilliest city marathons. I didn’t think to look at the course or elevation profile, and so I found that statistic out at mile three.

What was your eating plan?
I’ve always tried to be a very healthy, well-balanced eater. I didn’t follow an eating plan, but I always stopped at our other campus during my very long runs for a bottle of Gatorade and a powerbar mid-long run. I didn’t know GU existed!

How did you deal with any injuries?
My only injury was that once my run turned eighteen to twenty miles long, my hips would cramp up. I’d walk it out and by the next day it would feel fine… until my next long run. Luckily, this only happened twice and after the taper I was fine.

What was your pre-race ritual?
The worst thing about running in college is that most big Northeast races are smack in the middle of midterms. I had pulled two all-nighters the week before. I actually completely forgot to schedule in the expo until the day before the marathon, and headed out after work to get there at the last minute to pick up my bib. I did everything wrong: I wore the race shirt, new shorts, and had to catch a 6 a.m. train from Union Station the morning of the race and so I opted for a bagel from Au Bon Pain to eat on the train–not what I was eating before long runs. The worst is that I had an eye-infection and had to run the race and navigate through my first start line half blind! My plan of attack was “follow the shorts.” Which didn’t work out very well since I had followed the short-wearing half-marathon runners. Someone pointed out that the marathon had already started and I ran to the start line, one of the last ones to pass.

Be brutal, what was the race like?
Honestly, it was very pleasant!  I took the run easy, listening to my iPod and stopping to talk to a few people. One guy told me he was training for a fifty miler and this was a training run. At first, I didn’t think I could ever imagine running two marathons and at the same time I was thinking I wanna do that! I’m planning to do my first fifty mile race this year, I just completed my first marathon as a training run.

Another guy mentioned that this wasn’t a race, it was Baltimore’s big parade of crazies, wearing shorts on a freezing morning. A forty year-old relay runner stopped to to talk with me because I looked lonely. My first running race ever, and I learned just how awesome and inspiring the community is. I had an eclectic mix of songs, from Jay-Z to Disney. I just put anything and everything entertaining on my playlist.

I was told after mile twenty it was all downhill (not true at all) and so once I hit that mile mark, I pushed my pace and tried to give it my all. Passing that mile mark was a huge accomplishment, and it finally hit me that I was going to actually finish this. Once I hit mile 26, I was thinking “I’m done” as I ran through the tunnel of people. .2 miles is much longer than one imagines and since I was blind I stopped running and asked if I was finished yet. A runner passed me and told me the finish line was up ahead and so I broke into a sprint, finishing in 4:31.

How did you celebrate your marathon?
I was totally alone in Baltimore. None of my friends wanted to wake up at 5 a.m. with me in the middle of midterms. I hung out for about ten minutes, bought a shirt that said BALTIMORE MARATHON on the front, and caught a train home all salty and smelly. I was living in a sorority house at the time, and when I walked in it was full of people (another reason no one came, there was some activity that day). A sister asked me where I was coming from and I got to nonchalantly answer “I ran a marathon” while I headed to the elevator. Her response made me cry “Congrats! But, the elevator is broken.”

How many marathons have you done since?
I’ve done four marathons total, qualifying for Boston at number three–which will be marathon five next month. Between my second and third marathon I got a 55 minute PR! Its crazy how much training improves once you learn what you’re doing!

What’s your running schedule now?
I just used my first marathon as a training run, for my first 50k in June. And I plan on running a 50 mile race this fall. I’m totally addicted.

Honestly, do you enjoy running or just the effects?
I honestly enjoy running. I can’t handle many days without doing it and if someone gets in between me and my scheduled run–I am not the nicest person. I find it extremely soothing and I even fantasize about running while I’m cross-training.

What advice do you have for first-timers?
Find support. It was really hard to go through my first training (with my mother yelling at me and telling me that I was hurting my body) all alone. And it was a huge downer to not have anyone at the race. I’ve started inspiring a lot of my friends, and so they’ve been signing up for races and I try to go to every one. I’ve enjoyed racing even more recently now that I have friends there, and my parents are even coming to Boston with me!

Anything else?
Take it easy and be patient. I think the best thing about not knowing what I was doing first time around is that I didn’t push myself and so I stayed injury-free for the most part. I’ve recently had to deal with running injuries (Achilles and ITB issues) now that I’ve been pushing myself. By taking it easy and having your goal be just to finish and get your miles in, you’ll love running even more! Its been a large part of my decision to start ultras. I really want to jump back to that goal.

Jesse Mendoza, 40
IT Guy
Round Lake, Ill.
Bank of America Chicago Marathon 2008, 04:54:38

Why did you decide to give up your Marathon V-Card?
I loved the challenge of finishing all 26.2 miles, and I just love to run. Period.

How did you select your race?
I was a spectator at the 2007 Chicago Marathon, and was deeply inspired by the finishing runners and the thousands and thousands of spectators.  I live near Chicago, and my family lives in the area, so it would be easy for them to come to spectate.

What shape were you in when you began your training?
I hadn’t run since high school- 25 years later and I ran a mile around my block and was too out of shape to finish it.  Having worked with computers for most of my life, I led a mostly sedentary lifestyle before I started running again.

What was your training plan?
I trained with a slightly modified plan put together by the Runners’ World SmartCoach.

What was your motivation for running?
I saw my younger sister run and finish her first half-marathon a year before I started running again. At the time, she was a single mom with three kids. Seeing her finish was very inspiring for me.

What was your biggest mistake in training?
I didn’t have any major mistakes.  If I was to pick one it was not joining a running group before my first marathon.  I joined a group the winter before my second marathon and it taught me a lot about pace, strategy, and confidence in my abilities.  Because of this, I was able to best my first marathon time by 43 minutes.

What was your eating plan?
I completely removed fast food restaurants from my diets, stopped drinking soft drinks, and pretty much kept with a three-meal-a-day plan.  I made sure to fuel up an hour or two before my longer runs and races.

How did you deal with any injuries?
Rest, icing, and lots and lots of patience.

What was your pre-race ritual?
Have a bagel or oatmeal at least an hour before a race. Prepare all of my gear the night before. Stretch two or three days before.

Be brutal, what was the race like?
Brutal is the only way to describe it.  I’ve never known so much pain in my entire life, but it was the most incredible experience I’ve ever had, and it was enough to do it again the next year.

How did you celebrate your marathon?
A giant, greasy, messy grilled cheeseburger and fries!

What’s your running schedule now?
I will be turning 40 this year, and am celebrating by running four marathons this year along with a 200 Mile Relay.

What advice do you have for first-timers?
Be patient and start out slowly.  Start with a couch-to-5K plan.  I always recommend you sign up for a race so you have something to shoot for.

Anything else?
Training for a marathon is not easy. It takes dedication, persistence, and most of all, guts.  You will either love it, or hate it.  But I will say that crossing that finish line for the first time was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.  Yes, I cried like a baby, but I didn’t care, I had just done what most people can’t do in a lifetime- run and finish a marathon!

Kelly Tweeddale, 49
Executive Director, Seattle Opera
Seattle
Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Inaugural Marathon 2009, 04:04:04

Why did you decide to give up your Marathon V-Card?
As I approached my 50th birthday, I challenged myself to come up with 50 things to celebrate, challenge, and define me as a person.  (See my Facebook Countdown) The idea of running a marathon was both terrifying and well outside my comfort zone, which made it a perfect challenge.  Turning 50 should be a celebration of all you are and of all you still can be.

How did you select your race?
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon was planning its inaugural race in Seattle and my older sister talked me into signing up with her based on the caveat that when we picked up our bib number the day before, we could change our mind and opt for the half marathon.  I think it was karma; they expected 25,000 participants and my bib number was 25000.

What shape were you in when you began your training?
Twenty months prior to my first marathon I barely was able to run a mile.  I had convinced myself that my progressing back problem (lumbar stenosis) would mean running was off limits. I experimented with that assumption by signing up for the Danskin Triathlon and trained hard for everything except the run.  The swimming helped my back immensely.  Despite the lack of training, I did the best in the 5K portion of the triathlon.  With that bit of confidence I trained for a half marathon that took place three months later, and ran my first marathon seven months after that.

What was your training plan?
The training plans of running guru Hal Higdon became my bible.  I followed his novice plan for both the half marathon and marathon.  I substituted one of the running days with swimming and my slogan was “Hal says run (fill in the blank).”  I also became a devotee of Google’s g-map function and figured out quickly how to turn the elevation function on. (I live in an area where no matter what direction you run it’s up.)  I have a very demanding job, so I had to figure out how to fit runs in between rehearsals, on the road, early in the morning, and reserve blocks of weekend time for those long training runs. I ended up running in Mongolia, Jamaica, NYC, and in Philadelphia (complete with doing the “Rocky” stairs.)

What was your motivation for running?
It started with a New York Times article I read in 2007 titled “See Jane Run. See Her Run Faster and Faster.”  Writer Gina Kolata wrote a thought-provoking article about what happened when her son asked her if she ran just to run or did she have a purpose in mind.  As she attempted to answer that question for herself, her personal experience led to the discovery that unlike men runners who on average get slower as they age, middle-aged women are posting faster running times than their twenty to twenty-four year-old female competitors. Inspired by the story I asked the question, “I wonder?” That became my new mantra.

What was your biggest mistake in training?
Not being a runner, I just assumed that aiming for long loping strides (an inconceivable reality for this 5’3” compact body) with a heel-toe technique should be my goal.  I purchased a pair of discount Nike huarache runners, unaware that there were specific shoes for stability, cushioning, or whatever other attributes we can be convinced to pay obscene prices for.  In a few weeks, I could feel myself getting stronger, dreading my training runs less, and believing that running at least a 5K distance was an achievable goal.  That is until my stellar technique caused me to trip over my own feet and do a face plant on my neighborhood sidewalk.  In addition to my bruised ego, I had to explain to friends and family that the scabs on my chin and abrasions on the palms of my hands were running injuries.  No muscle pulls, joint failures, or foot maladies; I was just a victim of my own clumsiness.  Eventually, after flirting with jumper’s knee, experimenting with icing and stretching, I discovered how to determine my natural gait (neutral/underpronation), found shoes that fit, and allowed myself to run naturally with a mid-foot strike.

What was your eating plan?
I didn’t have a particular eating plan.  I ate whatever would keep my GI functions intact.  For the long runs, I would eat a banana and yogurt 30 minutes prior to running.  I ran with an electrolyte drink and tolerated GU as a long run supplement.  I normally don’t do caffeine, so it was important for me to find GU without caffeine, since the introduction of the stimulant worked havoc with my GI system (believe me, that’s something you don’t want to happen for the actual marathon).

How did you deal with any injuries?
I had relatively few injuries.  I amended the five running day schedule to a four running day schedule, substituting either biking or swimming to make sure my joints were not overworked.  I used an IT band early in my training which I was able to abandon once my quadriceps became strong enough to keep my running mechanics in alignment. The shock of losing a few toenails was both amusing and educational, giving me the ultimate name for my blog: “Running Without Toenails.”

What was your pre-race ritual?
I gave myself plenty of time to use the port-o-potty (plan for long lines), dropped off my clothes bag at the trucks, listened to music, stretched, found my corral, and used my iphone to snap photos to commemorate the event.  I tried not to do anything differently than what I do for my training runs.  But the butterflies still made for liquid insides, I just tried to breath and relax as much as possible.

Be brutal, what was the race like?
The first 20 miles were just like training.  The last 6 miles were pure psychological conditioning.  The temperature was about ten degrees warmer than what was seasonal, plus the last 6 miles was on a concrete viaduct that exacerbated the heat issue.  The promise of live bands playing every mile, didn’t really pan out, they seemed to be on break every time I ran by, so I was so glad that I brought my own playlist.  I am a runner that needs both distraction and entertainment.  Finally, the port-o-potties were infrequent to non-existent after the half marathon point, so that was a concern but in my case mother nature was kind to me.  I envisioned myself crawling across the finish line, but I was able to finish upright, running, and managed to crack a smile for the cameras.

How did you celebrate your marathon?
After a foot soak and a nap, my family and friends attended the Rock ‘n’ Roll evening concert with Keb Mo, staged for the finishers.  It was a gorgeous evening, picnic in hand, beer garden in close proximity and it was understood that the  non-participants were to wait on you hand and foot.  Heaven. I also purchased the post-race running cap as a badge of honor.

How many marathons have you done since?
Shortly after finishing my first marathon, my sister called me to tell me that my time had qualified me for the Boston Marathon.  I seriously thought it was a practical joke. I didn’t monitor my time during the run, I just wanted to finish.  But it was true.  At age 49, my finishing time of 04:04:04 qualified me for the 50-55 year old women category (I turn fifty a week prior to the Boston marathon) with 56 seconds to spare. All the lifelong runners I know convinced me that it was my destiny.  So, on April 19, 2010, I’ll be sporting bib number 21480 and running in the grand daddy of all marathons as a Boston qualifier.

What’s your running schedule now?
Since I’m training for Boston, I’m still following Hal Higdon’s training plan, doing a hybrid between his Intermediate I plan and his Boston Bound plan.  I’ve logged 510+ training miles since August.  I’ve added a bit of speed work and interval training (makes me feel like a track star) and it helps break up the monotony of the miles.

Honestly, do you enjoy running or just the effects?
I thought I would hate every bit of it, but I don’t.  Here’s my reality: the first three miles of a training run, no matter how long, is hard and I feel the pain, by mile five I feel pretty good, and between miles eight to fifteen it feels pretty effortless.  I am a much more sanguine person overall when I run.  I like that I can fit it in almost anywhere or anytime, and my almost fifty year old body looks pretty dang good, too.

What advice do you have for first-timers?
Be patient.  Follow a running plan specifically designed for beginners and for the distance you want to run.  Find others that will cheer you on, train with you, or give you a full-body massage when you need it.  Have fun with your playlist. Read inspirational books like Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen . If you get a pedicure, don’t let them buff off your hard won calluses.  And don’t be surprised to find your own champion within.

Anything else?
You can read more about my progression from first marathon to Boston at my blog Running without Toenails at www.redroom.com/blog/ktweed

Scott Miles, 33
Senior Vice President, Sales
New York
New York City Marathon, 4:07:00

Why did you decide to give up your Marathon V-Card?
In 2007, I was watching the marathon with friends and saw one amazing person after another running past me.  I was impressed that people of all shapes, sizes, and ages were out there running 26.2 miles. I didn’t really think about it again until New Years, and I decided that my resolution in 2008 would be to train for a marathon.

How did you select your race?
I felt that there was no other place than New York City to run my first marathon.  The biggest and loudest marathon in my hometown.

What shape were you in when you began your training?
I had always kept in somewhat decent shape, but no way was I in “runners” shape.  I think the longest run I went on prior to my training was three miles. I had a stupid smoking habit.

What was your training plan?
I ran for a charity, Team for Kids, which was a fantastic experience.  They created a training program that consisted of long runs on Saturday and weekday runs that rotated between speed work, hills, and tempo.

What was your motivation for running?
Motivation was to accomplish another goal and have another life experience.  Everyone I knew who completed a marathon said it was a life changing experience.  I wanted to put 100% effort into it to have a similar feeling at the end.

What was your biggest mistake in training?
I peaked a few weeks too early and went to race day feeling fatigued.

What was your eating plan?
Lots of protein, carbs, salads.  I definitely didn’t focus on eating as much as I have since my first marathon.

How did you deal with any injuries?
I was lucky, I didn’t have any major injuries.  I had some aches and pains, but nothing that sidelined me for extended periods of time.  I had a knee issue for a few weeks, but I iced, stretched and did strength work and it got better quickly.

What was your pre-race ritual?
The night before I meticulously laid out my clothes and made sure it was perfectly set up for the morning.  In the morning I ate the same thing as always which was a banana, a wheat bagel with peanut butter, and drank a Gatorade.

Be brutal, what was the race like?
Miles one through nineteen were awesome, there were so many high points: running over the Verrazano bridge with Born to Run blasting on the speakers looking at the New York skyline, crazy Brooklyn, and the ten rows deep of people up 1st Avenue.  Miles twenty until the end sucked (the picture is around mile 23).  I didn’t know if my legs could continue to carry me, the rolling hills of Central Park felt like mountains.  I was relieved when I crossed the finish line.

How did you celebrate your marathon?
My entire family was in town, we had a celebration at my apartment with food and drinks.  Later I went out and met friends at a bar and played flip cup all night.

How many marathons have you done since?
One, the Chicago Marathon in 2009 where I ran a 3:47.

What’s your running schedule now?
I run at least four times a week and always have a race on my calendar that I am training for.  In 2010 I plan to make it the year of half marathons and take a year off of marathon training.  I plan to run the NYRR’s 9+1 for automatic entrance into the 2011 New York City marathon.

Honestly, do you enjoy running or just the effects?
I love running and everything about it.  I love the high.  I love the gear.  I love the challenge.  I love the goals it forces you to set.  I love talking about running with other runners.  I love the crazy look friends give me when I told them how far I went.

What advice do you have for first-timers?
Start slow, have goals and don’t push your body too hard too fast.  Running is a mental sport as much as it is a physical one, you will amaze yourself with what you can do if you remain head strong.  Enjoy all the benefits of running and whatever you do, do not set a time goal for your first marathon.  Just enjoy the experience.

Anything else?
I’ve recently started a blog that talks about my running experiences, I hope that it is a way to motivate average runners and help teach them how to enjoy running even more.  The blog is www.irunnerblog.com.

Dan Cummings, 50
Engineering / Real Estate
Southern California
Rock-n-Roll San Diego, 5:15:18 including photo stops

Why did you decide to give up your Marathon V-Card?
Just kind of “ran” into the marathon. I attended an information meeting for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training and got caught up in the idea of celebrating their 20^th year and my 50^th birthday by becoming a marathon man.

What shape were you in when you began your training?
Pretty decent… After nearly twenty-five years as a smoker that tipped the scales over 200 pounds, I found running was the best way for me to drop a little weight.  I couldn’t make a lap around the track on my first attempt to run but before connecting with Team in Training I worked on my own doing several 5k’s and two half marathons.

What was your motivation for running?
I was facing the decision to give up and become a fat man or make changes. I decided to lose some weight.

What was your biggest mistake in training?
Becoming over confident and under estimating the mental aspects of the marathon.

What was your eating plan?
I eat… Never mastered dieting and the more I train the more I gain.  Most days I start with a double packet of oatmeal and have two morning snacks consisting of Nature Valley Granola bars.  Lunch is a simple sandwich, banana and apple for an estimated total of 1500 calories.  Dinner and afternoon or evening snacks probably add another 1500 calories or more to my day.

How did you deal with any injuries?
Thick Headed…  My injuries were in the early stages of running before marathon training. Shin splints and IT band issues were all resolved within the first year of running.

What was your pre-race ritual?
I do not believe in rigid rules and have never repeated a routine before an event except for developing a habit of laying my stuff out the night before in hopes that I don’t forget anything.

Be brutal, what was the race like?
The first half of the race was great but in retrospect I went out too fast. After a slow first mile due to congestion I picked up the pace and by mile six was right on schedule so I started taking photos along the way.  My race recap here: http://www.cummingsteam.com/rnr-recap.pdf

My time was pretty much on target of 4:30 finish during the first half so I took a little walk break but never recovered from it.  The pace dropped way off and bottomed with a fifteen minute mile at mile nineteen and continual walking running spurts during the final six miles!

How did you celebrate your marathon?
After the ice bath I spent the afternoon with sitting around the outside café drinking beer… It was the Rock & Roll Marathon so my night was spent at the Pat Benatar concert.

How many marathons have you done since?
The marathon opened my eyes to a whole new level of fun so I went on to finish four marathons during my rookie year.  So far I have completed six including the Goofy Marathon and a Half Challenge and will be returning to run San Diego in 2010.

What advice do you have for first-timers?
Pushing yourself too far too fast results in injury and actually slows you down.  Whatever your speed, come to terms with it and learn to enjoy the run.

Ada Polla, 32
CEO of Alchimie Forever
Washington, DC
Marine Corps Marathon 2004, 4:30:00

Why did you decide to give up your Marathon V-Card? My girlfriend Heidi kind of talked me into it. She wanted to do a second marathon and wanted a running buddy. And since I don’t know how to say no and liked the extreme aspect of it I agreed.

How did you select your race?
I wanted to do a local run.

What shape were you in when you began your training?
OK shape but nothing amazing. I had never run more than six miles before starting to train. I was running maybe three times per week.

What was your training plan?
A Runner’s World program. I ran five times per week with one being a long run (longest we did was 18 miles).  Some weeks had no long run.

What was your motivation for running?
Since I was training with my BFF Heidi (still my BFF), I knew she was counting on me. Just like I was counting on her. There was no not showing up or being lazy and deciding not to run.

What was your eating plan?
I have always been a pretty healthy eater, and didn’t really change much during training, except I was eating more carbs than I am now, and drinking a lot more fluids. During our long training runs we would have Goo.

How did you deal with any injuries?
I have a torn ACL and partially torn meniscus from a ski accident, which I never had repaired. I had these injuries going in to the training and dealt with the pain with Advil and ice. Luckily I didn’t get any further injuries during training, or during the race.

What was your pre-race ritual?
Dinner with Heidi and her family (who came from California to cheer her on) at an Italian place the evening of. Banana and water the morning of. I had laid out my clothes the night before, I had an outfit I loved, and of course my name on my running shirt.

Be brutal, what was the race like?
The worst were miles 16-21. I really thought I wouldn’t make it. Heidi and I (we had promised to run the entire thing together) ended up switching it up. She would run one mile and I would just focus on her shoes and move my feet when she moved her feet, really close behind her. Then I would take the lead and she would do the same. Switching it up like that and just focusing on someone else’s movement was what made me pull through.

What was more comfortable, losing your V-Card or your Marathon V-Card?
Marathon V-Card was more comfortable. No further comment! J

How did you celebrate your marathon?
By lying on the couch the entire rest of the day having champagne and food. More champagne than food.

Anything else?
Training and running the marathon with my BFF was the best. It brought us so much closer, we had so much time just the two of us to chat and share everything. I don’t think I would have been able to do it alone. Heidi and I are starting to think about the next one we are going to run together. Last year, her birthday present to me was to fly down to DC (she now lives in San Diego) and surprise me by signing us up for a local half marathon. No notice. No training. No preparation. Just lots of carbs the evening before. And we did it!

Valerie Brockling, 29
Marketing Director
Denver
Chicago Marathon, 2009 , 4:46:00

Why did you decide to give up your marathon v-card?
I ran my first half marathon in the spring and I got bored not training for anything.  I decided to look for a race, and before I knew it I was training for a full marathon!!

How did you select your race?
I lways heard that Chicago was a huge race with a huge crowd, that sounded like fun to me!

What shape were you in when you began your training?
I had been running since the half marathon, so I was able to jump right into the five miles runs.

What was your training plan?
I ran four times a week, with long runs on Saturdays.  I did yoga too.

What was your motivation for running?
It was a goal I wanted to accomplish before I turned 30…so at 29 I decided I better do it.

What was your biggest mistake in training?
It’s hard to say, probably only doing one 18 mile run(the longest run of my training)…but it was because of an injury and I knew I needed to let it heal.  I think I could have run a better time if I would have been able to do two.

What was your eating plan?
I ate a lot of protein, veggies and fruit.  I stay away from dairy 24 hours before a long run.  After the long run I would have a cheat meal, pizza, Mexican, or cheeseburgers.

How did you deal with any injuries?
I had a foot injury about a month before the race. I knew if I ran on it before it was completely healed I wouldn’t be running the marathon I had been training so hard for, so I listened to the doctor.

What was your pre-race ritual?
I watched the documentary Spirit of the Marathon then went to the expo and met Jerry Meyers.  Very inspirational!  My boyfriend was also running the race so we went out to dinner with his sister and my mom for a huge pasta carb load!

Be brutal, what was the race like?
It was honestly an amazing feeling.  Around mile 19 I stopped to go to the bathroom, it was the first time I stopped running and I was shocked to realize how tight all of my muscles were at that point.  Mile 23 through 25 and a half were the longest miles for me.  As soon as I saw the 26 mile marker I knew I had made it and I had the burst of energy to run uphill the last two tenths of a mile.  It was such an emotional feeling, I actually got tears in my eyes as I crossed the finish line.

What was more comfortable, losing your V-Card or your Marathon V-Card?
Ha, funny question!  I think I’ll have to say Marathon V-card!  The training is the hardest part, the race is fun!

How did you celebrate ?
Met friends and family at a restaurant and had a few beers and a ton of food (OK, maybe a ton of beers)!  We had massages the following day, I would recommending waiting a few days…I was so sore I couldn’t enjoy the massage.

How many marathons have you done since?
None, I plan on another one this fall.  When I started the experience I said I would never do another one.  It was kind of a “bucket list” thing for me.  As soon as I crossed the finish line I knew I would do another one.  I want to beat my time!

What advice do you have for first-timers?
DO NOT SET A TIME GOAL!  Your goal should be to finish.  Running a marathon is as much of a mental game as it is physical.  If you set a time goal and are off at any point through the race that will play games with your mind.  You don’t need that…you’re running 26.2 miles, and that is hard enough!

Anything else?
Get the book The Non-Runner’s Marathon Trainer, it will become your running bible.  Don’t let the name fool you if you are cocky and think, “but I am a runner”.  It tells you everything from how you should be training, what you should eat and why, and it gives you an insight to the mental struggles you will endure during the whole experience.  Race day, put your name on your shirt.  It may sound cheesy, but it will help so much during the race when people cheer you on by your first name.  Have fun and give as many high fives to the crowd as you can.

C. Zane Hagy, 39
Advertising & PR Guy, Ringleader of z11 communications
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Smoky Mountain Marathon, 2002 4:00:47

Why did you decide to give up your marathon v-card?
After noticing I couldn’t walk from my car to my office without losing my breath in early 2001, I decided to take up running as a way to lose weight. I never intended to race or run marathons until one day after an hour and a half run on a treadmill, someone asked me why I didn’t just run outside. The marathon eventually came, because I kept looking for something new to motivate me. At the time, I wasn’t the least bit fit for a marathon.

Why do the marathon?
I was looking for something new to do, and noticed a marathon coming up nearby, two weeks away on the calendar.

What shape were you in when you began your training?
No training, my longest run was 13.1 miles before the marathon.

What was your plan?
I cut back to three Pop-Tarts per day the week leading in.

What was your biggest mistake in training?
Not training.

What was your pre-race ritual?
One Pop-Tart….savored over a few minutes.

Be brutal, what was the race like?
The race was great for the first 13.1 miles, after that, was similar to rolling naked in broken glass. As soon as it finished, I passed out. Woke up, threw up. Fell asleep on the floor of the host hotel. Woke up, crawled to a trash can and tossed my running shoes in it.

How did you celebrate your marathon?
With an IV drip.

How many marathons have you done since?
27.

What’s your running schedule now?
Forty to 50 miles per week. Three to four marathons a year.

Honestly, do you enjoy running or just the effects?
I started this as a round little man, I enjoy the side effects greatly. However, office stress makes the release of running a pure necessity.

What advice do you have for first-timers?
Don’t worry about time, and don’t question whether or not you can do it. Put up with the pain, and enjoy the moment when you get your medal. Once you complete one, you’ll never stop.

Anything else?
Talk to the bystanders and cheering sections along the way, no matter who they came to see. It’s amazing how much fun you can have while running through a crowd of strangers.

Kylo Anderson, 31
Clinical Research/Yoga Instructor
San Diego
Rock & Roll San Diego, 4:31:45