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.
