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.
