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See (insert your name here) Run - MARATHON RUNNING |
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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Thursday, 12 July 2007 |
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Page 1 of 5
 In a few months Bill Michel, 27, of Loveland will put himself to one of the ultimate tests.
Sweat will drip and his heart will pound inside his heavy chest as his legs carry him a grueling 26.2 miles. Even for elite athletes, marathons are no small feat.
“Marathons are intriguing,” Michel said. “So many people do them, which is cool.”
So, on Oct. 7, Michel, manager at Runners Roost in Fort Collins and volunteer cross-country and track coach at Colorado State University, will join about 9,000 runners for The Portland Marathon.
Even though he’s an experienced runner, It will be his first marathon.
“I’ve always liked the mileage,” Michel said. “It’s just time to give a marathon a try. It will be a good challenge. I’ve always run 5Ks and 10Ks, so I’m ready for something longer.”
In the next two to three weeks, he hopes to build up to 100 miles a week. He started training seriously about three weeks ago. Experts recommend allowing four to six months to train for a marathon.
 For Michel, the biggest challenge thus far has been motivation. Michel’s not alone. For this reason, many runners seek out running partners or running groups.
Jenny Weber, 50, of Greeley, said finding a supportive networking group of runners is the key to success. Weber is part of an active running group in Greeley.
“It’s just expected,” Weber said. “It’s not ‘Should we go for a run?’ It’s just more like ‘Whose house are we meeting at?’ There’s always a group doing a long run.”
By far, though, her best running partner was her dog Jaxon. Though Jaxon passed away from cancer, Weber has a new partner in training, her yellow lab puppy named Zoey.
 Weber has ran 37 marathons in 22 states, but she wasn’t always a runner.
“I started running when I was 28 because I got out of grad school and I was overweight and smoked a pack a day,” Weber said.
She started out by simply running around the block. One block turned into two, then three. Eventually she was tackling 5Ks and 10Ks, then a half marathon.
“Finally, when I turned 40, I was up for a different challenge,” she said.
She got involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training. Participants raise money for the foundation in exchange for training and support.
Weber ran her first marathon in Anchorage, Alaska, in honor of Cherelle Sirio, a Greeley girl diagnosed with leukemia in 1997 when she was 9. Weber has run seven marathons for Team in Training and raised $17,000.
“When you are out there running, it hurts so bad, you hit a wall in the marathon,” Weber said. “If you train for it, your body can do it, but you have to go into your mind and tell yourself you can do it.”
Her new goal is to run a marathon in every state. She no longer smokes because she has replaced that habit with a much healthier one.
“I have an addictive personality, so I’d rather be addicted to running,” she said. “I might as well focus on something that’s healthy with a favorable outcome.”
Weber encourages everyone to do at least one marathon. She said the feeling is something that all marathon runners can share.
“You learn so much about yourself,” she said. “It’s such a large feeling of accomplishment.”
 John Lonsdale, owner of Foot of the Rockies, said he would be a really cranky guy if he couldn’t run. The 59-year-old has ran about 40 marathons and has coached since 1988.
He encourages proper training for any kind of running, especially marathons.
“It can be a real evil mistress,” he said. “You put a lot of eggs in one basket. A lot can go wrong in 26 miles.”
Still, the exhilarating feeling of crossing the finish line, can make it all worth it.
“The biggest joy is seeing someone get into running and get themselves in a position where they feel good about themselves,” he said.
Lonsdale said that first-time runners should focus on finishing the race rather than concern themselves with a set time frame. This is exactly what Michel plans to do in Oregon in the fall.
“If I go out to finish and run well, I will leave saying it was a good experience,” Michel said. “I’ll be happy with that.”
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