Run Forest, Run

Ward Members Run Marathons

(Stacey Ball, Amie Brink, Bonnie, Joe, Brian, Riley, Kaitlin, Kevin, and Katie Butler, Julie Danielson, Lindsay Humphrey, Stacy Rogers, Gen Soulier, Erin Whiteley)

1. Was this your first marathon? If not, how many have you done? Do you consider yourself a marathon runner?

Lindsay Humphrey: Yes, and I just got picked to run the Nike Women's Marathon in S.F. this October. That will be number 2!

Amie Brink: My first 1/2 marathon was 2 years ago with Julie Steenblik..love her..miss her!!! I've completed 3 so far...and hope to do more..maybe a full marathon soon.

Bonnie Butler: Yes this was my first as well as the first for Joe, Brian, Riley, Kaitlin and Kevin, but not for Katie. I would say no none of us consider ourselves marathon runners.

Stacey Ball: Yes, this was my first half marathon- I don't know that I will ever do a full marathon.

Stacy Rogers: This was my first half marathon. I am working towards a marathon but it may be a while! :) I definitely don't consider myself a complete marathon runner yet, but it is something I aspire to in the future.



2. Why do you run?

LH: I run to stay in shape and to have some time to take care of me.

AB: I run for my sanity...freedom from my children...time alone...sometimes I just want to keep on running, and not go back..it has crossed my mind, but of course I go back :)

BB: I walked to prove to myself that after a difficult year of health problems I could still accomplish something positive and that I was still capable of doing something hard. We encouraged Riley, Kevin & Kaitlin to try it so that we could participate as a family and we felt that this would help them to feel like they were able to accomplish something as well. Joe participated to keep me company.

SB: I like the alone time. Time to think and gather my thoughts. It gets me outside and I love to push myself to go faster or longer . I love the feeling that comes from accomplishing a goal.

SR: I got into running about a year and a half ago when my best friend moved back to town and we would run in the mornings together. It was a mix of social and exercise. I started to miss it on the days that I wasn't running and it became a part of me and a way that I could relax, get some exercise and unwind. It also is a motivation to push myself. When I accomplish a mileage goal that I had, I feel like I can push myself to do anything I set my mind to.

3. How did you start running for marathons?

LH: I've always wanted to run a marathon and I feel like it is a huge accomplishment that I wanted to fulfill in my life.

AB: Julie Steenblik suckered me into my first one, and now I look forward to the challenge each time.

BB: Katie heard about this from Sis. Danielson and she decided to participate with Brian. When I heard them talking about it I asked if the rest of us could crash the party as I felt we all needed something to challenge ourselves with individually as well as together as a family.

SB: I have wanted to run a half for about 4 years. Other things kept coming up and I didn't want to run one on a Sunday. My friend did the American River Parkway last year and told me how great it was and that they always do it on a Saturday. So I set the goal to do it this year.

SR: It's always been a sort of "Bucket List" goal of mine so I upped my workouts by printing a training schedule from the Runners World website and decided that this was the year I was going to do it. I regisitered and told myself I couldn't back out.


4. Do you have any tips? What equipment (types of shoes, etc...) do you use to train?

LH: My tips would be to get up and run even on the days you just don't feel like it.

AB: I don't have any tips for anyone...except that it is mostly mental. If you believe you can, you can.

BB: Work with people who have done it before and know what to tell you.

SB: No tips really. I love my nike ipod!! I have shoes that I found work best for me- everyone is different. I used a training schedule off of the internet.

SR: Stretch, keep hydrated and get a good running mix on the i-pod. Songs that will keep you motivated and thinking positively. I run in Nike's but after this half marathon, I think I may need to get fitted for some different shoes.



5. Do you have a training schedule?
LH: Yes. I run between seven and ten miles six days a week. Three weeks before the race I back off.

AB: No training schedule. I'm not a scheduled person. I just run when I can and if I feel like running longer, I do. If not...I hightail it home.

BB: I could only walk every other day but the others walked and ran more often to get ready.

SB: I did a novice training schedule- It was 12 weeks long.

SR: SR: I found a traning schedule on the runners world website, and based my runs off of that.

6. What does it feel like the day before a race? What goals do you set, if any? What is it like, or what do you do before a race?

LH: The day before is a day I take off. I have a little anxiety, but I tell myself that it is still just one foot in front of the other.

AB: The day before the race I am nervous. The funny thing is..noone cares about my time except for me. Everyone who finishes receives a medal. My goals are always to do better than I did the previous one.

BB: My goal was just to walk as far as I could and hopefully finish. None of us knew if I would be able to do it due to my health but I really wanted to try. Riley, Kevin & Kaitlin set goals to due their best and not to give up no matter how long it took. Joe's goal was to just be there with me. All of us finished with in half an hour of each other and each of us achieved our personal goals.

SB: I was nervous the day before the race. Two days before I couldn't sleep- I think I was worried about the rain. I slept fine the night before and when I woke up NO RAIN! I was thrilled until the drops started coming down right as we were about to start. As far as a goal- once you decide to do it you just have to stick to the schedule. I know after each week of training- I always felt proud of the accomplishment. I felt very prepared by the end. The 10 mile run was the best for me. I have never run that far before and it was exhilarating when I finished.

SR: The day before the race was a mix of nerves and excitement. I kind of started to psych myself out about as I worried about the weather, whether I would wear shorts or pants, hat or not hat...worrying whether or not my i pod was fully charged. Then, that evening I had a rough nights sleep of only 5 1/2 hours. I think now that I've done one, next time will be a little less nerve wracking and crazy. I had set a few goals for myself-I wanted to finish under 2 hours and 20 minutes, and I finished in 2 hours and 3 minutes. I wanted to make it in the top 1000 runners, and I was number 616 out of 1800, and finally I wanted to run the entire 13.1 with no stops, and despite bleeding feet, I did it. It was amazing to accomplish the goals I set for myself.
7. How does your family help? Or do they?
LH: Ryan is so supportive and he is training to do a marathon with me this year.

AB: Gabe and the kids made encouraging signs and met me at mile 8,9, and 10, and then at the finish line.

BB: We decided to do this together as a family with some of us running and others walking so we all encouraged each other and did training together when ever we could. It was very helpful to have most of the family participating since none of us felt alone.

SB: My sister is a runner- she flew out to run with me- she wanted to see me cross the line for my first half. It was very cool that she was there doing it with me!

SR: My husband was my biggest supporter-everytime I worried that I wouldn't be able to do it, he'd tell me with the uttermost confidence that he KNEW I could do it- and I knew that he meant it. I understood and supported the time I needed to go run and my little girl was very good about playing in the gym care while mommy ran.
8. Would you say this is a team or an individual sport?
LH: Both. I love to run with friends when I can.

AB: This is an individual sport as far as time, but with a team of gals encouraging each other.

BB: Individual

SB: I would say it is very individual- although it is good to have at least on person you train with. It gets you out running knowing that someone is waiting for you to show up.

SR: I'd have to say it's ultimately an individual sport. It definitely was nice to know that I had friends running but the outcome ultimately depended on me and what I did. I had no feelings of competition towards anyone but myself and while it's nice to have other friends that support, understand and cheer you on, during the run its all about you keeping one foot in front of the other and completing personal goals.

9. What is race day like?

LH: Fabulous, especially when you finish.

AB: Race day is crazy...lots of people. But the food at the end is so delicious when you are starving!

BB: Fun but tiring!

SB: Exciting. Lots of adrenaline.

SR: Race day was definitely nervousness and excitement again-it starts pretty early in the morning so really you are just trying to get your body woken up and moving. I woke up plenty early to make sure I got my breakfast in, had time to digest and keep it down and feel settled enough to run. I'm sure each race I run will get a little less nerve wracking, but I definitely was a ball of nerves that morning. I don't think it really hit me that I was running a half marathon until I crossed the start line.

10. Many runners have talked about the wall that hits you - does it hit you? How does it feel? What do you do to overcome that wall?

LH: If you have trained properly this shouldn't be a problem. Also you must pace yourself.

AB: At mile 11 and 12, your body wants to fall apart. That's when you push your body aside and mentally finish the last few miles.

BB: Since I walked it I don't know how runners felt but I know I started to really hurt about mile 8 and from mile 9 to 11 I was singing primary songs and making up rhymes to keep myself moving. Once I got to mile 12 I started to feel relief that I was actually going to make it.

SB: The wall is where you feel like you are so done. I hit the wall at the end of my 11th mile. I turned my ipod to a power song and pushed myself through it. Everyone has a different coping technique. My sister was cracking up at me yelling "pump it" as I kept going. When you get through it you get a rush and can keep going. It is amazing!

SR: For me on shorter runs I almost know whether its going to be a good run or a hard run. With the longer runs, I've felt the wall hit me and to be honest there have been times that I have hit the wall and stopped. But the times that I've overcome the wall are the most rewarding runs and I'd say the only way that I've overcome it is with positive thinking and a mentality that I'm going to fight through it. I remember telling myself over and over in my head during the half marathon, when I hit a wall of sorts, that this was "The Moment of Truth"... I knew that if I couldn't get myself to push through to accomplish these goals that I had trained and worked for, that I'd have a hard time having the faith in myself in the future to accomplish other goals. I'm glad that I could push myself through it mentally and I'd say for me, that is my tool to overcome the runners wall.



11. They say as a runner the competition is with yourself - how does that determine how you motivate yourself?

LH: Give yourself goals. I always tell myself I am way stronger then I think I am.

AB: I'm motivated with the goal of surpassing my last time.

SB: I just wanted to run the entire thing and do it around a 10 min mile or less. I ran a 9:40 most of the way- I was happy with that.

12. What would you tell someone who has never run, who'd like to try a marathon?

LH: Start slowly, and build. Push yourself.

AB: I'm motivated with the goal of surpassing my last time.

BB: Go for it even if you have to walk it.

SB: Just do it.

SR: I'd tell them (as cliche as it sounds) that if I can do it, you can do it. I used to hate to run a mile in high school and never did it by choice. In college I ran breifly for exercise and quickly switched over to the elliptical. But, I told myself that I could do it and that I wanted to see why runners loved to run. Now I know why and I'm confident that anyone can do it. I'd also tell them to set their own pace, their own goals and make it about them and no one else.

13. Are you running again? When?

LH: Yes. Nike Woman's marathon in October. Frisco.

AB: Yes..running again. Another 1/2 and hopefully the full marathon (CIM)here in Sacramento in December.

BB: I don't know.

SB: I already am out running. I am going to do a 5K on Memorial day with my kids.

SR: I did a 5K the week after with my husband- he started getting into running at the tail end of my half marathon training. It was great to run it together and cross the finish line as a couple. As far as another half marathon or a marathon, I am aware of a few this year that I am toying with in my mind. I'm at a transitional phase as I'm trying to get pregnant so my next run is contingent upon that status! :) But, if I am not pregnant come time to train for those runs, then my next run will most likely be at the end of this summer.
14. How does marathon running help you in your daily life... personal... etc?

AB: Running helps me clear my head,relax, and think about nothing.

SB: I like doing something for myself. It helps keep me centered and I like the exercise.

SR: It has helped me to have more faith and trust in my abilities. As a whole, my daily exercise makes me a happier person with more energy and confidence.
15. Any last parting thoughts?
AB: This one was fun to run. Julie Danielson, who just had her baby, put it all together. Everyone was excited and motivated. A great group of gals!

BB: Whether it's running, or walking or doing something else that requires you to step outside your comfort zone it's always good to push yourself to achieve something positive.

SB: I think I might have to do it again next year and hope for better weather.


Editor's note: A BIG THANK YOU to Lindsay, Amie, Bonnie, Stacey and Stacy for taking the time to share their experience with us.