I'm really excited to share my first Confessions of a First Time Marathoner interview with you!
Last week when I was reflecting about being 1/3 of the way through training I mentioned that one of my goals for this blog was to seek out other runners and invite them to share their insights- so here we are! JohnnyRan is one of my friends from college and he has a passion for running- so let's get started!
The Basics:
Name: JohnnyRan
Age: 25
Location: Flint, Michigan
What's your running background?
I started running my junior year in high school. I think I got a little inspired watching the summer Olympics. I joined the cross country team because some of my friends were on it and nobody got cut from the team. I actually hated running when I started, and I couldn't even run a mile. I was very close to quitting the team, but my coaches told me to just sick it out and run one race. I ran the first race (in 98 degree heat on a course with no shade) and ended up sticking with cross country for the rest of high school.
Where did you run your first marathon?
Grand Rapids, Michigan (it will always hold a special place in my heart).
{That's where I'm running my first marathon!}
What made you decide to run your first marathon?
I had never even thought of running a marathon until one of my college friends told me it was something that she always wanted to do. That put the idea in my head because I had run some 10 mile races. Eventually it became my goal to run a marathon before I graduated college (and I met that goal!).
What motivated you to put in the training miles on the days when you really didn't feel like it?
One thing that motivated me was the fact that I paid for the race and there was a no refund policy. Haha I had to get my money's worth from this race. Another motivator was that I really wanted to accomplish my goal of running a marathon before graduating college and get to check that off my "list". Plus, training was fun for the most part. Once I get out and start running, I'm in my own little world.
What's the toughest part about training for a marathon?
The toughest part for me is finding time for my runs especially my long runs. For my first marathon, it wasn't too bad to find time expect for days I had my internship (I just never seemed to have too much energy after sitting around at my internship for 8 hours). Now that I'm working full time, it's even harder to find time especially when I don't get out of work until 6 or 7 at night some days. But it's always worth it when I get to get outside and run...no matter the distance.
Tell me about your first day-of marathon experience.
My first marathon (Grand Rapids in 2007) was right around Halloween. The night before the race, my roommates were all going out to a party as I was headed to bed. Luckily they were quiet when they came back. I actually got a good amount of sleep considering that I was nervous and excited.
Race morning came, and I was pumped. I got my racing gear on (which I had laid out the night before) and headed out the door. I actually walked to the start because it was only about 1/2 a mile from my house. It was a little chilly, but ended up being perfect running weather (high 30s to start and low 50s to finish). I was lucky to find some friends at the start who were running (I didn't know they were running beforehand). I felt great as the race started and actually tried to run with a pace group that was a little too fast for me. I slowed down around mile 3 or 4 and settled into a nice pace.
I got to meet some very interesting people along the run. I met one guy who told me that he just had open heart surgery a few months before the race. He was awesome and a huge inspiration to me seeing that it was around mile 20 I met up with him (if he could run this, then so could I!).
The last 2 miles seemed to last forever! I almost stopped to walk, but told myself that I had already run 24 miles so there was not stopping now. When I saw the finish line, it was very emotional. I actually teared up a little (and have done so at every marathon I've run since) when I was nearing the finish line. My parents came in from Flint to cheer me on, and it was great to see them along with my roommates and other friends at the finish line. After I crossed the finish line, I felt like on was on top of the world (minus the fact that I had no energy left). I took the next two days off from running mainly because my legs hurt when I walked, but I ended up running 5 miles the next day because I didn't want to lose the amazing "runner's high" from the marathon!
What was something that surprised you or that you didn't expect either during training or at your first marathon?
I was surprised at how good anything tastes around mile 18 or 20. haha Before I started training for my first marathon, I never would have ate anything while running. Eating while you run didn't seem like a good combination. However, I soon found out that is not always the case especially when running long distances. During my first marathon, I enjoyed gummy bears, orange slices, and even Oreo cookies! And they all helped to refuel me and keep me going. Plus I found out that they energy gels are a must for any distance runner (the
Mint-Chocolate Gu
is my personal favorite!).
How many marathons have you run in total?
5
Are you training for anything right now? Marathon or otherwise?
I am currently training for the
Richmond Marathon in Richmond, VA on November 13, 2010. I am running it with the
Runner's World Challenge. I did the Runner's World at the
Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati in May and had an absolute blast! It's a little more expensive, but you get a lot of perks (messages after the race, pre and post race parties, and private bathrooms with no lines!). My current goal is to run a marathon in every state before I am 60. I have four states down: Michigan, Illinois, Georgia, and Ohio. And come November I will have 5!
What's one piece of advice you'd give to first time marathon runners?
Plan ahead and try to avoid any unneeded stress on race day. Lay out your running clothes the night before and put your timing chip on you shoe before going to bed. For my first half-marathon, I left my apartment and did a mental checklist to make sure I had everything and thought that I did. I got to the start line and lined up with about 10 minutes before the starting gun. I looked down and saw that I did not have my timing chip on my shoe! Luckily I lived just down the street from the start. So I sprinted back to my apartment, got my chip on my shoe, and sprinted back to the start. I didn't run that fast in the entire race. It makes for a good story but it was a horrible feeling at the time. So, be prepared and avoid stress if at all possible.
Any other nuggets of wisdom/advice for first-timers?
Enjoy the experience! Get to the race early so you can relieve nerves and just take in the atmosphere! The energy before and at the start of a marathon is awesome! Don't go too fast. Your main goal should be to finish. It doesn't matter what your time is. Once you cross the finish line, you can say that you are a marathoner! And that's something that nobody can take away from you!
Thanks JohnnyRan for sharing all of your insight! It's so amazing to hear from other runners who have already completed their first marathon and hear about their experiences!
If you'd like to share your first-time marathon experience (or know someone who might be interested) here on the blog- please let me know! I'd love to share as many interviews as possible!
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a little bit- I like that the .JPG)
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. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it's a sensor you put in your shoe that keeps track of your distance, pace, time, and calories burned. It translates all of this information either to the 
bracelet or to your iPod/iPhone (Newer iPods have the Nike+ program built in, but some older iPods aren't compatible or need the Sport Kit plugged into them). I've seen the SportBand but never actually used one, so I can't really speak to how those work. I love using it with my iPod/iPhone though. 
shortly after it first came out (I think around January 2007 is when I bought mine). I saw the commercials and thought it looked awesome- however, I didn't have an iPod that was compatible with it. I was so convinced that it would be amazing that I bought another iPod specifically to use with the Nike+. At the time, I believe it only worked with the iPod nano, so I bought the 
available at the time since I would only be using it for running and I already had a larger capacity iPod that I could use to store my entire music library. I also bought an armband for the iPod nano since that would be a pretty critical need if I was going to work out with it (I think I got it off Ebay- that's the best place to get cheap accessories for iPods).
".
