First Marathon Confessions: Timienne Barron

This week's First Marathon Confession comes from a gal I played basketball with in high school.  I picked her brain with a few extra questions because last year she ran the big one- BOSTON.  Let's dig in!

The Basics:
Name: Timienne Barron
Age: 25
Location: Houghton, Michigan (originally)
How many marathons have your run in total? 2, training for 3rd right now.

What's your running background?
I started running in middle school track and ran through high school as a third sport to do during the school year.   I've always enjoyed running, but HATED racing in school. I used to get super nervous because I'm very competitive. If I didn't win my races, I would be so upset.

Where did you run your first marathon?
Long Branch, NJ

What made you decide to run your first marathon?
I moved to NJ right after I graduated from college and met some girls that were training for one and they asked if I would like to join and I said YES! I always wanted to try it:) The longest I had ever run before I started training was probably 5 miles.

What motivated you to put in the training miles on the days when you really didn't feel like it?
Being able to eat a REALLY good dinner later and not feel any guilt whatsoever going for 2nd...3rds..and of course DESSERT!

What's the toughest part about training for a marathon?
The time commitment. I have 2 jobs and trying to fit longs runs into my schedule was the toughest part.

Tell me about your first day-of marathon experience.
I took a sleeping pill the night before to make sure I slept.  My 2 friends and I got up in the morning and I had a splitting headache (of course)...but I took some advil and it helped a little. Race day was perfect. Cool and no sun! It had rained the night before so it was damp. The course was nice and flat so it was perfect for a first time marathon. I felt great till about mile 23....the last 3 miles hurt so bad!! I had to put my iPod on to try and get my mind off the pain. When I finished..I actually didn't feel that bad. My time ended up being 3:39. I wanted to finish under 4 hours so I was happy...then a little bit later my friend's dad told me I qualified for Boston which I had no idea what the qualifying time even was...after I found that out, I knew what my next challenge would be!

What was something that surprised you or that you didn't expect either during training or at your first marathon?
I didn't feel as bad as I thought when I finished, but trying to run a couple of days later was the biggest struggle of my life!

Are you training for anything right now? Marathon or otherwise?
NYC in the November...I qualified through a half marathon in Jersey City, NJ with a 1:37.

What's one piece of advice you'd give to first time marathon runners?
Get good shoes, they make a HUGE difference.

Any other nuggets of wisdom/advice for first-timers?
Have fun, enjoy the experience because remember...not many people can accomplish what you just did!

Bonus questions about the big kahuna- BOSTON:

Did you train any differently for Boston?
Yes! I decided to run only 4 times per week (instead of 5 or 6 runs of just distance runs) and do a different run each time. I did hill repeats, speed work, a tempo run, and a long slow run. It seemed to work much better, I had no injuries and I took 15 minutes off of my first marathon!


What was it like to run in the famed Boston Marathon?
Awesome, but the most painful thing I've ever done in my life. I couldn't walk afterward....literally. My mom and boyfriend were helping me walk till I could sit down. My mom said I never looked so bad in my life..thanks Mom:)


How was the infamous Heartbreak Hill?  Was it as terrible as it sounds?
Boston is a hilly marathon to begin with so there were many hills that I thought were Heartbreak hill before I even got there!


Do you have your sights set on doing the Boston Marathon again in the future?
Yes, but not for a while. I might take a break for a couple of years from marathons. I think my body needs a little break.




Thank you so much Timi for sharing your First Marathon Confession- especially your experience last year at Boston!  Good luck in all of your training for NYC!