Traverse City Record-Eagle

Claire Walters

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May 23, 2009

Claire Walters: Moment I'll never forget

By CLAIRE WALTERS

I officially can call myself a marathoner.

I worked diligently and consistently during the past five months to earn that distinction.

Those five months of intense training culminated Saturday in the Bayshore Marathon, and included countless hours spent running, thinking about running and planning my social life around running.

The aftermath had me feeling a little deflated. What now?

I was in January a runner of a relatively novice caliber. I had competed in a 15K race, and my longest run was a 10-miler. These I considered major accomplishments given my former existence, which most graciously could be described as unapologetically sedentary.

Almost on a whim, I decided sometime in December I would train for and run the Bayshore.

At the outset, I set the following four goals: to finish the race without walking, collapsing or losing my breakfast, the last of these being of great concern to me following an unfortunate vomit-related incident during my longest training run, a 20-miler.

I'm extremely proud to report I accomplished all of the above. I finished the race in 5:05:39. No walking, minus the water stations, which was necessitated after I somehow splashed an entire cup of water into my eye trying to drink while running. No collapsing until after I crossed the finish line. And, thankfully, no repeat of last month's puke heard 'round the peninsula.

That's not to say this experience always was an easy path. I suffered various and sometimes debilitating aches and pains during the course of training, some of which inhibited me from completing scheduled runs, and nearly all of which had a noticeable impact on my confidence in my own abilities.

The most difficult part of training, for me, was accepting that sometimes it's wiser to miss a run or two to provide time for healing when things really start to hurt.

Some setbacks in the last month, including a 10-day running hiatus because of a serious case of shin splints, caused me to doubt that theory, and the anxiety I experienced as a result of those setbacks led to a restless pre-race week.

However, I started the race pain-free for the first time in weeks -- greatly aided by some liberally applied Bengay -- and never doubted my ability to finish. I was increasingly fatigued, particularly after breaking 20 miles, but I knew, based on all of my training runs, that I could push through it.

I wish I could relay some insightful thoughts that were swirling in my head as I ran those last 200 meters around the track, but I honestly was most focused on concentrating so I didn't trip over my own feet.

In retrospect, however, I can appreciate those final strides as one of those significant life moments that I never will forget.

Nothing can compare to the marathon experience. It's a true test of human mettle, mental as well as physical, with the training just as important as the race itself.

It's an addictive combination of commitment, perseverance and, often, a sense of humor.

It also is about camaraderie. Most of us are competing only with ourselves, whether to beat a personal record or just to prove we can finish. Therefore the race-day atmosphere is supportive and encouraging.

I'm profoundly proud to join the ranks of all those who have conquered the 26.2 miles that comprise the marathon, in particular those I ran with this weekend.

So, what now?

Detroit. 10/18/09. See you there.

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  • Claire Walters: Anxiety hits in final week
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    Going into marathon training in early January, I foresaw this week " the week before the race " a lot of ways. What I couldn't have foreseen at the time, of course, was the uncertainty and anxiety I now would be experiencing because of a painful case of shin splints that struck just before a big 20-mile training run two weeks ago.

    Continued ...
    May 16, 2009 10:15 pm 1 Photo
  • Claire Walters: Commonly asked questions
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    Marathon training raises quite a few questions from those unfamiliar with the process; I should know, I peppered marathoner friends and family with dozens of queries before signing up. Now I'm the one undergoing the third degree. Some questions arise more frequently than others.

    Continued ...
    May 4, 2009 6:11 am 1 Photo
  • Claire Walters: Crunch time for training
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    Five weeks before the marathon, essentially the equivalent of running final exams, wouldn't be my first choice for travel, mainly because all of the distractions that make keeping up with a training regimen difficult. Nevertheless, I'm spending this week in northeast Ohio, visiting my parents, brother and sister, who made the trip from Asheville, N.C.

    Continued ...
    Apr 18, 2009 9:49 pm 1 Photo
  • Claire Walters: Running with 'The Grunge'
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    Some things are inevitable during winter in northern Michigan. There is the seemingly continuous snowfall. And the months-long, sometimes unbearable cabin fever. Then there's what we in the newsroom affectionately refer to as "The Grunge," a blanket term used to describe the multitude of undesirable cold- and flu-like symptoms that practically are preordained in this climate.

    Continued ...
    Updated Mar 23, 2009 6:50 am 1 Photo
  • Saturday, March 7, 2009
  • Claire Walters: Gel provides GUd boost
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    Rome wasn't built in a day. It's one of those pithy sayings we're taught from childhood to illustrate that hard work and dedication are necessary to achieve anything worthwhile. It's something I've been keeping in mind a lot lately, as I progress toward the Bayshore Marathon. Unlike the path at one of my favorite running haunts, the GT Civic Center, the road network of the Roman Empire likely was pretty difficult to navigate.

    Continued ...
    Updated Mar 8, 2009 10:30 am 1 Photo
  • Saturday, February 21, 2009
  • Claire Walters: List of must-have running gear
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    The myriad of products marketed to runners has got me wondering: Which are essential and which are the runners' equivalent of a Snuggie (oddly intriguing, but ultimately useless)? The first, most obvious running must-have is a great pair of shoes. Before seriously getting into running, I based my running shoe purchases on two main attributes: style and price.

    Continued ...
    Updated Feb 22, 2009 10:17 am 1 Photo
  • Saturday, February 7, 2009
  • Claire Walters: Running not for the weary
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    I have always been almost lethally uncoordinated. Some have even said klutzy. As a would-be student athlete, I had much more enthusiasm than actual talent. After an assortment of unfortunate incidents, including a sprained ankle during a casual game of basketball and a black eye (not mine) during a Junior High volleyball match, my parents suggested I give the track team a try, reasoning that I would be highly unlikely to injure myself -- or anyone else -- while jogging a few laps on a level surface.

    Continued ...
    Updated Feb 8, 2009 9:52 am 1 Photo
  • Saturday, January 24, 2009
  • Claire Walters: Woes of winter running
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    Let's face it: All but the most hard-core of runners in northern Michigan, with its notoriously snowy six-month winter, likely will spend a few runs indoors. Though the treadmill can provide a welcome respite from the lung-burning cold, it presents a choice: The inevitable boredom of a monotonous run versus the bitter winds, knee-deep snow and slippery sidewalks of the outdoors.

    Continued ...
    Updated Jan 25, 2009 9:41 am 1 Photo
  • Saturday, January 10, 2009
  • Claire Walters: Guess who's a runner after all
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    I never have considered myself an athlete. In fact, I used to think the dreaded couch potato gene was explicitly written into my genetic code. So I recently surprised even myself when I decided to register for the 2009 Bayshore Marathon and to write this column detailing my training.

    Continued ...
    Updated Jan 11, 2009 9:40 am 1 Photo