If you drive along Commonwealth Ave. in Newton on a weekend
morning in the late winter or early spring, you will likely see hundreds, if
not thousands, of people running in the carriage lane next to the main road.
Often braving not only the steep terrain of Heartbreak Hill but also subzero
temperatures, snow, and ice, these intrepid runners are training for the Boston
Marathon. Many are tackling their very first marathon and doing so to raise
money for local charities, as I am this year.
As a child, I watched the Boston Marathon every April. I
often handed out cups of water to runners at my elementary school’s water
station and cheered on my teachers or my classmates’ parents who were running.
I loved Marathon Monday, but I never imagined I would one day be preparing to
run 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston.
When the opportunity arose to run this April on behalf of an
educational nonprofit where I used to work, the Natick Community Organic Farm
(NCOF), I felt drawn to this event that means so much to our city. I have
completed several shorter races, but a marathon is a new challenge for me. As
the mileage of my training runs climbs steadily out of the familiar realm of
the half marathon, I need all of the help and advice I can get on training,
nutrition, and race-day logistics.
As a library intern and lifelong bookworm, I felt compelled
to read as much as I could about marathon training. I checked out several books
from the Morrill Memorial Library and requested others available in the
Minuteman Library Network. I have been keeping a stack of marathon books on the
coffee table in my living room. While I have not read each one from cover to
cover, I have been flipping through chapters that sound useful and gleaning
valuable pieces of advice.
“The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Marathon Training,” by David
A. Levine and Paula Petrella, appealed to me because it provides very basic
tips and does not assume that the reader has any prior knowledge or experience.
I also picked up “Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide: Advice, Plans, and
Programs for Half and Full Marathons,” by Hal Higdon, because I was already
using a training plan from the author’s website. From “Chi Marathon: The
Breakthrough Natural Running Program for a Pain-Free Half-Marathon and
Marathon,” by Danny Dreyer and Katherine Dreyer, I gained insight into how to
improve my running form in order to avoid injury and discovered a hydration tip
that has worked well for me (it’s pretty simple: one sip of water every ten
minutes during long runs). Consulting books by experienced runners has helped
me gain confidence as I embark on this rather intimidating journey.
Running a marathon will likely take me around five hours, as
I am not a particularly fast runner. If running for five hours sounds miserable
to you (as it honestly does to me at times), you might prefer one of the many
running books on shorter distances available from the library. Many runners
enjoy Jeff Galloway’s method of alternating between running and walking,
featured in his books “The Run-Walk-Run Method,” “Galloway’s 5K and 10K
Running,” and others.
Whether or not you are planning on training for a race, you
may be interested in learning more about famous runners and their impressive
athletic feats. Part memoir and part training manual, “Meb for Mortals: How to
Run, Think and Eat like a Champion Marathoner,” by Meb Keflezighi with Scott
Douglas, is full of advice from the winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon. The
Minuteman Library Network also has a number of books on the history of the
Boston Marathon, including “Boston Marathon: A Celebration of America’s
Greatest Race,” by Tom Derderian.
“Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the
Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen,” by Christopher McDougall, comes highly
recommended by many of the runners I know. To be inspired by the winner of the
first Olympic women’s marathon, check out “Running Tide,” a memoir by Joan
Benoit Samuelson with Sally Baker. For a literary reflection on both running and
writing, check out Haruki Murakami’s memoir, “What I Talk about When I Talk
about Running.” If you would prefer a more humorous take on the subject, check
out “The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances,” by Matthew
Inman of The Oatmeal.
In addition to the lessons I have learned from books while
training for Boston, I have been grateful for tips from several friends who are
experienced marathoners, willing to answer my numerous and perhaps naive
questions (including, “What do you do when your water bottle freezes during a
long run on a cold day?”). Marathon training has a wonderful way of bringing
people together. Usually a solitary runner, I have recently started running
with others who are also training to run on behalf of NCOF. We have even met
other runners trudging up the Newton hills at a similar pace and exchanged
phone numbers so we can run with them again. While I still find that running on
my own is a good way to clear my mind and deal with stress, I have also found
great joy in connecting with others over a shared challenge.
After successfully running 16 miles last Saturday, I started
to feel that the marathon was within reach. I am nervous about the race, but
also excited to see friends and family members along the way as I run through
my college campus, the town where I grew up, and the town where I live now. If
you plan to watch the Boston Marathon on April 18th, keep an eye out for a
familiar face from your local library!
