"The Long Run” is a column by Michael Loy about long-distance running.
Welcome to “The Long Run.” This biweekly column will serve as my attempt to explain the rewarding experiences that come from the struggles and pains of long-distance running.
I am neither a track athlete nor a dedicated ultramarathon-distance runner. Over the last five years, I have completed seven half marathons and one full marathon. I am currently training for the Los Angeles Marathon, which is quickly approaching on March 8, 2020.
Are you looking to start training for your first marathon?
Back in spring 2017, I was in your shoes. I frantically scoured through the depths of Google search results in an attempt to find the “beginners guide” to marathon training. Instead of motivation, however, I found advanced training plans, race guides, proper nutrition training and a gauntlet of extra information. I didn’t know where to start.
It was three months prior to the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon, a race I signed up for on a whim with one of my more ambitious friends. I was set to run through the streets of the illustrious Green Bay, Wisc., and end with a lap through Lambeau Field, the home of the Green Bay Packers. Being from Chicago, neither a Lambeau leap nor the sights of downtown Green Bay motivated me to begin training.
Beyond that, according to online training plans for marathon runners, I was already a month too late to start training.
So, what motivated me to run back then, and what keeps me running long distances to this day?
Motivation – Pursuing a goal
Before my first race, the doldrums of my day-to-day life as a college sophomore started to impact me. I felt successful, but I did not feel too motivated. I was always interested in cardiovascular sports and being active, but I did not want to commit my entire year to running.
While USC has a number of clubs and groups who can inspire motivation, I wanted to test my own willpower to see how lofty of a goal I could pursue by myself.
Further editions of “The Long Run” will delve into my specific training plan, but the general outline I followed was to do daily short-to-medium distance runs while saving one day per weekend for a longer run.
The benefits of starting a daily routine extended beyond my daily training. Following a schedule made me learn how to prioritize my time better and forced me to start routines in other aspects of my life. Having ‘race day’ in the not too distant future gave me the urgency to stay consistent with my training.
It’s a fun, social experience
Along with my internal motivation, the social experience I gained also motivated me. I tend to keep a lot of my social interactions behind a screen, but that all flies out the window the second you start running. I’ve found that a majority of people who run noncompetitively are sociable and motivational.
During my race in Wisconsin, my friend and I met a mother-daughter pair who had been running marathons together for many years. We became instant friends and paced one another for the rest of the race. With their motivation, I broke my goal of a four-hour marathon by 16 minutes.
My race friends might be temporary, but the motivation they give me extends beyond running and into any difficult task I face.
Overcoming Risks – Health benefits
The human body is not conditioned to run long distances. My initial Google search for “marathons” resulted in hours of reading up on why long-distance training is bad for people. A study from the University of Michigan found that 40% of runners face minor kidney injuries after completing a marathon. A New York Times article laid out studies showing why some marathon runners experience an increased risk of heart disease due to a lifetime of running.
Despite the risks of completing a marathon, many studies show that the benefits of cardiovascular training far outweigh the consequences associated with long-distance running. A 2008 study by Stanford University tracked the health of middle-aged members of a running club and an average group of healthy individuals from Northern California for multiple decades. The study found that the running club group was far healthier than the average individuals 21 years into the research.
While the short-term risks of distance training cannot be ignored, following a training plan and easing into longer distances can reduce fears going into your first marathon. I keep my training plans regimented and try not to push my body beyond its limits. A single race time might not break my personal record, but the cumulative effects of training keep me pushing forward.
What’s next for me?
I’m currently two and a half weeks out from race day at the Los Angeles Marathon. Training has not been easy due to day-to-day work and a variety of wintertime sicknesses I’ve faced. However, the motivation and anticipation of the experiences I will have on race day push me enough to conquer the final stretches of training.
The next edition of “The Long Run” will go further into my specific training plan for the Los Angeles Marathon. First off, it’s time for a weekly 7 a.m. Friday run up the Santa Monica coastline.
“The Long Run” ‘runs’ every other Thursday.