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7 Marathons 7 Months 7 Lessons Learned
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Photo by MarathonFoto
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While running 7 marathons to help raise
$700,000 for charity, Hal Higdon not only achieved his goal, he learned more about our sport
BY HAL HIGDON
It started with Grandma's Marathon. The 25th anniversary of that race in Duluth, Minnesota last June was the same weekend as my 70th birthday. Why not celebrate by running a marathon?
Then the idea grew: Why not run seven? A decade earlier, I ran 6 marathons in 6 weeks to celebrate my 60th birthday. That proved too difficult to duplicate. But 7 marathons in 7 months for my 70th seemed doable. Then to expand the string of 7's, I decided to use those 7 marathons to help raise $700,000 for 7 separate charities.
Including the training leading up to that feat, 7-7-70 motivated me for nearly a year. But as often happens when I accept a challenge, I learned lessons to help others. Follow me in on a running odyssey that covered 183.4 miles:
1.
Grandma's Marathon, Duluth Minnesota:
Plan family fun around your race. Nobody considered Duluth a party town a quarter century ago. It was Blue Collar, best known for shipping iron ore south. Then Scott Keenan talked Grandma's Saloon & Deli into linking its name with a marathon to finish next to the popular restaurant. The promise of a fast course attracted early runners; the party atmosphere that developed around the marathon keeps them coming back.
Since my daughter Laura lives in Minnesota, my wife and I planned activities that her family could enjoy. Duluth sightseeing includes tours of the harbor, an ore boat museum, an IMAX theater and boutique shops. Most fun was the ride on race day morning on the North Shore Scenic Railroad, featuring breakfast on the train. Son-in-law Pete and I got out to run, while the others stayed on the train, which tracked the runners for a while before speeding back to the finish.
Waving to my grandkids in the first few miles proved more fun than the last few miles. I had consciously under-trained so I wouldn't get burned out during my multiple marathons. Bad idea. Better preparation might have made Grandma's--and the six marathons that followed--more fun.
Lesson learned: While planning to have fun, mind your training too.
2.
World Masters Championships, Brisbane, Australia:
Get loose to run fast. International marathons are exciting. Competing with runners from different nationalities adds to their flavor. The World Masters Championships is held every other year, and I never miss it. I've won four gold medals, including one in the marathon. Four weeks after Grandma's, I was on a flight to Australia that lasted most of a day.
Jet lag can be a problem. I arrived Down Under feeling bloated, not quite sure what time of day it was. Fortunately, I had arranged an appointment through an Australian friend with a massage therapist before leaving home. The massage helped remove fluids that had pooled in my legs during the long plane ride and helped me relax.
That contributed to a time 14 minutes faster than Grandma's. A course with multiple out-and-back loops along the Brisbane River permitted runners and spectators to see each other frequently. I love international races, because they're marked in kilometers. After you've hit the wall, the kilometer marks come at you faster than do mile marks.
Lesson learned: Going abroad can broaden your running experience.
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3.
Heart of America Marathon, Columbus, Missouri:
Grab help whenever you can. Seven weeks training between my second and third races got me in better shape, but Heart of America provided my greatest challenge. This hilly marathon held on Labor Day attracts a few tough runners, who thumb their noses at hot weather.
Running buddy Steve Kearney agreed to pace me and carry a cellular phone. I posted my phone number on the Internet so runners who use my online training programs could offer words of encouragement (and pledge donations for 7-7-70). Columbia resident Yolanda Merriweather called to say she would meet me at 20 miles with an ice bottle. I rubbed it over the back of my neck. As the ice gradually melted over the next several miles, I sipped the water. Ecstasy! An Internet friend, Holly Campbell of St. Louis, appeared to walk me through the last few miles.
By then, plans to run each marathon faster than the one before had vanished under a boiling sun. In the closing miles with a police car tailing me, I realized I was the last runner. Having won this marathon in 1968, the thought of placing first and last in the same race tantalized me. Alas, with a mile to go, I caught another runner and finished next-to-last.
Lesson learned: It doesn't matter when you finish, only that you finish.
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4. The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, Chicago, Illinois: |
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Photo by MarathonFoto
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Pick a no-excuses race. Nobody would run Heart of America seeking a Personal Record, but Chicago attracts runners expecting just that. When your course holds the world record for both men and women, you do gain respect. If you can't run fast on a day when the world record is set, you have no excuses.
I had several excuses ready, but didn't need them. I ran 15 seconds faster than Brisbane, fastest of my 7 marathons. The fact that Chicago is my "home course" also helped. In 1964, I won the Windy City Marathon, a predecessor race. It's not so much home cooking as it is not wasting energy traveling. There are many fast-course and good-weather marathons. Pick one if you want that fast finishing time to qualify you for Boston. Marathons with large fields also work best for first-time marathoners. If you finish in five, six or more hours, you won't be alone.
Ironically, one negative event contributed to my success. Traumatized by September 11, I sat comatose before my TV set for five days, unwilling to run. The rest probably did more good than harm.
Lesson learned: To run best, get lots of rest.
5.
Indianapolis Marathon, Indianapolis, Indiana:
Small races work well for experienced runners. In contrast to Chicago with its 30,000 runners, Indianapolis, two weeks later, attracted 600 with maybe twice that number in a simultaneous half marathon. No energy wasted getting to the starting line. No slowdown in the early miles. Despite starting near the back, I hit race pace right away.
A woman running the same pace kept me motivated. We passed and re-passed each other as I walked through aid stations, then sped up. Turning into the wind around 11 miles, I let a man weighing near 200 pounds block the wind for me. Alas, when they turned off at the half marathon, I was on my own. At one turn near 22 miles, I saw no one in front, no one behind. No problem for a seasoned veteran, but tough if it's your first.
Crossing an intersection where a policeman waited to allow a car to cross, I heard him say to the driver, "Follow that old man!" That motivated me for several of the next miles. I missed my Chicago time by only 22 seconds.
Lesson learned: Grab inspiration wherever you can.
6.
Honolulu Marathon, Honolulu, Hawaii:
Relax and enjoy the fun. Before embarking on 7-7-70, Rose and I offered to bring children, spouses and grandchildren to one of my marathons. Surprise: They selected Honolulu . All 16 of us gathered on Waikiki Beach one morning to pose for a family Christmas card. (Grandson Jake had 7-7-70 cut in the back of his hair.) Having everybody together proved to be one of the more enjoyable experiences of my life, but my treasury of Frequent Flyer points is empty.
So why ruin everything by running fast. With son-in-law Pete and two grandsons, I started behind and didn't get disturbed when blocked by walkers. Hot weather? Bright sun? Time to work on my tan. Aloha spirit: I had it. This was my 10th time running Honolulu (out of 111 career marathons), so I knew the routine.
But aloha spirit only carried me 20 miles. The last six were spent mostly walking. Planning 7-7-70, I figured that I would get stronger and faster as I went. Looking back, doing Indy two weeks after Chicago (much too close) dropped my glycogen stores so low, that even a truckload of pasta would not provide recovery.
Lesson learned: Avoid both overtraining and overracing.
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7. Walt Disney World Marathon, Orlando, Florida: |
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Photo by Action Sports International
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Don't worry about what you can't control. Like January weather. Late in the Disney Marathon, I overheard a woman grumbling into her cellular phone: "It's windy and has been raining for 8 miles." I held out my palm and felt not a drop of moisture. "It must be raining 50 yards back," I told Jon Israel, a friend who paced me in the last of my seven marathons.
Actually, except for 10 minutes or so, the rain had been light. But if you had been planning Disney as a Boston Qualifier, it could have upset your plans. Similarly, if the weather turns hot or cold, you may need to make pace adjustments to run reasonably well--or even to finish. If you have flexible plans, you never will fail.
I succeeded not only in my plan to finish 7 marathons in 7 months, but I also achieved my fund-raising goal: raising $914,000 for the charities on my list. To celebrate my 80th birthday, I plan to run 8 marathons in 8 years. I haven't figured out my 90th yet.
Lesson learned: Dream impossible dreams, but pick achievable goals--then reach them!
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Hal Higdon is a Senior Writer for Runner's World. More about his 7-7-70 Quest can be found on his Web site: www.halhigdon.com.
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