More than 22,000 runners gathered in Union Square, San Francisco last weekend to begin the eighth annual Nike Women’s Marathon. These runners, mostly women, endured a 26.2 mile long course of hills, hills, and more hills all in the name of fighting lymphoma and leukemia. We got a chance to ask Kaila Kero, a local Gaucho who participated in the marathon, about the in’s and out’s of running a marathon and about her own experience in the Nike Women’s Marathon.
HC: Was the Nike’s Women Marathon your first marathon? If you have done other marathons, which ones were they, and when was your first one?
K: This was my first (and hopefully not last) marathon. I did run the Santa Barbara half marathon my sophomore year with a friend though.
HC: How did you become involved in running marathons?
K: I never really liked running; I played soccer competitively since high school but I don’t think I could run more than a mile back then. Then came college, and I wanted to find a way to stay active and healthy. I started running this tiny loop from FT to Coal Oil Point and back down Camino Corto. And the more I ran the easier it got, and the more I really enjoyed it, so I slowly started increasing the distance.
HC: Why did you decide to run in this marathon in particular?
K: After I started getting into running freshman year, I made it a goal that I would run a marathon by the time I graduated. But since then, I kinda forgot about it. Fast forward to junior year and my time was running out, so thought it was now or never. The Nike Women’s Marathon is a great event; 20,000 women (and “a few good men” they said at the starting line) are running along side you, and I’m from the Bay Area so it was awesome to get to run around the streets of San Francisco free of cars. Plus, you get a Tiffany necklace at the finish line. I was sold right there.
HC: How long did you train for this marathon? What was the average training week like?
K: I started training about four months before the marathon. I didn’t know where to start other than I knew I had be running more often, and for longer. I bought a book about marathon training, but I didn’t exactly follow their schedule. For instance, I never ran more than 17 miles before the marathon when the book was telling me to do multiple 20+ mile long runs. A typical week would consist of three days of 30-45 minute runs (they increased as I got closer to the marathon), one long run on the weekend, and a couple days of cross training, basically doing something other than running. I loved to do yoga or the Dailey Method on those days. But there were definitely days when I was sick, or tired, or didn’t feel like running, so I didn’t. It’s important to pay attention to your body, and your social life. I didn’t slave away training; there were quite a few times when I skipped a long run to go on a road trip, or do the loop…
HC: What was the actual marathon like?
K: Fun! It started at 7:00am in Union Square and there was so much nervous energy all around. The route was scenic and sometimes I forgot I was running a marathon, until I passed a marker telling me I had a million more miles to go. Miles 19-22 were the worst for me. Mile 19 sounds like you’re almost done, but then you realize you still have around 7 more to go, which would take at least an hour. But once I reached mile 22 it was like “I go on 4 mile runs all the time, I can do this”. And it helps to have a great playlist; I compiled five hours worth of recommendations from my friends beforehand.
HC: How did it feel to finish? Are you planning on doing more?
K: During the final mile stretch I just kept telling myself “DON’T STOP YOU’RE ABOUT TO FINISH A F&*#KNG MARATHON!!” I finished in 4:25. All I was thinking about was mimosas and eggs benedict. I always thought I would cry at the finish, but I really was just too tired to do anything else but lean all my weight on anyone willing to carry me back to the car. My sister cried, that was cute. I’m the younger one, so it was awesome to know that she was so proud of me. It really helps to have family and friends there cheering you on and I was lucky to have my mom, dad, aunt, sister, and boyfriend there with me. I want to continue to run marathons, but I know that once I graduate I won’t have as much time to train as I do now.
HC: Do you have any advice for future marathon runners?
K: Do it, seriously. You don’t have to be a great runner, or run all the time. You just have to work at it. But you do have to enjoy running; you spend a lot of hours out there, often by yourself. I truly believe that anyone can accomplish what I did as long as they put their mind to it. That may sound cheesy, but here I am sitting with my Tiffany necklace on ready to go for another run.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.