I decided to run a marathon just as kind of a challenge for myself with 
 no particular goals for time or anything like that.... just to finish the race.   
 Also, my kids I teach at high school kind of encouraged me to do it as well.   
 I did train by running at several SWFTR races throughout last summer, and  
 I did a training schedule I found in Runner's World for marathon training.   
 The training was for those just looking to finish the marathon, and mileage
 worked up to 20 miles on the long run of the week.  As I trained however, I 
 got up into the 10 and 12 mile runs, and began getting chaffed skin, and I 
 had some problems with my heels (plantar fasciitis), so I had to lay off a few 
 weeks, and then get back into it.  I worked up to running the 1/2 marathon in 
 Wichita, and after I did that without too many problems, I decided I was 
 going to go ahead and go through with the marathon.  I had already sent my 
 entry fees in 2 months before, and I didn't want to lose the $45.00 or whatever 
 it was, and... I really wanted to run it.  I was a little worried that the most 
 training I did went up to 13.1 miles in a single run, so I didn't know what to 
 think of the famous "20th-mile brick wall".  I did train up to 32 miles a week, 
 and then backed off 2 weeks before the marathon.  
     When I got my packet and got to the starting line, I was thinking "Am I 
 crazy?!".  I wasn't too worried  because I saw a lot of people who had a frame
 similar to me (250 lbs), and a  lot of older people, even army guys wearing 
 combat boots & full gear packs.     All these people were running this thing, 
 and I became less nervous.    I  stretched for about 30 minutes, and when the
 starter's gun went off, I settled  into an easy 10-minute per mile pace.  I talked 
 to someone from Colorado during the first 11 miles, and they went by in no 
 time at all.  It was a piece of cake.  After bathroom breaks, this guy went ahead 
 of me, and by mile 14, the runners who took the regular start began passing me 
 (I took the early start an hour before the regular starting time).  I felt really good 
 among the early starters, because out of 100-150 of us, I was in the top 10-15 after 
 the 1/2 way point.  Mile 16 was where I ran into trouble.  I wore cotton socks, and 
 I had a blister that took  off all of the skin from one edge of my toenail, down 
 below my toe, all the way back up to the other edge of this toenail.  It happened 
 all at once, and I had to begin walking.  I walked about 1/2 mile to an aid station, 
 bandaged it up, and  was running again by mile 18.  I ran more painfully now to 
 mile 24 where I had to walk a bit more, and then ran the last 1/2 mile to finish at 
 Cessna Stadium.  I  wasn't dissapointed that I had to walk or anything, I was 
 happy to be done, and was amazed that I had finished.  My time wasn't great...(5:04), 
 but I was proud that I was able to get it accomplished without having to be driven 
 to the finish line in an ambulance.  
     With my experience, I would say that I would do it again only if I were to drop 
 40-50 lbs.  Running that far with 250 pounds of pressure on your feet can do a lot 
 of damage, and I wasn't able to run for more than a month  without pain.   It is 
 something that I would encourage others to try to give them a sense of accomplishment.  
  I would love to do it again someday if I got in better shape before running the race, 
 and if I had proper attire to run the race in.   (Blisters & Chaffing aren't fun at all).   
  I would want to drop down to 200 -220 lbs if I were to do it again, and I also think it 
 would be fun to run in someplace other than Kansas, to give you different scenery, 
 etc.  Anyway, I'm glad I did it, I have no regrets, and I enjoyed the experience.  

										Hyriam Fleming  

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