This fall, a relay team of Daily Arts staffers trained for and ran the Probility Ann Arbor Marathon. But as writers, we can’t just run the race — we also have to write about our past experiences with running, how we prepared for the marathon, what we looked forward to and what we were afraid of going into it. Time to meet the team!
Audrey “Remarkably unequipped” Hollenbaugh:
I’m starting to feel just a little bit stressed as the marathon looms closer. I ran cross country in high school, but I’m starting to realize high school is farther behind me than it seems (feeling unc). The farthest I’ve ever run is six miles, and my leg of the race is about seven and a half. And those six miles were about five years ago. I’m currently approaching five miles in my long runs, but I can feel in my heart of hearts that eight is just around the corner. Fortunately, I spent all summer locked in to the StairMaster. Had I planned further ahead to run this race, I may have done more actual running, but alas, this decision was purely impulsive. Literally zero thought behind it besides “oh, I’ve run before.” Not my best moment of critical thinking, but here we are.
I am beginning to think that I need some new running shoes, as mine have been with me for four years now, but it’s too late to break in new ones before the race. I also am realizing how little time I have during the week to actually run. I also have shin splints. In short, I am probably woefully unprepared for this relay race. And yet, I persist. I am determined to train as much as I can, hopefully a lot during the weekends when I’m not so swamped with classwork. I will admit that I decided to take a nap yesterday instead of going to the gym — a decision I backed at the time because I was very sleepy but am now regretting. My determined spirit may have wavered somewhat in the face of my really cozy bed. But I swear I’m in it for real now. No more naps.
Wish me luck.
Daily Arts Writer Audrey Hollenbaugh can be reached at aehollen@umich.edu.
Emily “Sick of the sports bra tan lines” Kim:
It was an impulsive decision — not just officially signing up on the Google Form, but even considering running this marathon relay to begin with. In March, I (very impulsively, yet again) registered to run the Detroit Half Marathon happening this October, coincidentally a week after the Daily Arts marathon. My training plan just so happened to give me a “Race Practice Long Run” on the day of the Arts marathon, so why not? I could complete one of the last runs of my official training while simultaneously running both a real, organized race and as part of a relay marathon (my firsts for both events)!
Truthfully, even after seven years of cross country in middle and high school, I find it difficult to truly call myself a runner. Maybe I’ve always set a high standard for that term. But now, what higher standard could I set than running a marathon (even if it’s technically only one-quarter of one)? I’m excited to find out.
Daily Arts Writer Emily Kim can be reached at kimemily@umich.edu.
Ana “Wait for me I’m right behind you” Torresarpi:
I’m going to be honest: I am not a runner. I never ran track and I walked the mile every high school gym class; I’ve never even run in a 5k. Big ‘but’ here — I do like running. I played competitive volleyball for seven years, and in all that time, my coaches had us run wind sprints and train heavily for endurance. When I had to call it quits on the sport after spraining my ankle for the third time, I felt a pang of unbridled energy that wouldn’t go away. Which is how I started running three meager miles three times a week last summer.
I’ve been getting stronger and stronger, eventually running four miles in decent time. Admittedly, I’m slow, I’m inexperienced and I’m short a couple miles of my 5.7-mile leg, but I can’t help but feel excited at the opportunity to challenge myself. Honestly, signing up for this marathon was an impulsive and slightly overambitious way for me to hold myself accountable and find ways to keep running, even when I don’t have the drive to get out of bed and onto a treadmill. Now, all I have to do is train. We can turn four miles into six, right? Right?
Daily Arts Writer Ana Torresarpi can be reached at atorresa@umich.edu.
Max “Mega-Ready” Resch
I’ve never been part of “Arts Runs a Marathon” before. Actually, I’ve never done any serious running before — or much running at all as an adult. But in the past year, I’ve been taking my health more seriously. I began prioritizing whole foods and started exercising — just some hobbyist weightlifting and light cardio. But running was always the final frontier of athleticism for me. It was intimidating: I never thought of it as something I could do, mentally or physically. When the event was announced this year, I realized that this was my opportunity to prove to myself that I could.
Beginning was the hardest part: A year or two ago, I would have scoffed at the idea of a “runner’s high.” My cynicism was compensatory. It disguised a real, profound lack of belief in my own abilities. Today, I keep a 10-minute pace for seven miles.
I’m excited to show up for my team on the day of the marathon, and I feel a readiness and excitement I would have rolled my eyes at just a year ago. I see that as a positive — a sign I’m healing from the unproductive disaffection and “above-it-ness” some would say are endemic to Gen Z. Instead, I’ve been balancing two shorter runs during my week with a full seven (or, recently, eight) mile run on Sundays, mostly to a mix of fakemink, Bladee and Bounce music mixed in with high-energy ’80s hits.
Daily Arts Writer Max Resch can be reached at nataljo@umich.edu.
Joe “Yay running!” Bogdan:
I’ve been a bit of a bad runner lately.
Growing up I was a good runner — running was something my parents almost forced on me (they were MARATHONERS), so in high school I joined my school’s cross country and track teams. My teammates (and running with said teammates) quickly became my entire life. But, ever since I’ve come to college, I’ve been running less and less. Even when I do have a break to workout, it’s much more likely spent lifting weights than running (I have a dream of becoming a muscle-monster but don’t see it working out).
Despite how little I’ve been running lately, I’ve found myself surprisingly excited to enter this relay. Running has been an important part of my life basically since I was born — it is nostalgic for me to dust off the running shoe, tie together the oh-so-important heel lock lacing and hit the road.
I’ve done one run so far, five miles along the Huron River bike trail. It hurt, but it also reminded me of the lovely endorphins that fire in your head while running and the great sense of accomplishment I feel afterward. The bite of the air in my lungs reminded me that fall was approaching, and being out on my feet gave me a chance to notice that the vibrant colors the leaves were beginning to adopt in the Arb.
That run was beautiful. Running as a whole is beautiful, and I am so excited to run this relay. Maybe you’ll see me out there panting (and hopefully happy) as I run through the streets of Ann Arbor.
Daily Arts Writer Joe Bogdan can be reached at joebogdn@umich.edu.
