Marathon Fundraiser!

On March 1st, 2009, Daniel Sawyer, Jason Jorgensen, and Gil Cante will be running the Los Angeles Marathon in order to promote their work on Faraway: A Journal of Art & Literature.  Faraway is a magazine dedicated to helping young writers and artists get into print.  Sponsor these runners and all proceeds from the Marathon For the Arts Fundraiser will go to Faraway to help get more writers and artists printed, and to get their work out to more readers and viewers.

Check back for updates as the runners progress in their training.  If you would like to join in the Marathon For the Arts in Los Angeles or elsewhere, let us know by emailing FarawayJournal@gmail.com.

Fundraiser Goal: $500
Marathon Goal: Finish in 4 hours.

Update:  November 2, 2008
I ran eleven miles in 1:41:09, again over the goal time.  My legs were killing by the end, and I was tempted to just give up and walk it by about mile ten.  I took another energy gel from HammerEnergy today.  It appeared to do nothing for me in terms of energy.  I still have two more that I bought last week, so I’m going to try to vary up when in my run I take the next two, just to confirm that they don’t help me.  I also reached the end of the Pacific Electric Bike Trail, unless the path through a quarry that continues at the end of the paved and manicured trail is considered part of the bike trail.  I felt a little wary running through there, and a homeless person did in fact ask me for change.  “Sorry, dude,” I said, “I didn’t carry anything with me,” although this should have been obvious.  I lagged pretty bad on training this week, only running twice out of four scheduled times, so that may have contributed to my fatigue.  With the school quarter winding down, I’ll hopefully be able to pick up my pace and run a faster twelve miles next week.

October 26, 2008
I ran ten miles today in 1:33:40, slightly over my goal time. I actually felt pretty good, except that I was really, really thirsty for the last two miles or so. I went out on a limb yesterday at the Claremont VIllage Venture street fair and purchased four packets of energy gel, two from Gu and the other from (I think) HammerEnergy. The book Marathon Training for Dummies quasi-recommended energy gels, and I figured that after feeling totally burnt out last week, I’d give it a try this week. Since there may be others interested in these products, I’ll describe them in detail. The one I took today was Gu Strawberry Banana. It actually tasted pretty good, and the consistency was palatable. I’d say it was only slightly more viscous and sticky than yogurt, although after riding in my pocket for 45 minutes, it was unpleasantly warm. I wasn’t able to just choke it all down at once, as the makers recommend, but over the course of a few minutes, it gave my mind something to do, relieving the monotony of running. I couldn’t say that I got a burst of energy, although I did feel more energetic almost immediately. The fact that I ran faster almost as soon as I swallowed it leads me to believe that this was more of a placebo effect than anything else. I kept an eye on my watch, and after five and then ten minutes, I still had not gotten the expected burst of energy. However, by the end of the run I felt a little more upbeat than after running nine miles last week, which could be a result of the gel. It should be noted that the one I got was caffeine free, since caffeine usually has an adverse effect on my energy stores. I’m going to try a chocolate one next week during my eleven mile long run, so we’ll see if that has a noticeable difference. In conclusion, I liked the product because it tasted all right, it had a placebo effect on my for a while, and it gave me something to do for a few minutes midway through my run. As for its purported ability to increase your energy, I still have no idea if it worked or not.

October 19, 2008
I just got back from my long run for the week and I am beat!  I ran nine miles in 1:19:37, well below my goal time (1:21:39), most of it along the Pacific Electric Bike Trail.  I also took a detour down Euclid Avenue through Upland, where there is a large, grassy median that would be perfect for running–it if weren’t muddy.  I must say, though, that the cities of Claremont, Ontario, Upland, and any other city involved in the Pacific Electric is really to be commended for seeing that project through.  I wish there were dozens of such trails, unobstructed and set away from cars–but one will have to do for now.  I arrived back from my run utterly famished.  I quickly downed two thick, buttery, syrupy Belgian waffles, followed them with a slice of pizza, four cups of Gatorade, and a tall glass of milk, and I feel like I could eat the same again right about now.  When I stopped at the corner at the end of my run to cool down as I walked back to my house, it felt like I had no legs, which was a strange, worrying sensation.  Next week we’re going up to ten miles.

October 12, 2008
Another week over, another week closer to the finish line.  I was struck down with intense malaise this week, not just running-wise, but in school, writing, everything.  I ran 2.5 miles on Tuesday (I was planning on 5), went for half an hour on the elliptical on Thursday (when I was supposed to go another five miles), and went for a three mile jog on Friday that felt like I ran for ten.  Nevertheless, we pulled it together today and ran 8 miles in 1:14:24.  This is only slightly longer than our goal time, so I think we’re doing good, although I already feel pretty sore.

Next week’s 9 mile run will take us all the way to Grove or Vineyard, which puts us in Rancho Cucamonga territory, the home of my basketball archrivals Mike Pitassi and Johnny Alderete.  I wonder where on my running clothes I’m going to store the rotten eggs I intend to throw at their houses!

 
October 5, 2008
I just got done with my long run for the week.  I ran seven miles along the Pacific Electric bike trail which runs from Claremont to somewhere near Rancho Cucamonga, I believe.  I ran the seven miles in 62:47, which I think is under my goal per mile time of 9:10, but it was grueling.  My total mileage for this week was 19.5.  My running partner called out at the last moment, which he’s been doing quite a bit during this training.  Each time I realize that I have to go alone, I face a crisis of motivation.  But I put on my running clothes, which in itself is a motivating force, and set off.  By November we should be doing about eleven miles each Sunday.

October 4, 2008
We’re still going pretty strong.  I feel like I might be developing shin splints, so I’ve been icing up my legs after each run.  Other than that, I feel pretty good while actually running.  So far this week I’ve done five miles in 44 minutes and 4.5 miles in 40:24–pretty good times, and lined up almost exactly with my goal per-mile time.  We’re going on a short run tonight in anticipation of tomorrow morning’s seven mile run.

September 28, 2008
We are following a modification of the training program outlined in Marathon Training For Dummies (dummies that we are) by Tere Stouffer Drenth, running on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, with the Sunday run being the “long run” for the week.  Today, September 28, marked the end of the third week of our training.  We ran six miles in 55:13, or approximately 9:12 per mile.  To meet our goal and finish the marathon in four hours, we’ll have to run 9:11 per mile, so we’re right on target.