Commentary by Rick Rodriguez
As a grade school kid, I was used to running or walking to school for blocks or even miles! I practiced running around the school fields at Longwood School in Hayward, California. I would set out to run once around the field and then I just kept going until I was tired out. If I wasn't playing basketball and mainly because we had one family car, my Dad used for work, walking to school and at times running home from school was common for me. Even in Junior High, I would either ride public transportation, walk, or run home from Rancho Arroyo Junior High School (now Ochoa) on Depot Road in Hayward to South Garden Avenue just off A Street where I grew up. Later, when I got into High School, track was not something that interested me and I never ran track.
My running career began when I decided to enter the Hayward Half-Marathon in 1983. The race was staged at Kennedy Park. I knew very little about running races, hydration, carbo meals, etc. It was a terribly hot day and as we ran through the the City of Hayward and San Lorenzo I knew I was in very serious trouble. I had no idea that I was severely dehydrated. But as I managed to cross the finish line someone from race committee grabbed me and administered some revival assistance since I was nearly passed out. Needless to say, it wasn't a great experience!
I continued running 10k's but never thought again about running longer distances until 1993. Even though I thought many times about running a marathon, mainly because of the massive challenge, I never thought I'd ever do it! One day, as I was reading the newspaper, I saw an advertisement for the San Francisco Marathon held in July four months hence. So, for some unknown reason at the time, I decided to enter the race. As I said, I had run in 10k's and a Half-Marathon but only pondered entering a full marathon. Yet here I was, about to embrace the challenge of the marathon--a totally new experience--and for some reason I believed that I could accomplish this goal despite a short window time of training.
The inspiration that day compelled me to immediately begin training. So, my very 1st training run was three miles and I did it at Lake Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley, California. The park was a place I would come to know well in the ensuing months. In particular, I would become very fond of the Columbine Trail and spend many of my training runs circling the Lake via this trail. I kept at it until I built my training up to 17 miles. That would be the longest run I would achieve prior to the race and later would pay the price for the short training period.
Here's what I wrote in a journal at the time: Journal Excerpt "Moments" July 18, 1993 "Another tremendous day in my life! Today, I ran my 1st marathon. It was a tremendous accomplishment considering I only trained for 16 weeks" And, I'll never do that again! I was woefully unprepared to take on the Marathon (26.2 mile) distance. However, I was determined to finish the my 1st marathon! Fortunately, aside from an out of body experience the last six miles of the race, I didn't suffer an injury."
I packed a lot of training into those 16 weeks but never got close to a fully trained marathoner. My longest training run was 17.5 miles. I must not have thought about how I was going to pull off running those last 8 plus miles. Journal Excerpt "It's funny all my life I wondered whether I could run a marathon. I finally achieved this life milestone. I ran the San Francisco Marathon in 4:33 minutes." I learned many things that day. The feelings of euphoria. The emotional and physical struggle I fought to overcome pain. How powerful the mind is in overcoming the greatest obstacle of all--me! Journal excerpt "I did discover some new things about Rick Rodriguez. The main point is Rick's ability to persevere. My tremendous belief in faith. In God. My time alone meditating and thinking about my friends and family whom without I would not have overcome my doubts." Wow! Even now, eighteen years later, those words ring so true and really those last six miles I drew strength from people, trees, plants, and I asked God to carry me! It seems a bit sappy but it is true. I focused on someone and I asked for them to strengthen my legs and will because with each step I took it weakened my will. I was in a struggle. I was fighting the Marathon!
Journal Excerpt" I managed a 9:40 pace up to 20 miles. I was still ok at 22 miles. Then, my training caught up to me. Beginning mile 22 to 25 miles I struggled, when doubts entered my mind, I shut them down." But not very easily, as I mentioned above, I was so completely depleted that I wanted to quit. But, that fear of failure rode on my back, and along with my thoughts and I fought with it. As I trudged up Golden Gate Park, I could hear people cheering me on and encouraging me. "Hang in there" and "You can do it" were as familiar today as they were back then! As I neared Kezar Stadium, I could hear the announcer calling out the names of runners crossing the finish line. This inspired me and really from nowhere I began to charge through to enter Kezar Stadium. As I crossed under the arches, Journal Excerpt "When I hit the track at Kezar Stadium tears rolled down my face. I was overcome by emotion. I was running so fast that the pain was not my main concern. I wanted to finish strong! I crossed the finish line and received a Pewter Finisher's medal. As I sat down, my thighs cringing in pain, my muscle fibers as tight as banjo strings, my thoughts were of the feat and what the last six miles of the race had been like. I had placed myself through the most difficult and painful experience of my life! Yet, as I reclined on the grass infield, scanning the crowd for my friends that promised to show (but never did), suddenly I started to believe that if I could do this--I could do anything! I felt, in that moment, that I could do anything I placed my mind to and for a few more moments, I felt accomplished, invincible!
I was carried that day. I grabbed on to every belief I ever owned about God and Strength. And, I used it to carry me to my goal. I went onto run nine other marathons. And while running is not at the forefront of my activities these days, it never drifts far from my grasp, it calls me when I move my legs quicker than normal or think about those early days lapping the fields and the streets of Hayward, California!
This marathon experience instilled a belief in me that I could accomplish anything! I hope it inspires you, too! Here's the link to Lake Chabot Regional Park. A great place to start! http://www.ebparks.org/parks/lake_chabot
