By: Shallin Squire
On April 19, 1897, the Boston Athletic Association held a 24.5-mile road race to conclude their spring athletic competition. Ten of fifteen runners finished the inaugural run, which began in Ashland, Mass., and the race to Boston has been held every year since. "In addition to its indisputable position as the world's oldest annual marathon, 'Boston' is widely regarded as one of the world's most prestigious road races. The Boston Marathon is held on Patriots' Day (third Monday in April)." (See www.baa.org)
This year's Boston Marathon will take place on April 18th, and 4 runners from Roosevelt will be among the 27,000 competitors in the 26.2-mile race: Kim Labrum, Sue Denver-Betts, and husband and wife Brian and Arlene Southam. Each was required to qualify for Boston by finishing in a pre-determined amount of time for his/her age group at a qualifying marathon. Fortunately for us, each also took time out of his/her rigorous training schedule to help us get to know the talented athletes who will be representing the Uinta Basin in Boston.
Kim Labrum has been running for 18 years, but she didn't attempt long distances until about 3 years ago. After she finished several half marathons and the Wasatch Back Relay, Kim's friend Sue Denver-Betts was able to convince Kim she could do a full marathon. Kim explained, "When I used to think about running a marathon, I would almost just put it out of my head. It seemed too long and unattainable, but once you've completed the longer distances in the training, you realize that it is very doable and that you really are capable of anything you set your mind to. I view hard things in a...different way now. I take the approach that there is always a way to do what you want to do."
Kim qualified for Boston by finishing the St. George Marathon in 3:35:20, and Boston will be her 5th full marathon. She stated, "I would still like to have a decent time when I finish, but I really am just going for the experience of being there."
Interestingly, while Kim credits Sue Denver-Betts for her first attempt at a full marathon, Sue stated that it was Kim's idea and that Kim is her "source of inspiration and motivation." Like Kim, Sue qualified for Boston at the St. George Marathon, finishing in 3 hours and 42 minutes. Her goal is to finish Boston in less than 4 hours, but what she is really looking forward to is the chance to run outside. Sue declared, "My favorite thing about running is being outdoors. I train about 60% of the time during the winter on a treadmill, which I do not love. So when I get to go out to run, it's a true bonus."
Sue, along with the other marathoners from Roosevelt, stated that one of her biggest challenges is making time to train. Sue and Brian both work full time, and Kim and Arlene are primarily stay-at-home moms but run their own small businesses from home. Each of the 4 has a family to care for as well.
Another challenge for any Basin runner, as Sue pointed out, is that it seems to be winter more often than not. Running 20+ miles on a treadmill is a test of both one's physical and mental endurance! Sue overcomes the temptation to take the cold months off simply by signing up for a race. "When I have signed up for an event, I stick to my training schedule very closely and always do my running no matter what," she said.
Sue, Kim, Brian and Arlene, are motivated by the feeling they know they will have after a long run. "It [running] becomes a sick addiction, and I just can't get over it. I love the way I feel after a nice long run," Brian Southam declared. Each of the competitors also feels that running has helped them deal with stress and feel more confident, as well as making them a better family member. Brian stated, "It helps me deal with my family more patiently. I've found a nice 20-mile run really makes me a lot more mellow."
Arlene Southam has run 3 full and 3 half marathons. She began thinking about running a full marathon when she crossed the finish line at her first half marathon, and she turned to friends Rachel Wheeler and Tanya Christensen (who had recently completed a full marathon) for advice. Next, according to Brian, she went to her husband: "She came to me with, 'I'm going to run a full marathon. Are you going to do it with me?'" Brian explained. " I said, 'Sure,' and with [advice from Rachel Wheeler], we started training, and the rest is history."
Arlene qualified for Boston at the Top of Utah Marathon in Logan, finishing in 3:41. She stated, "I would like to break a 3:30 marathon this year. I would love to do it at Boston, but it isn't known as a fast or great course, so we'll see how it goes. And if I don't do it at Boston, I plan to run 2 or 3 marathons this year where I can give it a shot."
Arlene has never been to Boston, and she has never flown on a commercial airplane. "This is a HUGE trip for me," she said.
Brian Southam has been running "on and off--mostly off--since high school." He has entered and finished 3 full marathons, qualifying for Boston at Top of Utah with a time of 3:09:51.
Brian has never been to Boston. "I'm very excited to go," he said. While there, Brian has three specific goals: "1)Finish. 2)Have a great time. 3)Finish in under 3 hours."
Brian and Arlene have been following Hal Higdon's free training guides (www.halhigdon.com) for all of their marathons and, as far as diet, have used the guidelines they learned from Jean Marie Anderson's weight control class they attended in Vernal several years ago. All 4 of our local competitors state that properly nourishing and hydrating one's body are keys to successful and enjoyable running.
Brian and Arlene value the time they are able to spend running together. "We have 7 kids, and this is one way to get some peace and quiet," Brian said. "My favorite thing about running is time with my wife." Brian expressed gratitude for those who have made it possible for the couple to train together: "We would like to thank our kids for being awesome. The older kids have been great to babysit while we go out on long week end runs. They even have hot muffins waiting for us on occasion. I would also like to thank our extended family for making race days possible for us. They have watched kids and provided transportation for us so we can go race."
Kim also appreciates her family for their support and motivation. She said, "A motivating factor is my family. They are all very supportive, especially my husband, Craig. They all do anything they can to give me the time I need to train and do the things I want to do."
Kim, Sue, Arlene, and Brian encourage others who have ever considered running a marathon to start training today. Brian suggested a visit to www.dailymile.com, a site where you can get more information about what training is like and then track your progress.
Congratulations to Kim, Sue, Arlene, and Brian, for qualifying for Boston. We hope each of you attains your goals there, and we'll be cheering you on from back home in the Basin.
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