Why do people run marathons?
April 6, 2011
By Catherine Reyes-Housholder
Why do people run marathons? You don´t get anywhere: You end at the exact same point that you started. You endure anywhere from 2-6 hours of discomfort and finish physically exhausted. During the following days, you can barely walk. It doesn´t seem to make sense to run for health reasons because most experts agree that you can maintain a healthy body by doing far less exercise. Running two or three miles three times a week should be enough to get the full benefits of physical activity. Plus, some studies show that marathons have adverse effects on health – actually damaging your heart.
It therefore seems completely irrational to run 26.2 miles. I finished my first marathon in Santiago, Chile about three days ago in 3 hours and 59 minutes. I now believe that deep down – most marathoners conceive of running is a metaphor for life. I´m not the first to say this, but now I say it from experience. I dare say that running is even poetic in this sense. We run marathons as an expression of the human spirit – qualities of the human spirit such as tenacity, concentration… and my favorite: “true grit.“

That´s what I thought about during the last 10 miles of my marathon. I repeated in my head “true grit“ (temple de acero, in Spanish) and “only heart“ (puro corazón) over and over again. That was my test. I wanted to express my true grit through my body. To show it to the world.
In the sense that running a marathon for me was a matter of personal expression, I would dare to venture that marathons could be a way of artistic expression. A way to demonstrate in a very personal way the quality of courage. To finish my marathon, I had to psychologically convince myself that I was physically alright and that I would make it. I could not panic when the discomfort set in. I repeated in my head (especially during the last 10 miles) “Estoy bien. Vamos.“ (“I´m ok. Let´s go.“) If I had negative feelings or began to succumb to the discomfort (I prefer that word inside of “pain“), then I surely would have faced more difficulties in finishing and would have had a much slower time. Successful marathons demand positive thinking – insisting on the positive – even if it is a partial lie.
So the secret to running a successful marathoner is to trick your mind to enjoying the physical experience. You have to sincerely persuade yourself that you are having fun and that this moment is the one that you have been waiting for during the months of training. This is it! Your time! Savor your physical state. Marathons require therefore, contrarian thinking.
Again, running a marathon is metaphorical for another truth about life: It is often tempting to choose an “easier“ way to go about life. It is obviously tempting to walk, for example, during a marathon. However walking – while essential at some points in the race for some people – can be a deceiver. Sometimes people who begin to walk actually could develop cramps. I admit that I did take about 2-3 walk breaks during the last six miles of the race, but the breaks never exceeded 20 paces. I fortunately did not cramp up, and in the end I believe they helped me finish faster.
Quitting is another matter. Your body may deceivingly signal to you that you are better off stopping, but the truth is that quitting is failure and you are far worse wasting months of training just because you feel terrible physically. Nothing substitutes careful, assiduous training prior to the marathon, and a common truth about life is that a rash decision made under pression can ruin a long thought-out plan. Quitting a marathon is often a dramaticlly disappointing decision, and is often based on the illusion that you would be happier if you just stopped.
Running a marathon requires concentration for long periods of time. It took me about four hours to finish my marathon. According to the International Association of Athletics Association (www.iaaf.org), the average male time is about four hours and 30 minutes while the average female time is over five hours. Only the most elite runners make it in two hours.
Marathons are not like traditional competitions where the opponent is the other team or another individual. For most amateur runners like me, the metaphorical opponent is the discomfort which represents all of life´s difficulties, challenges and obstacles. The other runners are actually like your friends who at times in the race may even cheer you on. The storyline of most amateur marathoners is how they overcame the hidden obstacles (what was happening to their body during the race) and not a visible opponent (another runner).
The beauty of the marathon is that it allows ordinary people to achieve something extraordinary. I believe almost anyone can have the true grit demanded to finish a marathon. I don´t believe I have any unusual talent for running. As a high schooler at East Noble, I was a very average cross-country runner for just two years. That was 10 years ago. I believe my more recent life experiences – which have required me to demonstrate true grit in other ways – have allowed me to develop the psychology needed for complete my first marathon.
Marathons are not solo experiences. I ran with a partner during the first 25 kilometers – a girl who most people of my running club thought would not finish under 4 hours and 30 minutes – but who actually finished in 3 hours and 46 minutes. At kilometer 25 I began to feel stomach weasiness from the energy gels and water combination I had been intaking. We separated, and I was so happy for her that she continued ahead of me. I slowed a bit at that moment and spent the rest of the race trying to maintain my pace.
I became emotional at several points – once when a woman told me “Gracias. Gracias.“ I knew she was thanking me because I was a woman running the Santiago marathon. Less than 10% of the marathoners in Chile are women, and many experts believe Chilean women face serious discrimination – primarily in the work force. Her support made my running far more meaningful.
I will never forget the last 500 meters of the race. The coach of my running club caught up with me on his bike and cheered me on. Then Pedro, a running club team member who had finished his half-marathon two hours before, started running at my side. “Vamos, Cati. Vamos. ¡Excelente tu tiempo!“ (“Let´s go, Cati. Let´s go. Excellent time!“) “Gracias, Pedro,“ I told him. “Gracias. Gracias.“ I suddenly saw the biker with a sign for “4 horas.“ This biker – part of the event organization – was going at the exact pace of a 4-hour marathon. I gasped. My goal time had been 4 hours and 15-20 minutes, but members of my team had told me prior to the race that I should try to run it in 4 hours. Could I do it? I started to “sprint“ with all my might. I passed the 4-hour biker! “¡Vamos, Cati!“ Pedro, my coach and all my running club teammates cried. I passed more people and approached the finishing line. I pumped my fist and made the sign of the cross. 3 hours, 59 minutes and 33 seconds.
My female running partner, the crowd, my running club and my husband who ran 40 minutes ahead of me made the experience profoundly meaningful. My husband was waiting for me with water and gatorade in the marathon finisher tent. “Hice 4 horas.“ (“I did 4 hours.“) I sputtered out to him as I rested my hands on my knees and put my head down. My stomach still felt weasy.
“Cati, tú tienes temple de acero.“ “Cati, you have true grit,“ he told me. I now believe it because I had proven it.

2010 could be a turning point for Chile

To be published in The News-Sun on Wednesday, October 13.

SANTIAGO DE CHILE — Chile is having quite a year.

In January, the nation elected its first right-of-center president in over 50 years.

In February an 8.8 earthquake jolted the nation. A time of national sorrow.

In June, Chile defeated Honduras 2-1, its first World Cup victory in several decades. A time of national joy.

In August, the 33 miners of San José were trapped underground. As the days passed, the story grew grimmer, and most in Chile were convinced that there were no survivors. Then the miners were found to all be alive. A time of tremendous national joy.

Now finally the miners will be lifted out of the ground. Chileans have been waiting and praying for this day. Chileans feel a mix of pride and embarrassment: Pride for the enormous courage and strength the miners have demonstrated and embarrassment for the unsafe working conditions.

The question of who is to blame remains unanswered. Many Chileans blame the owners of the mine who allowed the mine to continue working in sub-par standards. Other Chileans — to my surprise — actually feel sorry for the owners, and some say the owners will declared bankruptcy, wait a few years and then find a way to get back into the mining business.

I don´t know if they will. But many experts believe Chile is one of the most economically unequal nations in the world. There is great inequality, as well, in the mining industry. Chile's multinational mining companies, for example BHP Biliton and Anglo American, where my husband works, apply high safety standards in accordance with international regulations. Many smaller mining companies do not have the resources to invest in high safety standards. Should the national government raise the standards? If they do, many of these smaller Chilean companies will find it difficult to keep their costs low enough to stay in business. But sub-standard conditions are clearly unacceptable and dangerous.

Chile wants to be a developed nation, and it is on its way. Chileans feel proud of the effective rescue effort that was led by Codelco, the national mining company. The Chilean rescue team, assisted by a few Americans and NASA workers, seemed almost flawless. Sure the drilling had to stop from time to time, but that was expected. President Piñera promised the miners
they would be out by Christmas. And now they are expected to be out two weeks before Halloween, a holiday that has become more and more popular in Chile during the last few years.

Chile can one day become a “first-world“ country. To get there, it will have to figure out how to “raise the floor“ in terms of standardized working conditions for all of its workers. Who is responsible and how to prevent these kinds of disasters must be addressed. Chileans must pressure government officials — particularly the president who has more legislative power than the Congress — to act. Unfortunately, I fear that Chileans might keep the joy, relief and pride of watching the miners be pulled out of the mine by a highly qualified rescue team, and not focus on the embarrassment and anger that would help prevent a future tragedy.

Chilean journalists and citizens must demand better working conditions and re-think Chile's plan to become a first-world nation.

CHILE DEFEATS HONDURAS IN WORLD CUP FIRST ROUND
By Catherine Reyes-Housholder
Santiago de Chile – Chile won its first World Cup match in 48 years Wednesday against Honduras in South Africa.
Almost four months after the worst earthquake in Chile´s history violently woke up the country at 3:35 a.m., millions of Chileans enthusiastically set their alarms hours before sunrise to watch their World Cup team play in its first round.
I have never seen anything like it. American passion for football, basketball or baseball pales in comparison for the Latin American passion for soccer.
Chile has a particularly severe case of World Cup fever which has raised spirits months after the natural disaster. Restaurants offered special “World Cup Breakfasts“ for the 7:30 game. Bars filled with fans, and as early as 6 a.m. many families – ready to eat meat for breakfast – fired up barbecuques in their back yards while the temperature hovered around 40 degrees.
Thousands congregated in public spaces in Santiago, for example Estación Central and La Vega, to watch the game on a huge public screen. Most – if not all – universities cancelled their classes this morning, including the one where I work. Elementary and high schools allowed their students to watch the game at school.
The majority of businesses are permitting their workers to watch the two-hour game. Practically all employees in the copper mine where my husband works halted their tasks – but let production continue.
President Piñera watched the game in Dichato, a tiny coastal town that was hit particularly hard by the natural catastrophe in February. In order to appear closer to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami, he spent Tuesday night with his wife in emergency housing which featured a cot and sleeping bad. Former President Michelle Bachelet – the most popular executive during the last 20 years – flew to South Africa to cheer on the team. Chilean media reports that about 5,000 Chileans attended the match.
In Chile, the World Cup spirit is not only contagious – it is unescapable. I have had this year´s World Cup official song – Shakira´s Spanish rendition of “Waka Waka“ – in my head constantly since the inauguration last Friday. The World Cup dominates national news. Due to the 7-hour time difference, Chilean television journalists have to report live at 4 a.m. in South Africa to make the 9 p.m. national news here. Much of the news coverage from South Africa has focused on the Chilean fans – many of whom are camping in Nelspruit where Chile played its first game against Honduras. Every time I mention the World Cup to a Chilean, he or she breaks out a grin and asks me if I am following the U.S. team.
I had never watched an entire World Cup match in my life. Nevertheless, on Saturday I was glued to the television and did a special “victory“ dance when the U.S. managed to squeeze out a tie vs. the very formindable England.
Chile has not participated in the World Cup since 1998, and this year´s team looks promising. Released last month, a funny, popular Chilean movie “Ojos Rojos“ (“Red Eyes“) documented the team´s journey toward classifying for the World Cup. (Chile´s colors are red and blue.) The odds are good that Chile will qualify along with Spain to make it to the second round, where it would then face daunting Brazil.
But Wednesday morning, Chileans were literally dancing in the streets at 6 a.m. before the match. Due to the national excitement, I opened my eyes at 5:15 a.m., jumped out of bed at 5:30. and switched on the national news.
In February of this year, Chileans woke up terrified as an 8.8-magnitude earthquake jolted their nation. On June 16, Chile arose happily excited, a bit anxious and entirely impassioned. They have been waiting for this match for 48 years. Long live ¡“fútbol“!

SECOND INTERVIEW WITH AUSTRIAN NATIONAL RADIO AIRED ON FRIDAY

Here is my interview with Steve Crilley of Austrian National Radio´s noon-time show “Reality Check.“ Crilley asked about the military and how Chileans have reacted to its increased presence after the earthquake.

Link to Radio Interview with Austrian Public Radio

http://fm4.orf.at/radio/stories/1640403/