Training for marathons is a months-long endeavor, but three Ball State students have risen to the challenge, including one who will run the Boston Marathon in April.
Davon Geiger is a junior business administration major who has run four marathons so far. His first race happened when he was in fifth grade after his dad signed him up for a 5k.
“I remember it was awful,” he said. “I just remember walking most of it because I was young but I guess I just kinda kept on [running].”
His father was a cross-country runner in high school and it rubbed off on his life.
Coming into college Geiger didn't receive the opportunity to earn a scholarship as a runner, but he continues his passion because he claims there is "no better feeling" than finishing a marathon.
“I was recruited by a few smaller schools,” Geiger said, “but I felt the need to go to a larger school and pursue running on my own time.”
Classic marathon training plans are around 4 months long, according to runnersworld.com
Geiger’s training is a “never ending process” because he consistently runs marathons, triathlons and other races. He is also a member of Ball State's running club, where he runs every day at 4 p.m.
The constant running makes it easier when he needs to get in shape for a marathon.
“I already have miles on in my legs so I don’t have to do the basic buildup work that someone that just starts running would have to do,” he said.
Running can be relaxing for Geiger. He uses the activity to get his thoughts and world together, but it can also bring out his competitive edge.
He beat the 18-34-year-old male qualifying time of 3 hours and 5 minutes for the Boston Marathon when he ran the Columbia City marathon last November. He registered for Boston in September and plans to run it in April.
“I knew as soon as I got my confirmation email, it was something to be proud of,” Geiger said. “Anyone who runs marathons competitively will say the goal is running in the Boston…I believe it is the only marathon in the world you have to qualify for.”
According to Boston Athletic Association’s (BAA) 2015 live race day coverage, 26,598 runners finished the Boston Marathon one year ago. Of those runners, 4,964 runners were in Geiger’s age group (18-34).
Coming into the marathon, his goals are not necessarily to break his best finishing time, but rather to enjoy the experience.
“It is a very challenging course, you have the famous Newton Hills, which are not 'til 16 miles into the race, and if you add all the people, it becomes even more challenging,” said Geiger. “I think competing in the Boston is all about just taking it in and enjoying it”.
“It’s been a long time but it’s gonna be fun and I’m glad I get a chance to do it,” Geiger said.
Gavin Kaehr, a freshman actuarial science major finished his first marathon Nov. 14.
He began running in fifth grade after an elementary school track meet when his gym teacher added him to a race. He placed somewhere around third or fourth, but the experience led to him joining cross-country in sixth grade.
“…I had a ton of fun with the team and kept on doing it,” Kaehr said. “I got a lot better and I really like it more and more and now I’m here.”
Kaehr took up swimming, too, but he continued to run all four years of high school. Last summer, he competed in a small triathlon. Afterward, he decided he needed a new challenge—a marathon sounded like a “cool” thing to do.
“I looked online at a training plan and started training for it. Everything went according to plan [during the marathon],” Kaehr said. “My favorite part was definitely the end when I finished so I could just say ‘I did it! I ran a marathon.’”
Kaehr was surprised by the amount of time training took. He had to adjust from running short and quick races to running a longer race at a slower pace.
It was also hard for him to balance training time while he prepared for college, but he accomplished his goal with a finishing time of three hours, 19 minutes and 40 seconds to do it.
He doesn't plan on running another one for a long time , he said, but a little bit of the marathon bug might still be in him. He can see himself running one in the future, he said.
Runner’s World offers marathon training plans on its website for a small fee that take the reader through a week-by-week schedule. They also have a mobile app. Coolrunning.com offers a free week-by-week running schedule.
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