Ledger

Issue date: 10/18/06 Section: Health and Wellness

Todd Toner, running the Portland Marthon with his mom on his mind.

It's been a few months since I began my training for the Portland marathon. Frequent and past readers of the Ledger will probably remember my first article on running a marathon posted last March. At that time I wrote that article, it seemed like I could barely climb a full flight of stairs without pausing to pant. Fast-forward a few short months, and I just ran 26.2 miles to complete my first marathon.
Finishing the marathon didn't come easy. The grueling mileage increase from my first week of training through the week before the marathon taxed my resolve and challenged my physical abilities. At first, I found it easy to train on a treadmill, but as the distances in my training schedule grew so did the monotony of treadmill work. I stepped out onto the road after passing the ten mile mark and realized that distance and monotony were only half the challenge.
In the middle of the summer quarter, I had to withdraw from classes to return to Pennsylvania and help my parents as my mother struggled through stage three ovarian cancer. It was the hottest part of the summer and with my running schedule past the halfway point, I was covering almost 20 miles per week. To beat the heat of the day, I would wake at 5 a.m. and run before the sun rose. However, on my long run days, I would finish running 13 to 15 miles in 90 degree heat.
At the end of August I returned to Washington and resumed my training. The challenging hills at Point Defiance Park were a welcome sight after the heat and humidity of the east coast. In no time at all I was circling Five Mile Drive three and one half times each Saturday morning.
Then in less than twenty-five weeks, with a few minor setbacks and challenges, I finished the Portland Marathon. My final time of 5 hours and 53 minutes was a respectable first-time performance, considering a slight injury at the 18-mile mark. Running at a fast pace wasn't really a concern. My only goal was a successful completion. Whether I crossed the finish line in five or 10 hours, I could wear my finisher's medal with pride.
The entire experience was the most emotionally invigorating and, at the same time, the most physically debilitating of my life. I ran the gamut from tears of sorrow and pain to ones of joy and accomplishment. And while running has always been a deeply personal endeavor, finishing the marathon wasn't just for my own satisfaction. I did it for my mom as well.
The last three miles of the marathon I spent reflecting on my mother and how she refuses to give up. Through the muscle cramps and tears and pain, every time someone asked me if I was okay I would tell them I was running the marathon for my mother, and it kept me going even when I wanted to lay down on the side of the road and quit. Even through the 3,000 miles of distance between us, I could hear her cheering as I crossed the finish line.

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