Gilroy
– You’ve seen them.
They’re the ones wearing the white Nikes and brightly colored
shorts and t-shirts, pounding the pavement in the early morning
hours, even on days when they’d rather stay in bed. They get a
sense of fulfillment out of doing what many people think of as pure
torture: distance running.
Gilroy – You’ve seen them.
They’re the ones wearing the white Nikes and brightly colored shorts and t-shirts, pounding the pavement in the early morning hours, even on days when they’d rather stay in bed. They get a sense of fulfillment out of doing what many people think of as pure torture: distance running.
They are marathon runners.
But this time, 12 area runners aren’t just running any marathon, they are running THE race.
On April 18, members of the 10-month old South Valley Running Club (SVRC), which serves the areas of Gilroy, Hollister, Morgan Hill and San Martin, will be at the starting line of the 109th Boston Marathon, ready to run 26 miles in the world’s most famous marathon.
“Not everyone can get there,” said SVRC president and San Martin resident Craig Lore. “So it’s something that if you’ve qualified (for it), you have to do it.”
All but one of the 12 have run a marathon before, which is the norm for the Boston Marathon. All runners, except those approved to run to raise money for charity, must have a qualifying time which meets the marathon’s requirements, which are based on age and gender.
Put simply, the Boston Marathon is not a beginner’s race.
So why do it?
Naturally, each of the SVRC marathon runners has a different reason for wanting to run Boston.
Gilroy’s Kim Moyano wanted to qualify for the Boston Marathon before she turned 40. Tina Chacon, also of Gilroy, runs because 20 years ago, she broke her knee playing soccer and was told she would never run again. The Boston Marathon will be her third marathon. Cindy D’Angelo of Morgan Hill began training for Boston to help a friend qualify. She watched her own times drop and she qualified herself with with a 3 hour, 42 minute time in the Chicago Lakeshore Marathon Memorial Day weekend 2004. Cindy’s husband John D’Angelo told his wife if she qualified for Boston, he’d do it too.
“He said if I made it, he’d find a way,” she said.
John jokes that he wished he’d made a different promise.
“I should have went for jewelry.”
The marathon experience ranges from John D’Angelo, a first-time marathoner who began running a year ago, to Gavilan College president and Morgan Hill resident Steven Kinsella, who has competed in 10 marathons and has been running for 33 years.
San Martin’s Kevin Stuart ran his first marathon in 2000 – after a 24–mile swim and a 112–mile bike ride – when he competed in the Ironman Triathlon.
“I haven’t decided (how competitive I want to be). I’m not injured but I kind of want to enjoy it,” said Stuart, who ran the Boston Marathon for the first time in 2003. “The tradition of the Boston Marathon, it really does have a different, special atmosphere.”
Five years ago, running the Boston Marathon didn’t even seem like a possibility to SVRC president Lore, who hadn’t run further than five miles at one time. But he started to meet other runners and hear their stories.
“You run races and you find other runners at the end of the race. Somebody says, ‘Good run,’ and you start to meet people and they’re saying things like, ‘When I ran Boston …’ and you start to think, maybe that’s a possibility,” Lore said.
Lore said he was shocked by how supportive runners were of other runners. Having been a volleyball player in college, he was used to the team-sport atmosphere and didn’t think individual-sport athletes would be as team-oriented.
“People would finish a race, and then warm down by running back and encouraging the people still running,” Lore said. “I thought, what a great community of people.”
It inspired Lore to start the SVRC, which grew as the San Martin runner spread the word to people he met at races.
Another reason to run
Since the end of March, the 12 SVRC runners have had even more reason to run the Boston Marathon.
SVRC member and Morgan Hill resident Georgia Froumis teaches fourth grade at Glen View Elementary School in Gilroy, where a March 29 fire destroyed four classrooms. The community support and strength showed by students and teachers affected by the fire inspired Froumis to do something to help the school. So she came up with the idea that each runner going to the Boston Marathon could raise pledges for the SVRC, which would pool the money it raised and give it to the school.
“The kids are fantastic,” Froumis said. “They have adjusted with a lot of grace. And the four teachers (worst affected by the fire, Yvette Arvizu, Vince Oberst, Kathy Taylor and Russel Toronto) are so dignified. I can’t think of the words to describe it. I’m amazed at the way they’ve handled it.”
Froumis’ husband, Andy, also a SVRC runner, said they came up with the idea to make fliers for each runner, with his or her picture and a short bio, and post them around the school so the kids can get to know the runners and even follow their progress online during the day of the race.
“I think once again, the community has been remarkable,” said Glen View principal Marilyn Ayala. “The overwhelming response has been very touching and this is yet another act to help support the needs of the school. We’re very appreciative.”
John D’Angelo is also running Boston for a greater cause. He’s running his first marathon to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which sponsors the Boston Marathon. D’Angelo has raised $4,000 for his cause so far.
It’s better to run together
If it weren’t for the running club, John D’Angelo would not be running a marathon.
“I can’t imagine doing this on my own,” he said. “The group has been a great inspiration. I’m like a sponge. I get a lot of good ideas and suggestions from everyone.”
Cindy D’Angelo, who started walking to get into shape four years ago and eventually worked her way up to jogging, doing races and a triathlon, says running with the group has become a great social event.
“They’re total therapy sessions,” she laughed. “We solve the world’s problems. We all have children and we compare notes on what we’re going through. You’re running sometimes for three hours. You really get to know the people you’re with inside and out.”
CIndy D’Angelo began running with another woman who lived on her street that she didn’t know.
“Now, she’s like a sister,” she said.
Though each runner needs to tailor it to his or her own needs, the basic training program the SVRC group uses is about 16 to 20 weeks long. Once a week, the group has a long run, which starts at six miles. Each week, the distance increases 10 percent until the 17th week, when it tops out at 20 miles. For the few weeks after that up until the actual marathon, runners are supposed to taper their distances and conserve energy for the big race.
Each runner must learn what works best for him or her, says Gilroy resident Chacon. She knows how much she can increase her distance each week without injuring herself.
“It’s like a science,” Chacon said. “You don’t want to increase your distance too much. It’s all about percentages. You eat a certain percentage. You increase your run a certain percentage.”
It’s not uncommon for runners, especially inexperienced ones, to get injured during training. But sometimes a serious injury can require a person to stop training all together, which is why personal limits are so important to understand.
But when it comes to worrying about the minor aches and pains one might encounter during training, Cindy D’Angelo has the philosophy that works best:
“Ignorance is bliss.”
109th Boston Marathon
When: Monday, April 18,
Start time, 9am
Live TV coverage:
OLN, 8:30-11:30am
The running club
Area Boston Marathon Runners: Tina Chacon (Gilroy), Cindy D’Angelo (Morgan Hill), John D’Angelo (Morgan Hill), Jean Duarte (Morgan Hill), Steven Kinsella (Morgan Hill), Craig Lore (San Martin), Libbey Michelini (Gilroy), Joan Miller (Gilroy), Robert Miller (Gilroy), Kim Moyano (Gilroy), Kevin Stuart (San Martin), Barb Voss (San Martin)
Wanna run?
Contact South Valley Running Club member Andy Froumis at (408) 782-5067.
