Bib Number 3367: An Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Success Story

by Cat Klarich, Runner

After months and months of training, I am pleased to say that all of those days of training paid off!

This time a year ago I could have never imagined what I would accomplish this year in Oklahoma City. I was a cigarette smoker and I never knew the importance of exercise or of life for that matter.

God blessed me with a couple really awesome people that encouraged me to run a 5K with them last spring. In March of 2011 I ran the St Patrick's Day run, while still a smoker, and I absolutely hated it. I didn't train for the race, but I finished in 34 minutes. Compared to everyone else I did horrible! I was not pleased with my time and that, you could say, lit a fire under my butt. I knew I didn't want to smoke cigarettes for the rest of my life.

Some time passed, but in September of 2011 I gave up smoking and started training for the (5K) Tulsa Zoo run. I ran my personal record there with a 29 minute 5K! With training came improvement in my distance and time, and with improvement came encouragement to keep on running!

I got the crazy idea to race in the Tulsa Run on October 29. This was a huge deal to me because I had never ran that far before! It seemed near impossible at the time but I killed it with a 1:31:50! All of this accomplishment had me fired up and I wasn't done yet!

Sarah, my biggest fan, told me we could register for the Williams Route 66 Half Marathon! All we had to do is run it. I was a little reluctant at first, but my mother always taught me to smile and say thank you for anything that is handed to you for free. After some thought I had no choice but to sign up with a smile on my face! The race went smoothly and I felt great, setting my new personal record at 2:11 for my first half marathon. I was so proud of myself, along with all of my friends that supported me.

I took some time off after the Route 66 because I was suffering from painful shin splints. On New Years Eve, I committed to a resolution of becoming a better runner in the year to come. That Monday, January 2, I went online in search of a running group that could help me become a stronger runner. I came across Runners World in Tulsa, gave them a call, and started running with them a week later. I cannot explain in words how incredible this group of people were! There were runners from absolute beginners training for a 5K to triathletes and runners that compete in marathons every weekend. However, we all have one thing in common - WE LOVE RUNNING!

It just so happened they just started training for the OKC Memorial Marathon. I was solely in it for my improvement and some company. It didn't take me long to become completely inspired by the time, hard work, and kindness I saw in this gang of runners. They soon, like Sarah, talked me into running, but this time the full Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon! Nervous doesn't even begin to describe my feelings after I purchased my registration! I didn't really feel like I was ready until two weeks prior to the big race when we completed a triumphant 22 miler. It took us a little over 4 hours to finish this training run, but it gave me the confidence I needed to do this thing! When people asked me what time I planned on finishing I said "I just want to finish!". Secretly I wanted to finish at 4:45 or before 5 hours because I knew that would be a challenge. Also, a runner that I competed with said they never finished a marathon before 5 hours, and I, being the competitive person I am, had to beat that!

I had so much support to run this race and it was beyond anything I could have dreamed of. I felt fantastic and I ran the WHOLE way, only stopping at water/gatorade stations to refuel. The last few miles were challenging, but I kept asking myself, "today is your big day Cat, so are you going to be weak or are you going to be strong?" (I know I'm sane, other runners talk to themselves at mile 23 also!). We had trained so hard and I stuck to my schedule almost exact, never missing a long run.

I finished my marathon in 4:59:59, chip time 4:50:33! April 29 was by far, the most amazing day of my life! I have learned that with God, long training runs, determination and GU that anything is possible. Nothing in this world is greater than accomplishing your goals.

I plan on running the Williams Route 66 full Marathon this year!

Sincerely,
Cat Klarich, Bib # 3367