Having run a couple of half-marathons in Sioux Falls, S.D. and Ohio over the last two years, Pipestone’s Theresa Draper decided earlier this year that she wanted to run a full marathon and signed up to compete in the 2009 Grandma’s Marathon, June 20 in Duluth.
Draper trained hard for the event and was ready to go when the Pipestone Hospice House approached her about running the marathon for ‘Miles for Mercy’ to help raise money for the organization. Draper gladly obliged and was sponsored for each mile by local community members in memory of loved ones who had battled cancer. About three-quarters of the way through the event, Draper was very happy she’d taken on the dual challenge.
“I had run over 20 miles before and had no trouble, but it was unseasonably warm (91 degrees and high humidity),” Draper said. “We ran under a black flag, which signals the most severe temperatures, for most of the race. So, miles 15-20 really were quite hard. Once I got there, I looked down at my time, and I was like, ‘you know what, I can actually do this.’ But running for a cause definitely made it easier.
“That’s one of the things I thought about while I was running. If people can fight cancer and terminal illnesses, running a marathon is really nothing compared to that. I also thought about the people that sponsored each mile and, possibly, what they’d gone through. I knew almost all of them and their loved ones personally, and that was very helpful. About mile 18, there was a lot of praying going on that I could finish the darn thing. When I got to mile 15, I thought, ‘wow there’s a long way to go yet,’ and I was getting tired.”
But Draper continued to put one foot in front of the other, all the time thinking of the cause.
“I had a little piece of paper with me that had the names of the loved ones and their sponsor for that specific mile, and I prayed for them,” Draper said. “There again, just thinking about what that person went through, whether it was a personal battle or the battle of a loved one, just made me realize that running 26.2 miles was nothing compared to battling cancer. That was really encouraging. When I decided to run the marathon for ‘Miles for Mercy’ I thought, ‘It really does give you something to run for and finish for.’”
But after hitting the so-called ‘Wall’ that distance runners refer to when they’ve almost reached their physical limits, Draper was cruising.
“Miles 20-26 were no trouble at all, it was the middle miles where I was like, ‘Oh, there’s a lot do yet.” Draper said. “I was really hot and tons of people were dropping out, a lot of ambulances and medical attention being given. Who would have thought we’d have temperatures like that in Duluth on June 20.”
Draper, who had hoped to finish the marathon in less than four-and-a-half hours, clocked in at 4:27:0.0.
“I was very happy with my time, averaging, basically, 10-minute miles,” Draper said. “I figured that I placed in the top 28 percent of all registered participants, which doesn’t figure in the people that dropped out or didn’t even start.”
Of course, just getting started was an achievement in itself, but Draper had the support of friends and family throughout her preparation in addition to the ‘Miles for Mercy’ sponsors.
“I had some people sponsor me for multiple miles, and all 26 miles were sponsored,” Draper said. “I left the final mile open for the largest donation, and my good friend Shelly Kozlowski, who actually helped me train and logged as many miles as I did, sponsored that one. She was there throughout my training and could probably run a marathon herself.
“I was definitely a little nervous coming into the Grandma’s marathon. I arrived at the starting line and overheard all these people saying, ‘oh, did you do this, and did you do that,’ and I thought, ‘oh my gosh, I didn’t do this or that, I’d better do it,’ and I got a little anxious and a little worked up. But once I started running, I forgot all of that.”
While many of her friends couldn’t make the trip north to support her during the race, Draper had her family there rooting her on.
“I felt bad for my husband, John, because he had to get up with me at 5 a.m. and stay at the finish line from 7 a.m. until I finished,” Draper said. “He was a big help throughout my preparation and at the race. I also had my children, Kaitlyn (8), Meredith (4) and Addison (2 at race time, now 3), Kayla Nelson and my nephew Damian Skyberg there for support. They made these great T-shirts to wear for the race and met me at the finish line. I also received several supportive calls from friends and family before the race. Everyone was extremely encouraging.”
Draper raised $520 through mile sponsorships alone and has yet to see the totals from the local business sponsorships. Asked if she’d do it again, Draper checked her answer.
“If you had asked me whether I’d run another marathon at mile 18, I would have said, ‘No way,’ Draper exclaimed. “But a week after the event, I’d definitely say I’d do it again. I’d love to do another one in better weather conditions, not that you could ever get ideal conditions; it’s kind of a crap shoot. But maybe an October or November run would be nice, definitely. You’re always doing for yourself, but if I can help out some other cause or ‘Miles for Mercy’ again, then absolutely, why not? I had signed up to run this marathon before I was asked to do it for ‘Miles for Mercy’, but I thought if I can do it and have some good come out of it for the Hospice House, wonderful.”