When Elizabeth Davis '06 came to Brown, she never imagined she would be a veteran marathoner by the time she graduated. A cross-country runner throughout high school, a half marathon was the longest distance Davis had ever run competitively before coming to college.
Today, Davis is one of several Brown athletes who compete regularly in solo endurance events, pushing their bodies to the limits and carving out time between homework and friends for long hours of solidary effort.
Davis' commitment increased when her father, Elliot, looked to running as an escape from being re-diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer in 2002. They began training during the summer of her sophomore year at home in the Virgin Islands. That fall, she ran her first marathon in New York City with her dad.
Since then, marathon training has become a way of life for Davis, who ran her second New York City Marathon last fall. Although finishing 26 miles and 385 yards is a huge accomplishment, let alone twice, it does not come without tradeoffs. Balancing academic and social commitments with daily two- to three-hour runs became a definite obstacle as the school year picked up.
"If I had a choice to get my schoolwork done, or go out with my friends," Davis said, "I'd definitely choose my schoolwork."
The sacrifice of social activity for training or academics added to the solitude of an already very individual endurance sport. But Davis lists the support of her boyfriend, friends, roommates and, of course, her father as central to being able to get through training.
"You can't run a marathon by yourself," Davis said.
When training and life collide
A novice to the world of marathon running, Meg Hudson '06 identifies with the balancing act that results from training. Hudson began her training in June and recently completed her first marathon Oct. 8 in Hartford, Conn. Although she did the majority of her training over the summer, the sudden arrival of new academic, social and extracurricular activities with the start of school brought on an unexpected shift in priorities.
Hudson found that she often passed on social gatherings and ended up spending more time with her roommates. After one particularly difficult run, she recounts "dragging" herself to a barbecue only a few blocks away. In general, however, Hudson says the real difficulties came with academics and her new job.
"Starting to work, that really wasn't the smartest idea at all, " Hudson said. "I fell behind and my schoolwork started to suffer."
Despite the stress that running and training has added to her life, Hudson also lists it as a huge source of solace and escape. A native of New Orleans, Hudson had many friends and family that were directly impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Although her training began far before flooding ravaged the city, she found that she was able to channel a lot of her emotions over Katrina into her running.
"Finishing the marathon did become related to dealing with everything at home, but not in a way I could relate or explain," Hudson said. "It was my time to just think, even if it was the same two lines of a song over and over."
Trying the triathlon
While Hudson and Davis both experienced shifting priorities from the social and academic realms as a result of their personal athletic pursuits, Andy Dewitt '06 had no such problems when he began preparing for his first triathlon. Unlike Meg and Elizabeth, Dewitt had participated in Brown athletics for two and a half years before he began his individual endurance training.
A member of the men's crew team since his freshman year, Dewitt was familiar with the demands of a sport. Instead of feeling stressed by the daily two- to four-hour workouts of his new training, Dewitt "really enjoyed training on (his) own" and the opportunities that came with it.
The freedom allowed him to finally commit more time to classes and extra-curricular activities such as the Meiklejohn program and the University Finance Board, things that he had often neglected during the more rigorously structured crew seasons.
Dewitt's progression to triathlons began when he picked up cycling after leaving the Brown crew team the winter of his junior year. Inspired by watching Lance Armstrong win the Tour de France, he bought his first road bike that winter and used it in a trainer until roads were clear. While working in California this summer, he lived with a group of men who had decided to train for a triathlon. The challenge seemed like a natural development for Dewitt, who joined their training in early June.
"They all did the triathlon to lose weight, but for me it was just a race," Dewitt said of his summer.
A typical daily routine consisted of two hours of morning cycling, with a two-hour swim, run or row in the afternoon. The increase in physical activity was not an adjustment for Dewitt, but the sense of individuality was.
"With a triathlon you're testing your body and mind to see how far you can push yourself. In basketball or football you have a whole team to support you," Dewitt said. "Endurance sports are all about individuality and your sense of discipline. I miss(ed) struggling through things with my best friends."
Yet when he arrived at the triathlon on July 10, the level of camaraderie between the triathletes shocked him.
"I thought it would be more competitive, but everyone just wanted to see everyone else succeed," Dewitt said.
Being back at school has not changed Dewitt's commitment. Since completing the 1-kilometer swim, 25-kilometer bike ride and 5.5-kilometer run in mid-July, he has continued to train, though with no future competition in mind.
"I have a few triathlons in mind," Dewitt said. "But none that I want to commit to yet."
Davis, Hudson and Dewitt have all taken breaks from training during the school year. Dewitt is finishing his dual concentration in business economics and public and private sector organizations, serving as vice-chair of UFB and interviewing for post-graduation employment. Now that her marathon has passed, Hudson is focused on her job, thesis, five classes and friends.
Though her dad is still running the New York City Marathon this fall, Davis did not train this time due to injury. She completed her personal training certification and is preparing for the Graduate Record Examination with plans to apply to veterinary school.
When asked if she has advice for other students who plan on taking up a serious endurance sport, Davis said, "You'll learn to establish your priorities, it's not realistic to take a heavy course load when training for a marathon. You have to devote your time to it, but it's definitely worth it."
