May 6, 2008

DAYTON, Ohio - Head Cross Country and Track coach Sylvia Kamp sat down with one of her student-athletes, Jake Bradosky, last week to talk about his experiences at the Boston Marathon. Bradosky competed in the 26.2 mile race around the Boston area and placed 138th overall in a time of 2:37:52.

Coach Kamp sat down and chatted with Jake about how he got to Boston and how he trained for the race. The following is a transcript of their meeting.

The first marathon for Jake was Seattle in November of 2007, where he ran 2:40. (For those that don't know, you must qualify for Boston with a certain time. For Jake's age group, he had to run 3:10 or faster. )

When I asked Jake about his next marathon he replied that wants confer with his coaches first. He is considering The Marine Corps in Washington, DC later in the fall of 2008.

To prepare for Boston, Jake did not make any mileage changes, staying just below 60/mpw. However, he added progression workouts and did some training with Ann Alyanak. (Ann coaches at the University of Dayton) He also experimented with nutrition to learn how to best maintain his fuel levels during the race. All of these factors helped him break his goal of 2:40.

Jake relished the exciting pre-race atmosphere despite sitting on a school bus for 90mins. However, he did not enjoy the numerous runners who relieved themselves, rather messily, in the corrals before the start.

With his family and fiancée waiting at mile 16, Jake had something to look forward to. They gave him such a boost, that he never "hit the wall". In fact, he was surprised how strong and confident he felt throughout the race.

When asked about Heartbreak Hill, he replied with "it wasn't as bad as I expected". When asked if he was motivated by the cheering women of Wellesley, he replied "oh yes, yes" with a smile and admitted he high-fived some young coeds.

As for what got him through the final mile, he credits the amazing crowd support, his belief that the Lord was watching over him and would get him through, and knowing that his fiancée was at the finish line. Jake wants to point out that he did so well because of the prayers and support of his family and friends. He would like all of the glory given to God.

Jake's marathon advice for others is to listen to your body and know how to respond. Specifically, know how to properly stay fueled during the race.

Finally, since I am the cross country coach, I had to ask his goals for the fall season and if he thought this experience will help him. Jake believes it has made him stronger, both mentally and physically, so that he will be better prepared for the high-intensity workouts and races of the season. Jake hopes that maintaining his mileage base over the summer will help him to break 27:30 in the 8K.

###