After running in the Chicago Marathon in 1999, Scripps Middle School Principal Ken Gutman swore he’d never run another. But when he heard about the Marine Corps Marathon held in Washington, DC, the temptation of running in the nation’s capital was too hard to resist.
“(Running through Washington) was one of the highlights,” said Gutman, a West Bloomfield resident. “I ran through the Mall…past the Lincoln Memorial…through Georgetown. That was my first time being in Georgetown.”
Gutman finished this marathon with a time one hour slower than his previous 26.2-mile effort. He said finishing, period, was his only goal.
“I injured both my ankles during the race, and I’d injured my calf two weeks before the race,” he said. “There were 18,000 people running…it took 17 minutes of running before I even hit the starting line.”
Asked why he wanted to run a marathon again after his experience in Chicago, Gutman responded “What makes people want to climb mountains?”
“The thought of being in Washington was inspirational,” he said. “My whole family came out to watch me run and cheer me on…that support was phenomenal, as well as the support of the staff and students (at Scripps).”
Gutman spent a sometimes miserable 18 weeks preparing for the race.
“The maximum week was (running) 40 plus miles,” he said. “I ran four days a week, and sometimes I got up as early as 2:30 a.m. so I could run and still be at my desk by 6 a.m. I think the race was the reward for the training, it was much easier.”
Gutman said he got to know a lot of his fellow runners in Washington, and was able to make quite a few friends.
“People really pushed each other, like ‘I’m not going to let this person fall,'” he said.
There were 80,000 spectators watching the race, and Gutman said it was probably the closest he’ll come to knowing what it feels like to be a professional athlete.
“But this is it,” he added. “I can’t get up at 2:30 a.m to run anymore.”
Gutman compared the training and actual running of the marathon to the type of long-term goal setting that can be used for a lot of things in life.
“It means a lot of bumps and pains along the way, but the pay off is worth it,” he said.
Gutman hasn’t always been a runner, having taken it up as a hobby and stress-reliever about six years ago, running four-five days a week.
“My wife (Michelle) has always been very supportive,” he said. The couple have two children, ages one and a half and four and a half.
For more information on the Marine Corps Marathon, visit www.marinecorpsmarathon.com online.
“It’s a great race,” Gutman said. “I’m so glad I did it.”