Alumni Feature: Michael

Michael is a freshman at UC San Diego and an SRLA alumni. He shared what he learned from his experience training for a marathon and how he has utilized that knowledge in other areas of his life.

Michael running his first Los Angeles Marathon.

I am currently a first year at UC San Diego. My senior year of high school was my first year of being a participant in Students Run LA. This is an organization I encourage all students to become involved in. I wish that I had participated in this program for all four years of high school. This program teaches students to set a goal and focus on nothing other than achieving that goal.

This program has given me the opportunity to become more physically active, make connections with other students, and become more attracted to being outside in nature. I have never enjoyed running. I mainly considered joining this program to challenge myself and do things that not many have done like run a marathon. I have always played sports in my life and the one thing I hated in sports was running.

Running is a big part of every sport and I have struggled to run because I have severe asthma. I used to get dizzy, vomit, and even black-out while running a single mile. SRLA has taught me to control my breathing in a way that I can enjoy getting a workout from running. I never would have thought before joining this program that I would be able to finish the LA Marathon. I trained week after week because I love the feeling of overcoming challenges and achieving my goals.

I ran race after race which I never thought was ever possible for me because of my asthma. Each race prepared me for the next race and eventually for the LA marathon. SRLA also influenced me to branch out and participate in a Spartan Race which was vigorous because it contained obstacles which I would never have had the training or the confidence to attempt, let alone finish. This program gradually trains you so that you are ready for more.

My goal since joining this program was to be able to finish the LA marathon. A challenge I faced that almost stopped me from achieving my goal was when I sprained my ankle and strained my hip flexor during volleyball practice. I was unable to practice running or perform any physical activity for approximately five weeks leading up to the LA Marathon. I contemplated whether to run the marathon at all due to my physical state, but deep down I knew I was not going to let this challenge stop me from doing the thing I had worked so hard for.

“Life throws everyone obstacles, but these challenges only make a person stronger willed if the person is willing to work to achieve their goal.”

Life throws everyone obstacles, but these challenges only make a person stronger willed if the person is willing to work to achieve their goal. SRLA taught me discipline, determination, and focus. I ultimately decided to run the LA Marathon. I started off really strong, but at about the tenth mile I thought I couldn’t go any more. The pain in my body was extremely awful, but I was focused, I couldn’t give up on my goal of finishing. I ran and walked even when I felt that I couldn’t. Health officers encouraged me to stop because I looked as though I couldn’t go any more. I couldn’t stop because once I start something I must finish it.

SRLA had trained me to know that no matter the distance I could get from point A to point B if I stayed focus. In the previous races I was used to being in the top tenth percentile of finishing racers, but in this marathon I was in the far back. Four miles before the end of the race an SRLA Coach ran alongside me and encouraged me to finish. He notified me that the last flag person was a mile ahead of me. At this point I could barely walk, but he helped me to push myself to jog and catch up to the flag person and even pass them. If I had not passed this flag person I would not have received a medal.

I realized at that moment that SRLA is not just about running, or achieving your goals, but also about helping others to reach theirs. I will forever be grateful to him and all the runners that encouraged me that day. I hope to follow in their footsteps and be that support for someone that is struggling. I had barely finished the marathon and earned my place. I did not care that I placed close to last, but was very proud to be a marathon finisher and achieve a goal of mine that I had worked so hard for.

Students Run LA has not only helped me expand my physical abilities, but it has also made me a better person. I learned to love running and love the desire to always better myself in any areas that I can to achieve the goals I set for myself. All of the pain I felt after finishing the LA marathon did not matter to me, because I was doing something I loved and was able to share this momentous occasion with wonderful people.

Micheal with his SRLA teammates and marathon leaders.

Thank you to Michael for sharing your story with our community. To support students in training for the Los Angeles Marathon make a contribution at srla.org/donate.