USC Marathon Team
This was my first marathon since I took up running in earnest about a year ago, and though this may sound cliched, I am not exaggerating when I say it was an incredible, overwhelming experience. Athletic ability is not very highly valued where I come from, and running the marathon was my way of hitting back at that mentality. The marathon taught me that I was capable of things I previously imagined impossible. It also taught me that everything they say about the last 6 miles is completely true.
Training with the team was as much a religious experience as running the
marathon itself. I got to meet so many wonderful, motivated people with one
overriding goal, and also made a bunch of great friends along the way.
Congratulations to everyone on the team for successfully completing the
marathon. A big round of applause for the coaches Zack, Drew, Vinny and Major
Jim for not only making the team possible, but also arranging for carpools,
breakfasts, get-togethers, team t-shirts, ... well, you get the picture!
And finally, a special note of thanks to Mike Knobelspies, my pace partner,
with whom I ran the long runs and most of the marathon.
Sankaranarayanan Ananthakrishnan