The 26.2 Mile Routine
By Daily Bruin Staff
April 3, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 Bo Lorentzen UCLA senior Lena Degteva
maintains her stride at mile 23 of the Los Angeles Marathon on
March 4.
By Scott Schultz
Daily Bruin Contributor
What do you do when you reach the end of a stellar career in a
sport you’ve competed in for your entire life, but
doesn’t have enough opportunities to continue with it
full-time?
For 13-time All-American gymnast and fifth-year-senior Lena
Degteva, the answer came as a rhetorical challenge. Would you run a
marathon? Degteva figured, “Why not?”
Her friend offered the challenge in jest, but Degteva
successfully completed the Los Angeles Marathon on March 4.
To complete a marathon in her final year of school would seem an
admirable challenge for one of UCLA’s elite athletes. But
without any prior experience Degteva accomplished the goal with
less than a quarter of serious training.
The diligent Degteva was able to transfer her internal drive and
focus to her marathon training. However, gymnastics, the sport
she’d trained for her entire life, is an anaerobic sport that
involves minimal running.
She didn’t begin training until after the winter break
because she couldn’t run in her native Ontario, Canada, due
to the frigid weather conditions.
According to John Consedine, campaign manager of Team in
Training, a group which has trained more than 5,000 first-time
marathon runners, beginners should allow themselves five to six
months training time.
“You’ve got to respect the distance,”
Consedine said. “If you overtrain you will hurt yourself, and
if you undertrain, you won’t finish the race.”
Degteva started out by running the campus perimeter, which is
approximately four miles. They were perhaps the four most difficult
miles of her training process.
“At first I couldn’t focus on anything but how
painful it was,” Degteva said. “I felt like my legs
just didn’t work anymore, and my breathing was
awful.”
Due to Degteva’s gymnastics background, where success
often comes after repeated failure, she was able to gradually build
her endurance and confidence.
“The first time I ran three perimeters I was pretty
skeptical I would make it through,” Degteva said. “When
I did, I didn’t feel as awful as I imagined, so then I knew,
“˜I can do this.'”
UCLA gymnastics Head Coach Valorie Kondos Field was shocked when
Degteva informed her she was going to run the marathon, but Kondos
Field wasn’t surprised by her results.
“My initial reaction was “˜Lena, you’re
nuts,'” Kondos Fields said. “But what amazes me
““ and it’s so true to her character ““ is she ran
it because she said she would.”
It was raining one weekend before the race and Degteva
didn’t want to run, but felt she had to prepare herself for
the possibility of running the marathon in the rain.
“I forced myself to go out there and I got soaked,”
Degteva said with a laugh. “It wasn’t the most pleasant
thing in my life, but I needed to know what that feels
like.”
As it turned out, the weather was perfect on the day of the
race.
Wet weather conditions are hazardous, especially for novice
runners, because the wet shoes and damp surfaces leave the runner
susceptible to injury.
According to Consedine, the most common injuries for first-time
marathoners are shin splints, knee injuries and injuries to the
Ilotibial Band, a muscle that runs along the side of the leg
extending from the hip to the knee.
With the exception of blisters, Degteva emerged from her
training without any significant injuries. She said the day before
the race that she would try to maintain a ten-minute mile pace.
With a final time of 4 hours, 15 minutes, 12 seconds, she
remarkably came within one minute of her predicted pace ““
without looking at her watch.
What’s even more impressive is that her pace time actually
increased in the second half of the race.
“It was amazing to me,” Kondos Field said.
“But when I think about whom I’m talking about, it
doesn’t surprise me.”
“She’s just the Energizer Bunny,” Kondos Field
continued. “You point her towards the goal, and she will go
full steam until she accomplishes the goal.”
Degteva said that the support of the crowd was an unexpected
inspiration.
“I couldn’t believe people took the time to go out
and cheer,” Degteva said. “They handed out water, and
Powerbars that they bought with their own money. They just wanted
to support the runners without asking for anything in
return.”
Degteva said her toughest moment of the race was when she
reached the 23rd mile. Marathon runners call that moment
“hitting the wall.” Degteva felt like her legs wanted
to quit at that point.
However, she was inspired by the supporters on the sidelines for
reminding her she only had three miles to finish the race.
Degteva also believes that her tunnel vision, a carryover from
her gymnastics days, enabled her to block out the other runners
passing her and help her maintain a pace that was perfect for
her.
One of her most enduring memories of the race was when she made
the final turn.
“When I turned on Figueroa and I saw the big screen, it
was really exciting. On the sidewalks people were screaming
“˜it’s downhill now.’ That was the extra boost I
needed at that point,” she said.
Two days later, Degteva had new blisters, sore legs and a medal
for completing the marathon.
Now that the marathon is in her past, Degteva is finishing her
bachelors in psychology and will attend fashion design school. This
summer, she will also perform in the World Rhythms on Ice at Sea
World, which is choreographed by Kondos Field.
