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Make a Run for It: History teacher Julie Wheeler discusses her love for running
Courtesy of Julie Wheeler
Julie Wheeler runs a marathon in Napa. Wheeler often runs in marathons in various numerous cities across the nation.
February 21, 2017
Her gray and bright coral sneakers strike the asphalt road, pushing her forward with every step. Julie Wheeler, wearing the number 2610 on her yellow t-shirt, runs the 22nd mile of the 2016 Napa marathon.
Wheeler set a goal to complete a marathon before she turned 30. She purchased a book and followed a rigorous training plan to prepare herself for a marathon.
“I got a book of all sorts of different training plans for your first marathon,” Wheeler said. “[For] the first one I was very disciplined in training and went through and with the short and the long runs because your first time you don’t know what’s going to happen, and it’s a pretty intimidating experience.”
After four months of training, in the December before her 30th birthday, Wheeler participated in the Las Vegas marathon.
“I felt awful during the first one, absolutely awful. The last few miles [is what] the runners call “hit the wall”. It’s where the lactic acid in your legs and everything hurts. It hurts to walk, it hurts to run, you don’t know what to do, you just need to finish. But then, half an hour after you’re done, it’s this fabulous sense of fulfillment and accomplishment,” she said.
Over the next 10 years, she participated in 12 more, including the New York City marathon, the Seattle marathon, the Sacramento marathon and the Las Vegas marathon.
“I just kept going because once you did the first one and you’re like ‘Oh, I didn’t die. Wow! That’s nice. I think I can do better,’ so it can suck you in a little bit.”
Wheeler is from Boston and plans on running the Boston marathon sometime in the next few years.
“I hold the Boston marathon in such high esteem, and I will not run it until I’ve earned that spot,” Wheeler said. “It’s one where you need to qualify, and I never really fully went after it. Now I’m older and my qualifying time is decreasing… someday I’ll run it.
Wheeler uses long distance running as a way to relax and clear her mind.
“If something still bothers me after mile 18, then it’s a real problem, but as of now, there is nothing that has been bothering me for me to think about over the fact,” Wheeler said. “I think it helps sort of ground me.”
After a marathon, Wheeler hydrates herself and winds down with some stretching. She treats herself to a cheeseburger, a beer, and a good night’s sleep.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on February 21, 2017.
