Training for a First Marathon, Raising Money for Cancer Research

Kim Austin is an athlete who has run the traditional preparation for a first marathon: a series of half-marathons. This year, she's tackling the most storied marathon of them all: the 116th Boston Marathon.

Last year, at 38, at her friend's urging, she agreed to join a group training for the 2012 Boston Marathon, as part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's TEAM in Training. Her friend is the coach of the team.

For years, her friend had encouraged her to join. Initially, the idea of a 26.1-mile distance didn't seem like a good idea. "That's a long way to go," Austin said.

Eventually, the challenge appealed to her.

After getting accepted in September to the 125-member team, she started running with the group members, and raising contributions for cancer research. She is nearly finished in raising donations for her personal goal of $6,000, and will then work to raise money toward the team's $1 million goal.

Austin, a 13-year-resident of Milford, trains with the team in Wellesley, along the route of the marathon, as well as in town. On a recent morning, when most people in Milford were grousing about the recent snow, she started off on a training run down Purchase Street. Ordinarily, she would have run along the Milford Upper Charles Trail, but the path was probably not cleared of snow.

Her training for the marathon has entailed two five-mile runs, twice a week, and a track workout of four-to-five miles each week, as well as the "long run" on Saturdays, along the race course with other team members. As of last week, the team had reached a distance of 16 miles on the long run, in a slow buildup to the course distance.

As she's trained, Austin said she has become more excited about the race, and about the cause. Now that she's pushed past her previous high-mark for mileage, she's noticed a bigger appetite, and a few more aches and pains.

The closer April 16 looms, the more nervous, and excited, she expects to get.