Boston College Athletics
Photo by: John Quackenbos
Monday’s Marathon is Meehan’s Spring Challenge
April 14, 2016 | Women's Soccer
Eagles’ senior defender will tackle Heartbreak Hill on Patriots Day
Madison Meehan's collegiate soccer career wrapped up this November and the Eagles' senior was looking for a new challenge.
Like many people, one of her bucket-list items had always been to run a marathon. And with her schedule opening wide up without soccer practice second semester, Meehan knew it was as good a time as any to check that off her list. But not just because she had free time – running a marathon had special meaning to the Glocester, R.I., product.
"Running a marathon is always something I had wanted to do, for a combination of reasons," Meehan said. "First, after finishing my soccer season, I'd knew I'd have a lot of time to train for the marathon. So that was one good thing about it. And the Boston Marathon is one of the most famous marathons, so I thought it would be fun to do it while I was at BC and having all my friends and teammates around.
"And lastly, and more importantly, when I started looking for a charity to run for, I found Dana-Farber and I thought that would be the perfect charity to fun for since my dad passed away two years ago from CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia), which is a form of leukemia," Meehan said.
With a charitable partner in place – Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, the world-renowned cancer treatment and research center located in Boston – and a supportive running program at her disposal, Meehan jumped into her training.
"Going into it, the only other person who I knew was running for Dana-Farber was my friend who is on the ski team," she said. "But after I started to tell people that I was running for Dana-Farber, they introduced me to so many different people. It's really been great."
While incredibly fit to start her training, Meehan's first obstacle was gaining a different kind of fitness than she'd developed in her soccer career.
On the pitch, defenders can stop, start, sprint, jog and have ample recovery time between each restart. But on the marathon's course, it's all about enduring the distance.
Gaining that endurance was the main goal.
"It is very different from soccer endurance, and you really just have to trust in the training as you go," Meehan said. "You begin with around five miles and at first that's fun, but you have to trust that the training will bring you all the way up to the marathon distance.
"Having people around you, through the Dana-Farber team, who have done it before has been very helpful," she said.
Soccer players generally run three to seven miles a game, depending on their position. But that's the just first leg of a marathon.
"When I first started, it started with three or four mile runs," Meehan said. "But I remember the first 10-mile run being scary. I wasn't used to running that long without stopping. But it's amazing that as you go, how easy that seems now. I did 21 miles (on April 2) … We actually ran the first 21 miles of the course," she said.
Meehan's training has tapered down ahead of Monday's event, but part of what has gotten her through the last few months has been knowing her goal is a bigger one than her personal goal of running 26.2 miles.
"For me, it's more about the meaning behind the marathon than it is about myself," she said. "Whenever the runs seem to be getting difficult, I think about all the support I've received while training for the marathon, and why I'm running, and that really helps me get through it."
Her long run of 21 miles brought her to a finish at Boston College – her home for the last four years. On Monday, when she races past the University's main gates on Commonwealth Ave., past Burns Library, Voute Hall, Gabelli Hall, 66 Commonwealth Ave., the Career Center and St. Ignatius Church – with throng of BC students, not to mention her friends and family – cheering on all the runners, Meehan will pass many who have helped her achieve one of her ultimate goals. That convergence isn't lost on her.
"It'll be perfect timing to see everyone with just five miles left to go," she said. "I think it'll just be the perfect reminder of why I'm running, with all of my family and friends there. And a reminder of all the support I've received – not only while training for the marathon, but in all of my time here at BC."
Like many people, one of her bucket-list items had always been to run a marathon. And with her schedule opening wide up without soccer practice second semester, Meehan knew it was as good a time as any to check that off her list. But not just because she had free time – running a marathon had special meaning to the Glocester, R.I., product.
"Running a marathon is always something I had wanted to do, for a combination of reasons," Meehan said. "First, after finishing my soccer season, I'd knew I'd have a lot of time to train for the marathon. So that was one good thing about it. And the Boston Marathon is one of the most famous marathons, so I thought it would be fun to do it while I was at BC and having all my friends and teammates around.
"And lastly, and more importantly, when I started looking for a charity to run for, I found Dana-Farber and I thought that would be the perfect charity to fun for since my dad passed away two years ago from CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia), which is a form of leukemia," Meehan said.
With a charitable partner in place – Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, the world-renowned cancer treatment and research center located in Boston – and a supportive running program at her disposal, Meehan jumped into her training.
"Going into it, the only other person who I knew was running for Dana-Farber was my friend who is on the ski team," she said. "But after I started to tell people that I was running for Dana-Farber, they introduced me to so many different people. It's really been great."
While incredibly fit to start her training, Meehan's first obstacle was gaining a different kind of fitness than she'd developed in her soccer career.
On the pitch, defenders can stop, start, sprint, jog and have ample recovery time between each restart. But on the marathon's course, it's all about enduring the distance.
Gaining that endurance was the main goal.
"It is very different from soccer endurance, and you really just have to trust in the training as you go," Meehan said. "You begin with around five miles and at first that's fun, but you have to trust that the training will bring you all the way up to the marathon distance.
"Having people around you, through the Dana-Farber team, who have done it before has been very helpful," she said.
Soccer players generally run three to seven miles a game, depending on their position. But that's the just first leg of a marathon.
"When I first started, it started with three or four mile runs," Meehan said. "But I remember the first 10-mile run being scary. I wasn't used to running that long without stopping. But it's amazing that as you go, how easy that seems now. I did 21 miles (on April 2) … We actually ran the first 21 miles of the course," she said.
Meehan's training has tapered down ahead of Monday's event, but part of what has gotten her through the last few months has been knowing her goal is a bigger one than her personal goal of running 26.2 miles.
"For me, it's more about the meaning behind the marathon than it is about myself," she said. "Whenever the runs seem to be getting difficult, I think about all the support I've received while training for the marathon, and why I'm running, and that really helps me get through it."
Her long run of 21 miles brought her to a finish at Boston College – her home for the last four years. On Monday, when she races past the University's main gates on Commonwealth Ave., past Burns Library, Voute Hall, Gabelli Hall, 66 Commonwealth Ave., the Career Center and St. Ignatius Church – with throng of BC students, not to mention her friends and family – cheering on all the runners, Meehan will pass many who have helped her achieve one of her ultimate goals. That convergence isn't lost on her.
"It'll be perfect timing to see everyone with just five miles left to go," she said. "I think it'll just be the perfect reminder of why I'm running, with all of my family and friends there. And a reminder of all the support I've received – not only while training for the marathon, but in all of my time here at BC."
Players Mentioned
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