Davies to compete in first marathon

If a determined New York City marathoner sprints ahead of the pack in the first 100 meters before settling into a steady nine-minute mile pace on Sunday, chances are it's probably going to be Caryn Davies.

The Olympic rower set a world record in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and took the gold medal for the eight from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, but she isn't looking to mimic her international success.

She just wants one claim to fame in her first marathon.

"I plan to just take off like a bat out of hell as soon as the gun goes," she said. "Then, I could say, 'Well, I was in first until I bonked.' "

If she does take the lead on Sunday, even if just for a few seconds, that would certainly be an accomplishment. About 37,000 competitors are expected to ferry themselves to Staten Island for the 40th annual ING New York City Marathon.

Representing Right to Play, an international organization that uses sports to help children in disadvantaged communities, Davies joins a group of ambitious Olympians who have tackled the world's largest marathon-even though running isn't their primary sport.

In 2008, Olympic gold medalists Kerri Strug (gymnastics) and Brandi Chastain (soccer) crossed the finish line in Central Park. This year, Davies will run alongside Dan Jansen, a 1994 Olympic gold medalist in speedskating.

Mark Lopez, an Olympic taekwondo silver medalist in Beijing, was expected to run but had to withdraw after being injured at the World Taekwondo Championships earlier this month, where he won the bronze medal.

Davies began training for the race in April, shortly after she enrolled in Columbia Law for the 2009 fall semester.  The athlete knew she needed a routine that would mesh with her hectic first-year schedule. The ease of running-put on shoes and go-convinced her to switch from water to pavement.

"It's pretty much the most efficient workout," Davies said. "Once I decided that, I thought I really should have a goal to work towards ... so I thought, 'Hey, I'll enter the marathon.' "

On Sunday, Davies aims to finish in four hours-a nine-minute mile pace-but ultimately she just wants to complete the run and join her friends and family for a chili cook-off.

"The most stunning thing to me is that it's not competitive," she said. "I have no delusions of grandeur about being competitive."

That lack of pressure gives Davies an escape from both the hustle of law school and the competitive pressure of Olympic training. Rowing training was straightforward, Davies said.

"You show up at practice, you do your workout, you may or may not do well, then you go home," she said. "There's no changing of priorities."

Law school is decidedly less structured.

"I wasn't ready for how much the amount of work would stress me out," Davies said.  "At any given point you constantly feel like you're failing at something. It's always in the back of your mind nagging you, that there's a class that you won't be prepared for."

Davies is unsure if she will get back in the skull and try to earn a spot in the London 2012 Olympic Games. She'd like to be competing in London, but it will probably come down to other commitments.

"In an ideal world I would be able to do so-I very much miss rowing-but it depends on various factors including my academic interests, career path, and financial situation," she said.

Right now, though, it's all about the marathon.

Like many marathoners, Davies has battled her share of training maladies-shin splints, sore knees and a tender hip. After seven months, Davies has warded off serious injuries and now embraces the sport as a sort of mental oasis.

"It's almost a little bit Zen, to go out for a run," she said.  "If I want to go fast, I go fast. If I don't, I don't. ... In the past it was a constant comparison of how you did against your teammates or even against your score from the last week.  Now, I don't even think about it."

Of course, that doesn't eliminate all anxieties about running 26.2 miles across New York City's five boroughs.

"Bathroom stops make me the most nervous," Davies said with a laugh. "When you're running along sometimes you just have to go, and it's really not pleasant when that happens and there aren't any restrooms."

It's a practical concern for any first-time marathoner, but at least Davies knows she can depend on New York's construction workers.

"Once I had to ask a construction worker," Davies said. "There were all sorts of signs that said 'Do not enter.'  But I put on a hard hat and walked in."

So when Davies says she's going to try to plow through thousands of runners in New York City to get to the front of the pack, you might just have to believe she'll try it.

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Molly Fergus is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of any National Governing Bodies.