Zika Rea's Journal

March 24 Entry (Posted March 25, 2008)

It is now less than a month until the Olympic Team Trials- Women's Marathon in Boston. This is something I have been training for essentially for the last four years. It is the one race that has kept me motivated through two years of injuries determined to get there healthy and ready to race. Before I was injured in Kenya two years ago I truly believed I had a chance to finish in the top 10-15 at the Trials. By this winter when I finally had a few months of healthy relatively pain-free running under me, I reassessed and thought I could finish in the top 20. Now less than a month away I am in a position that every runner with a deadline dreads. I can't run. If I suck it up and endure the pain I can make it about 28 minutes....a tad short of 26.2 miles.

Running is a wonderful sport that has brought me so much happiness, the opportunity to travel around the country and the world, meet a lot of great people (including my husband) and develop new friendships. Through my own running I have found an intense passion for this sport, a passion which has led me to dedicate most of my time and energy toward assisting talented post- collegiate runners with our ZAP Fitness Foundation here in North Carolina. I am honored to play a role in making the United States the best distance running nation we can be. Despite all of these opportunities running has afforded me, there is a part of me that hates running. It can be a cruel sport that just when everything seems possible and old injuries are finally gone, a tight hamstring and an achy lower back can make me a walker overnight. More than a dozen times in the last month I have wanted to scream "why me" and sit by our ZAP trails in tears...a few times, I have to admit, it has come to that.

But believe it or not with less than a month to go and not having done a real run in about 3 weeks I have not completely given up hope. Maybe it's foolish and believe me by now I know all that I aimed for is most likely not a possibility. I have been seeing chiropractors, osteopaths, massage therapists, gotten acupuncture and spent hours a day in the pool and on the elliptical and stationary bike with the hope of something magical happening--Soon...anyone know a psychic healer? I am not a fun person to be around as I have been wallowing in self-pity for the last week or so. I am trying to suck it up and accept whatever happens. I remind myself that eight years ago with blazing PRs of 17:45 for 5K and 38:20 for 10K when I first thought about trying to qualify for the marathon trials I would have been happy with a spot on the starting line. I also remind myself that I am most likely not the only one in this position and there are others with even greater goals that might not make it to the starting line. So, whatever happens I will be in Boston on April 20 no matter what. I hope to be racing but otherwise I will be cheering on the other 120+ women who have made it there. I wish everyone some great training between now and then and we'll see what happens. Off to the pool - Zika

Introductory Entry (Posted January 18, 2008)

For years I have been fascinated with athletes in the twilight of their careers. How they have handled the additional aches, pains, and rising anxiety about the "what to do" post competitive athletics, intrigued me as I saw this inevitable reality approaching. I now find myself in those shoes with my sights set on one (perhaps two) final race(s) in my career before I transition to a new phase of my life.

I graduated from Emory University in 1998 with a modest (extremely modest) PR of 17:47 for 5K. What I did have, however, without the grade-A talent and eye-dropping personal bests, was oodles of desire to see how far I could push my body - regardless of where it took me. My late husband (and ZAP Fitness Co-Founder) Andy Palmer told me that to realize that potential - in the only event which seemed to suit me, the marathon - I needed to run and run and run some more. I began the process almost immediately of doubling my mileage to triple digit volume with the self-made agreement that I would stay with it long term no matter how bad it got.... and occasionally it got bad. During this time Andy and I also founded ZAP Fitness, taking the time to set up our organization, adult and youth camps and retreats, which support it, and bring in athletes young talented runners from around the country who were looking for a post collegiate opportunity.

After four years of fatigue and more days than I can count where I couldn't run a 7:00 mile.... that running (as Andy told me it would) paid off. I debuted in the marathon two weeks after Andy's death in 2002 with a time of 3:03. My next marathon was 2:53 at Grandma's the same year. 2:45 for my third grabbed me a Trials qualifier in '03. 2:42 was my fourth and my current PR of 2:41.06 was run at Twin Cities in 2005. Almost immediately after, I incurred the worst injury of my life while training in Kenya in 2006. After to long years of doctor after doctor I am at last healthy with the Olympic Trials in April my main focus. I have been training here in Boulder, Colorado while my husband (and ZAP coach) Pete is in Tallahassee, FL with all of our ZAP athletes. Longtime friend Tom Ratcliffe of KIMbia was gracious enough to allow me to rent one of his apartments here in town. I have been fortunate to run with Nicole Aish, Kathy Butler, and Colleen De Reuck, who are great positive people and will definitely help in the drive to Boston.

Whatever happens on April 20 in Boston, I have had a great ride in this sport. Not-so-secretly I am targeting a top 10 to 15 performance at the Trials; however running has allowed me to see much of the world and make wonderful friends along the way, so regardless of my finish I will walk (or possibly limp) away with a smile.

What's next? Continuing to assist young athletes at ZAP is indeed my passion, and the ZAP athletes have continued to be an inspiration for me. We have enjoyed some wonderful successes at ZAP and I now want to build on that toward 2012 and beyond. I plan to throw more of my energy into making ZAP Fitness better and better each year so that our young collegiate talent has a place to come and train like Olympians after graduation. While training as a collegian in Atlanta I mentioned my desire to qualify for the Olympic Trials one day in the marathon. A local runner responded by telling me "you won't ever break 3 hours." For all of those with dreams, do not be deterred by the naysayers. Be a dreamer and follow them.