Boston Marathon: Waltham Man Running for Personal Challenge

For Rich Sturges, running the Boston marathon is a personal challenge.

Sturges, a Waltham resident, plans to face a difficult challenge on Monday, April 15 when he runs the 2013 Boston Marathon. For Sturges, the fun of the race is in preparing for it.

“I enjoy the process of getting ready for the marathon. I feel that it makes me a better runner. I also like the challenge of it, and how it's different from races of other distances. It does involve a lot of work and preparation," Sturges told Waltham Patch in an email.

Sturges, 40, has been pounding the pavement in the months before the race. He said he has been running up to six times per week for a maximum of 45 miles.

“The runs have been of different lengths and speeds, including track workouts, hill workouts, recovery runs, mid-distance runs, tempo workouts, road races, and, of course, the long runs. The training gives me a lot of time to think, and to think of strategies for handling different phases of the marathon, especially the end part,” Sturges said.

In addition to the challenges of the race itself, Sturges said it has been difficult to balance his everday life and runs.

“The biggest challenge has been balancing my running time with my other tasks and interests (e.g. work). Also, staying fed and rested has been important, since running so much has often left me hungry and tired!,” he said.

When Sturges crosses the finish line, he said he plans a short, personal victory display.

“Raise my arms in joy, and look for a place to party!” he said.