Eberhard prepared for Boston challenge

PU sophomore hopes for sub-3 hours

By: Justin Feil
   Tyson Eberhardt has been a running enthusiast for as long as he can remember, so naturally he’s thrilled to have a chance to compete in the Boston Marathon so early in his life.
   "Running Boston has been a lifelong goal," said the 19-year-old Princeton University sophomore. "It’s sort of the ultimate thing you can do in distance running. I didn’t think I’d be doing it at this point, but it’s exciting. It gave me something to train for."
   Eberhardt ran with the PU men’s cross country team in the fall of his freshman year before injuries and his desire to dictate his own training schedule factored in his setting out on his own. Last fall, he competed in his first marathon, the Philadelphia Marathon, and qualified with a sub-3 hour, 10 minute time for the 110th running of the Boston Marathon that will be held noon Monday.
   "I realized in the Philly marathon that I hadn’t run a race since my last cross country race freshman year," Eberhardt said. "It had been a full calendar year. Racing on a regular schedule gives you a competitive edge. Over the course of the race, I settled in and got used to it.
   "It was the first one I ran," he added. "I wanted to qualify for Boston. That was my first goal. My second goal was to break 3 hours."
   Eberhardt hit his first goal and just missed his second when he covered his first 26.2-mile marathon course in 3:01:45, good for second among all males 15 to 19 years old and 204th overall out of thousands of Philadelphia finishers. He hopes to do even better at Boston given the experience he gained in his first marathon.
   "I feel about as prepared (physically) as I was for Philadelphia; I just have the experience," he said. "The mental aspect of the marathon was something I was completely unprepared for. The first 21 miles, I was wondering, why do people make such a big deal about this. But the last five miles, it was the hardest thing of my life."
   Eberhardt, who was on 2:50 pace for more than 20 miles of Philadelphia, thinks he is better prepared for what Boston will bring.
   "No. 1, I’d like to break 3 hours," Eberhardt said. "I’m gong to set out trying to and trying to stick with breaking 2:50. You have to be conscious of what your body can do, and you want to put yourself in position to make a move if you have it in you. Philadelphia was a great experience, but running 3:01 was hard."
   He has heard all about the Boston course that has mostly downhills in the first half and some serious climbs — including the famed Heartbreak Hill — in the last half.
   "My high school cross country coach ran the Boston Marathon," said Eberhardt, who ran in Seattle before coming to Princeton. "It’s a challenging course. I’ve heard about Heartbreak Hill. It’s tough to run hills around here. I do Pretty Brook sometimes. Running Philadelphia, any time you have people cheering for you, it helps. The number of people who will be cheering at Boston will hopefully give me a little extra."
   Going into the Philadelphia Marathon, Eberhardt had the advantage of a solid summer of training in Colorado, where he held a job and could run at altitude. When he came back to Princeton, he was able to use that base to keep his fitness level strong. Following Philadelphia, he took two weeks off, cross-trained for a week and then resumed training all-out with Boston in mind. That goal helped him remain motivated with all the complexities of college life surrounding him, though there are a number of other PU students that will also run Monday.
   "I love to run," Eberhardt said. "And I love the training most of the time. But it does take a lot of time. Sometimes, you’re out running for an hour-and-a-half or two hours. It takes away from your social life. But distance running and marathons are things I want to continue doing if I can."
   Running in the Boston Marathon is at the top of that distance running list. Eberhardt has been to Boston once before, and he’s looking forward to his second trip.
   "I’ve heard it will be such an experience," he said. "I’ve heard it’s a great marathon atmosphere. I really want to get a taste of that."
   And while he’s there, Eberhardt won’t be the only one bringing a West Coast flavor to the city. His hometown Seattle Mariners play a weekend series with the Boston Red Sox, culminating in Monday’s matinee that starts early enough so the crowds can let out to see the end of the marathon.
   "I’m a Mariners fan so I’ve got to get to a game," Eberhardt said. "They’re there. That says something. It’s a good sign. I’m looking forward to seeing the city as well."
   Tyson Eberhardt is hoping it’s only a 3-hour tour, though just being a part of it for the first time will make it a special trip for the Princeton sophomore.