Fielzah Creighton takes on a marathon challenge

When the Stockton Sentinel learned that Fielzah Creighton ran in the Chicago Marathon, we contacted her about her experience. We emailed her several questions about how she became interested in running, etc., and once we received her answers, we knew we had to include the entire interview, which will be printed in installments as space allows. Here is the interview in question and answer form.

Enjoy... we did!

My running journey started somewhere near the end of 2017. I felt challenged even to walk/run on the treadmill for 15 minutes.

I could not even run around the block without feeling out of breath. I took up a running program called From-Couch-to-5K and started to build my cardiovascular and physical fitness. As I built on mileage and endurance, finishing several 5Ks (3.1mi), 10Ks (6.2mi), and my first half marathon (13.1 mi) in 2018, another thought arose from within, nudging me towards doing a full marathon.

I had dismissed, entertained, and even pushed back on the thought, but it never left and kept nudging. So, what else should a girl do than follow the dream within, right?

What made you want to run in the Chicago Marathon?

It was more of a stroke of luck than it was a want. I ran my first marathon on the 12th of November, 2022, in the Little Apple Marathon in Manhattan, KS. Still basking in the surreal emotions that I had run in and finished my very first marathon, I came across a post on social media about the last day to enter the Bank of America Chicago Marathon 2023 for a non-guaranteed entry. My chances of being selected were very slim, considering the thousands of runners applying to run in one of the six major marathons in the world. I didn’t give it much more than a sliver of hope or expectation. It was the 17th of November, and the registration closed at 2:00 p.m. central time. I threw in my name for the lottery just before noon that day. On the 8th of December, 2022, I received an email saying my application to the 45th Bank of America Chicago Marathon was selected.

What qualifications did you have to have to compete in the marathon?

There are a couple of ways to submit your application for the Chicago Marathon.

The first is to enter through a non-guaranteed entry (lottery drawing), where I submitted my application. Submitting multiple entries will not increase the applicant’s chance of being selected. In fact, the event organizers will remove all duplicate applications prior to the drawing. The names will then be chosen from the entire pool of lottery applications.

The second way to enter the marathon is through guaranteed entry applications. There are several categories under the guaranteed entry applications. They are Time Qualifier, Legacy Finisher, Charity, International Tour Group, Bank of America Chicago Distance Series, Prior Year Cancelled Entry, Pregnancy and Postpartum Policy, and American Development Program. More information on these guaranteed application processes can be found on the Bank of America Chicago Marathon official website.

The marathon has a time cap of six hours and thirty minutes to finish the 26.2-mile race, and the organizers require that participants can complete their run within that time frame as the race course will be reopened to the public afterward.

Describe your experiences in your two marathons.

For a few reasons, both marathons hold a very special place in my heart.

The Little Apple Marathon is a loop race course, which is a series of four laps of 6.55 miles, each looping around the Tuttle Creek State Park. Four total laps around the course equal 26.2 miles, which is the distance a marathon consists of. I have also completed two half marathons at this locale, one in 2019 and the other in 2020, so I am fairly familiar with the course.

On the 12th of November, 2022, 75 participants completed the Manhattan Marathon on a cold, overcast morning. My running watch registered a 19-degree Fahrenheit temperature with seven mph wind when the race started. This marathon was a winning/ victorious race for me because I overcame a long-held fear of not being able to finish a marathon. One other outstanding memory of the Little Apple Marathon was the fact that my husband and children were at the finish line, cheering me on as I approached the finish!

At the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, it was a different kind of dream fulfilled —to run one of the six major world marathons.

The Abbott World Marathon Majors consist of the Tokyo Marathon, the Boston Marathon, the Virgin Money London Marathon, the BMW Berlin Marathon, the TCS New York City Marathon, and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. They are the world's six largest and most renowned marathons, with Chicago being the world’s 3rd largest. Inspired individuals seek to earn a star from each marathon to obtain a Six Star Finisher medal, which is bestowed to those who have completed all six. An article from the Olympics. com website in March 2023 stated that 10,000 or so people have run all six majors, receiving the prestigious, most coveted Six Star Medal. I bumped into a runner from Omaha, Nebraska, who was running for her fifth Star at the Chicago Marathon and will seek entry to the Tokyo Marathon next year to complete her quest for all six stars. Amazing individual.

Were there a lot of spectators cheering others on?

Approximately 1.7 million spectators were estimated to have lined the streets, cheering and supporting the marathoners. The atmosphere, energy, and noise were beyond any race I had done in the past.

On the 8th of October Chicago Marathon, 48,574 participants crossed the finish line, according to marathonguide.com data. The count was 25,858 males and 22,626 females. The race course went through streets closed to the public in 29 different and distinct neighborhoods.

I was in Wave 3, scheduled to start at 8:35 a.m. I completed the distance at 2:44 p.m. Your official time doesn’t begin until you’ve physically passed the starting line.

What kind of training did you need to prepare for this event?

After a month or so of taking time off from training right after my first marathon in November 2022, I assessed where my fitness level was in January 2023, focusing on easy runs. I mainly focused on strength and mobility training. I learned my lesson well after an injury that sidelined me for a few months from running during parts of 2018 and 2019 after back-toback half marathons. I was introduced to cross-training exercises by my physical therapist and have since been incorporating those diligently in my training. I have learned the importance of strength and mobility training to complement my running to help build a more resilient body, reduce muscular imbalance, and reduce injuries from repetitive running motions. I haven’t had any running injuries since then.

I especially love Kettlebell training because it is such a dynamic, versatile, total-body workout combining weight lifting for strength, stability, and mobility. Kettlebell workouts are such great low-impact cardio that improve aerobic capacity and are great for general fitness and power.

After a few months of building my general fitness and baseline running, I started the McMillan: Marathon Level 1 (Novice) 16 Week proprussic gram in June 2023 with four weekly running workouts. It consists of 1-2 cross-training days and 20-30 weekly miles. I took my training plan as a guide as opposed to a regiment of “must-do” when considering the other commitments I have in life, like having a full-time job, my family needs, and my children’s sports and extra-curricular activities that I try to attend as much as I can. This way, I am not putting undue stress on my general wellness in my already demanding training. With this particular training plan, I was able to be flexible and adjust accordingly to suit my personal goals and other roles in life.

Installment #2 in next week’s Sentinel!