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PAST ISSUES

Soule races against cancer

by Joe Fagella
Exchange Staff

     Franklin Pierce alum Matt Soule ('06) hated running, and jokingly admitted that he'd never run more than two continuous miles without vomiting. Yet, despite the cold and the rain, he ran 26.2 continuous miles. But it was all for someone very close to his heart.

     Soule ran the 111^th Boston Marathon this past Monday in honor of his mother, who has been diagnosed twice with breast cancer. Because even though she's been successful with both fights, he knows way too many people aren't so lucky, so he joined forces with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute to raise money for research. His goal was to raise $3,000 and with a month left in the program he's already reached the $3,500 mark.

     Facebook (social networking website) was important in the donation process as Soule created a group and invited all his friends and family to join. On the group's page is a link where people can go to donate to Dana Farber, or they can just leave some encouraging words for him on the group's "wall." At present, the group has 547 members.

     Facebook also was key in that it served as a forum to invite everyone in the "Soule Races Against Cancer" group to a pre-marathon fundraising party, exactly one month before the race (March 16^th). Despite the nor'easter that weekend, a decent crowd still turned out at the Bus Stop Pub in Allston (MA) to support Soule in his cause. Attendees paid a $10 donation at the door, and then were treated to the sounds of the band Delhill, with plenty of food and drinks and tons of great raffle prizes to enjoy throughout the night.

     As for the actual race, Soule, finished it with a commendable official time of 4:46:58. He started training in early December, where he admits he couldn't even finish the first two-mile run. He gradually stepped it up to 18 miles, but it came with a price as he developed knee problems.

     The knee problems started when he tried to run 20 miles. "It was late March and we had a major snowstorm that led to me running it on a treadmill," he said. "About seven miles in, my left knee started clicking with every step, and the pain got worse and worse. I tried stretching, taking a short walk and starting back up, but the pain came right back."

     He did some research and found out that he was suffering from the most common marathon training injury --- a strained IT Band (the muscle that runs from the outside of the hip down to the knee). "There's no real quick fix to cure it --- just icing, stretching, and using a foam roller (the most painful thing ever) to get the blood flowing in the muscle," he said.

     Running is in the Soule family. His dad ran throughout junior high and high school and continues doing it for fun, while his younger twin brothers started early and have continued it into their college years running on cross country teams. Matt, on the other hand, has been a "late bloomer" of sorts as he's just getting into it now at 22, and he's even reached the point where he actually doesn't hate it as much as he used to. "This whole experience has got me hooked on running for sure, but there will be no more long distances after [the marathon] today," he said. "After running a few miles (3-4), I feel more awake and energized, but the 16-18-mile runs are killer."

     "I was never as into running as everyone else was," he said. "I gave it a try in high school and joined the winter track team. I stuck to all the jumping events because they were the easiest. But one day I was forced to run the 800-meter, and I ended up running too fast in the beginning and walking across the finish line dead last."

     Fortunately for him he wasn't trying to win the Boston Marathon, he was just thankful to cross that finish line. . .without vomiting.