Tuesday, Feb. 09, 2010

Lawmaker ready for Myrtle Beach marathon

Each day, long before members of Congress begin flowing into the nation's Capitol and tourists start their sightseeing adventures, U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, can be seen running circles around the National Mall.

Schmidt said she usually pounds the pavement between 4 and 5 a.m. each morning, often finishing runs before much of Washington, D.C., awakes from its slumber.

"When I get up in the morning and put my running shoes on, I really see the world as it begins in a way that is very unique," she said. "You don't see that when you get up at 9 for a meeting or if you're going to a tourist place. It's only when you get up at the crack of dawn and see how that neighborhood gets up, how they work and how they start the day."

She is intrigued by the opportunity this weekend to investigate new territory at Myrtle Beach Marathon. Schmidt, a veteran of 80 previous marathons, is running her first in South Carolina. She is believed to be the highest-ranking politician to participate in the 13th annual event.

Schmidt doesn't have any preconceived goals heading into Saturday's marathon. She just wants to finish, stay healthy and enjoy a stress-relieving 26.2 miles. She began running years ago as a way to help lessen the effects of postpartum depression, and soon found that it also helped relieve the rigors of her day job.

"I think everybody needs to have an escape," she said. "For some it might be some type of exercise, for some it might be singing in the church choir, and for some it might be sitting on the couch watching a football game. We all need an escape. I love that running is mine."

Despite her position in the U.S. government, Schmidt's need to find a release makes her just like every other race participant, marathon President Shaun Walsh said.

"Everybody has a reason to run," he said. "It's not like people just decide they don't have anything going on and go out and do it. ... It's a great stress reliever. You get the brain juices flowing. It just takes people out of their world for 30 minutes or an hour, so they can run around and then come back to attack the real world again."

The closest the Myrtle Beach Marathon got to "political royalty" was in the event's second year, Walsh said. Christyne Lategano, the communications director for then-New York City Mayor Rudi Giuliani, ran on a celebrity relay team in 1999.

Schmidt had an open weekend and, citing the need to get away from the D.C. pressure cooker, thought a weekend in Myrtle Beach would be enjoyable. She doesn't plan to run with security and will do her best to fit in with the other participants.

She hasn't run in a marathon since participating in back-to-back events last October, but she is excited about the opportunity to run outside of her typical spot in the limelight.

"When I'm back home and doing a marathon anywhere close to Cincinnati, there is a little bit of pressure," Schmidt said. "Everybody knows who you are, and they wonder why you didn't do the time you wanted to do.

"This is a marathon where I don't have any expectations other than finishing. ... If I feel good, I'll go all out. If I don't, I won't. This is the one where the pressure is not on me. I like it."