Under the blazing Los Angeles sun, Abby Steiling (’26) sprinted toward the finish line, reminding herself of the 18 weeks of training that led toward this moment. On March 8, Steiling completed her first marathon at just 17 years old.
“I would tell myself that if it were easy, everyone would be doing it,” Steiling said.
Leading up to the Los Angeles Marathon, Steiling trained intensely on the Washington and Old Dominion trail. Waking before dawn on Wednesday mornings, she ran shorter distances, and on Saturday mornings, she endured long runs.
“Some mornings, it was hard to get out of bed, especially before school when it was dark, but I would try to remember what it was all for,” Steiling said.
With the assistance of the apps Runna and Strava, Steiling tracked her mileage and pace, building up to her longest run before the 22 mile race day. However, much of her physical preparation took place off the trail, as she cross-trained through varsity swim practice and Corepower yoga. In addition, proper nutrition and rest remained a priority of Steiling’s.
“I made sure I was eating enough food, but also the right type of foods for performance and recovery,” Steiling said. “I also had to make sure I was taking rest days to recover my muscles, which was hard as someone who can’t sit still.”
When needing additional support throughout the process, she frequently consulted her mom, who competed in races all throughout Steiling’s childhood.
“She ran her first marathon while pregnant with me,” Steiling said. “She pushed me and gave me some encouragement, and I could turn to her when I had questions about preparation and recovery.”
Striking a balance between caring for and challenging herself, Steiling had to adjust to setbacks and listen to her body while training.
“I could definitely feel the impact of my training on my muscles, especially my knee,” Steiling said. “I gave myself grace and really tuned down my mileage in the two weeks leading up [so as] not to make it worse.”
Still, the hardest part, according to Steiling, wasn’t the physical aspect, but building mental strength. Steiling often repeated the phrase “Grit. Resilience. Determination.” to herself as a reminder to keep going, and even sharpied it on the back of her hand for race day. Additionally, to hype herself up, Steiling would blast Kelly Clarkson’s hit “Stronger” through her headphones.
“I told myself I could stop after the song was finished, but after [it did], I would have found enough encouragement to keep moving,” Steiling said.
Finally, all Steiling’s mental and physical preparation paid off. As she ran through the streets of Los Angeles neighborhoods, Steiling was not only prepared for the marathon but thoroughly enjoyed it.
“[In] the first half, I was having so much fun,” Steiling said. “All the people with signs and cheering me on gave me so much energy.”
Much like the training process, though, the race was not without roadblocks. On mile 20, the sun was out, and the race began to feel taxing for Steiling. What kept her going was the culmination of months’ worth of effort, and the finish line being so close in sight.
“I knew I was almost there, so I was able to hang on,” Steiling said. “I thought of how lucky I was to be there. I was grateful for my body, for being healthy and able to chase my dream and this goal I set for myself.”
