By Christina Fernández-Morrow, Hola Iowa
Iowa-Body aches, blurred vision, dead earbuds—everything hit Natalie Carmenate all at once as she reached the twenty-first mile of the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich in Spain, one of the biggest and fastest road marathons in the world. The 20-year-old first-time marathon runner anticipated some struggle, but didn’t expect it to come so hard and fast, especially after feeling strong passing miles 18 and 19, typically the toughest among marathon runners. “It wasn’t a surprise that I was in so much pain at that point. I kept telling myself that this is a privilege to be here,” she said, reminding herself how hard she had trained and what an exciting experience it was to race in a foreign country. She finished just under 5 hours, a respectable time for a novice marathoner.
The Valencia Marathon is renowned for its flat course, mild weather, and spectacular views, but Carmenate wasn’t focused on any of that. She was there to challenge herself and create lasting memories with her grandfather, a seasoned marathon runner. This run was particularly special because it was his first international race after becoming a US Citizen. “I was so nervous, my hands were clammy, my mouth was so dry, and here’s my grandpa, just chillin’ next to me while I was freaking out,” she recalls of the moments before the race. “As soon as we started running, I was not nervous anymore. I felt so amazing, so happy. I was smiling from ear to ear. It was super cool, not like anything I’d ever experienced before.”
Five thousand miles home, with the Mediterranean breeze at her back, Carmenate found herself among 35,000 runners from across the globe at the starting line. She had to adjust to so many people, after training on solo runs. She was also concerned about the distance. Although she had followed a rigorous running schedule to build stamina, the longest run she had completed was fourteen miles.
As the run progressed, her grandfather’s experience proved invaluable. “My grandpa really helped me out, especially in the later miles, handing me packets of salt that I could take and making sure I was fueling my body properly, and drinking enough water,” she recalls. “It really helped because I don’t know if I would have held myself to that. It’s easy to forget. Like, oh, I need to do this for the future because you feel fine in the moment.”
As she approached the last five miles, the aches set in, and her legs felt like lead. She wasn’t sure she could finish. “That’s when I saw my mom and grandma in the crowd and my mom gave me a packet of magnesium. I was in so much pain but seeing her helped me so much.” Fans also helped keep her motivated. “This random guy on the sidelines yelled to think about everything I’ve put into this, all the things I sacrificed for this. That reminder helped me keep going.”
Carmenate, a soccer player for Simpson College, began training for the marathon the year before, often waking up before dawn to run miles before class, running after practice, and even squeezing in eight miles before boarding a bus for a soccer tournament. “I think what really motivated me was knowing I had told people I was going to run a marathon, and my grandpa, who I was going to be running it with. I kept picturing the end goal, knowing it was such a privilege to have that opportunity.”
Luckily, staying busy is nothing new to Carmenate, who aside from a full courseload of graphic design and marketing classes, and all the student-athlete time commitments, also participates in the Social Justice Alliance Club, TRIO Student Support Services, is a Wesley Service Scholar volunteering in the Indianola and Des Moines communities, and started a Run Club with some teammates.
What’s next for this talented college sophomore?
“I think I’m a more confident athlete now after doing something so challenging. It’s definitely helped me in soccer,” she reflects thoughtfully. As for marathons, she doesn’t have any planned, but she’s not ruling out another international race with her grandfather, who has his sights set on Asia. “It felt amazing to be able to dig deep and finish strong,” she says proudly of her final time of 4 hours, 59 minutes and 58 seconds. With pride in her voice as she recounts her first marathon, it’s hard to believe she won’t be at another starting line sometime soon.
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