Marathoner turns his goal into documentary
A simple plan to get back in shape led to a quest to qualify for the Boston Marathon
By Art Carey
Michael Zolomij knows about stamina. He is the father of three boys and a girl, all under the age of 5.
He and his wife, Carol, have a motto to describe the merry chaos of their West Chester household: "Always crazy, rarely quiet; only the silence scares us."
Life is a bit more manageable now that he no longer travels for work. A videographer for QVC, he shoots commercials and promos. Some weeks, he works days; some weeks, he works night. He takes it all in stride.
Six years on the road, though, took their toll. Zolomij (pronounced za-LO-mee) ate plenty of fast food. A former high school wrestler and college rugby player, he failed to exercise regularly. His weight climbed to more than 230 pounds.
As he rang in the new year 2004, Zolomij made a resolution: He would return to fighting trim. By adjusting his diet he had already shed 25 pounds. Now he was determined to lose 30 more.
"I began running again and fell back in love with it," says Zolomij, who first began running at age 14 to condition himself for wrestling.
As he became lighter and fleeter, Zolomij could feel the competitive juices percolating. He entered a local 10K and finished in less than an hour.
He was surprised and impressed. So was his father.
"You ought to run a marathon," he told his son.
"Yeah, right," Zolomij thought. But the more he pondered the idea, the more tempting it became. In October 2004, he showed up for the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington. He had three goals: to finish, the have fun, and to break four hours. He succeeded. His time: 3:56.
The following spring, Zolomij completed another marathon in Lake Placid, NY. Despite the hilly course, he bettered his time, clocking 3:51.
About this time, while browsing the web site of the storied Boston Marathon, he discovered that the qualifying time for me his age is 3:15.
The Voice of Doubt declared: "There's no way you can do that." The Voice of Zest declared: "You gotta do that!"
Zolomij discussed his ambition with his wife. "Go for it," she said. Then she went a step further. She urged him to make a documentary about his quest. "This is the big project you've been looking for," she said. The title of the proposed documentary: 3:15.
Zolomij assembled a seven-person crew of trusted friends and professional associates.
"It seemed like such an amazing story," says Michele Loschiavo, a television producer whom Zolomij tapped to be director.
Crew members began filming Zolomij as he trained for a Marine Corpss Marathon encore. And last October, they captured him as he crossed the finish line, notching a personal best of 3:33. This February, they recorded his performance in a marathon in Delaware. With his left knee ailing from an overtraining injury, Zolomij struggled. His time slipped to 3:36.
The climax of the documentary is the Chicago Marathon, which takes place Oct. 22. Zolomij must break 3:15 to qualify for Boston in April.
"Some people think it's impossible," Zolomij says, "but I believe I can do it."
Now 39 and a lean 170 pounds, Zolomij rises at 4am and is out the door pounding the pavement by 5:30. He runs three days a week and cross-trains at the gym three days a week. He spends the first running day sprinting up stairs at a nearby parking garage or the steps at West Chester University's football stadium. The second day he goes for a five to eight mile tempo run, alternately accelerating and decelerating. The third day consists of LSD - long, slow distance, maybe a looping 20-miler.
"I like the dedication it takes," Zolomij says. "You can't cram the night before the exam. You have to do all your homework over the entire length of the course. You really find out what you're made of, and that's not a bad thing."
The aim of the documentary is to show that "just about anything is achiveable if you're willing to work for it," Zolomij says. "It's about family and all the support and sacrifice it takes to accomplish something significant."
Because the long weekend runs can take up to three hours, Michael and Carol have to juggle schedules and work to accommodate each other's need for personal time.
"It's been a serious challenge and a hard road in some respects," Carol, 38, says. "We've had to learn how to communicate effectively."
Director Loschiavo says that balance between a passion and family is in the film. "It's also about a man trying to impress his children and be good influences on them."
Whether Zolomij breaks 3:15 or not, the documentary will still go forward. Says Loschiavo: "It's more about the journey."
"If it motivates people to learn a language, paint a picture, or take up photography, that's great," Zolomij says. "It's not just about running. It's about pursuing goals and believing in yourself."
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