Jamey Murphy makes his 50th birthday a marathon celebration

LAKEWOOD RANCH — To celebrate a 50th birthday, some people splurge on luxurious European vacations, purchase a new car, throw a party or eat out at their favorite restaurant.

But as Lakewood Ranch resident Jamey Murphy pondered the idea, he settled on something a bit more triumphant — completion of the New York City Marathon.

“It was something to shoot for,” said Murphy, finance director for Champs Sports. “I’ve always wanted to do a marathon.”

Murphy’s wife, Jodi Mailman, completed a half Ironman triathlon for her 50th birthday last year, prompting Murphy to find a challenge of his own.

Mailman thought her husband would choose to do a half Ironman triathlon for his birthday, too, until he announced his intention to complete the 26-mile run in New York City.

“I couldn’t change his mind,” Mailman said, laughing. “We both started training in July. I told him I would do it with him and be his pacer.”

Although a lifelong athlete, Murphy has only been running for the last 10 years. He and his wife both are members of the Lakewood Ranch Running Club.

“I didn’t feel I was ready (for the triathlon),” Murphy said. “I’m more of a runner. We just really love it; we love running. We love the camaraderie of it. Knowing people are doing their best — that inspires me. I like being in that environment.”

Although Murphy and Mailman compete regularly in half-marathons and shorter races, Murphy said he knew this longer race would be challenging — not only physically and mentally but also in preparation.

He ran more than 10 hours a week, plus spent up to 15 hours a week working out, as well. The schedule proved grueling, but Murphy said he’s proud of the discipline he used to reach his goal.

He and Mailman got up as early as 3:30 a.m. some mornings to train to beat the sweltering summer Florida heat.

“It really taught me discipline,” Murphy said of preparing for the race. “I didn’t miss any (training). I’ve put in 900 miles since June. I took it seriously.”

Once in New York City for the race, Murphy and Mailman were amazed at the size of the event, which included about 47,000 racers and raised more than $30 million for charities.

The two started the race together but soon were separated in the crowd. However, Murphy stayed focused, intent on reaching his time goal.

Despite cramping up off-and-on for the last six miles of the race, he completed the race in 3:54:15.

“It was unbelievable,” Murphy said of the experience, noting he heard 36 bands as he ran through the course. “My legs were tired, but it felt good. It was a sense of accomplishment. That’s like the granddaddy of all the races. And it was exciting to share it with Jodi, too.

“I knew it was going to be a tough race,” he said. “You feel every mile of it.”

Although Murphy beat his wife by more than eight minutes on their first 26-mile trek, he knows she’ll keep the pressure on, he said.

“It gave me bragging rights until the next race,” Murphy said. “We razz each other all the time — in a friendly way. It keeps us motivated.”

With a marathon under his belt, Murphy said his next goal is to complete a half Ironman triathlon.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

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