Marathoners find friends, improvement on team

• USC Marathon Team members practice four times a week to prepare for the Los Angeles Marathon.
• Practices are hard, but runners say their accomplishments outweigh the pain. 
• Running with a team helps students form bonds. 

By the time most students have schlepped their way to their early-morning classes, members of the USC Marathon Team have already been up for at least two hours and run five miles. 

A club team that runs under the USC Recreational Sports department, the marathon team welcomes any USC students, faculty and staff. They practice three times during the week, at either 7 a.m. or 5 p.m., and on Sundays at 8 a.m.

Students say they run with the marathon team because of group atmosphere and the bonds they form with teammates. 

“Definitely the most encouraging part of running the marathon was running with the USC Marathon Team,” said Laura Reeve, a junior majoring in public relations and a member of the marathon team for two years. “It’s different doing those long runs by yourself, but having a bunch of other people with you definitely was motivating.” 

More than just a way for runners to find running partners, the marathon team also promotes “team work, monitored training routines and healthy lifestyle in order to complete 26.2 miles,” according to the team’s website. 

Reeve, who ran the Los Angeles Marathon last March with the team, said the feeling of accomplishment after months of training made her experience worth it. 

“I was actually really emotional, which is unlike me,” she said. “Physically, I was so glad to be done, but I was also really proud of myself.” 

This year, the Los Angeles Marathon will be held Feb. 16. Students interested in joining the USC Marathon Team can contact the coaches at marathon@usc.edu. 

Interested in this story? Read more about unlikely USC athletes here. 

- Photos courtesy of the USC Marathon Team

Football field hosts more than just Trojan greats

• USC Maintenance workers play soccer on Howard Jones Practice Field.
• Workers find friendship, camaraderie and much-needed fun from impromptu soccer games.
• Manager says they are dedicated to the sport and their jobs.

Over the years, Howard Jones Practice Field has hosted football greats such as Carson Palmer, Reggie Bush and Matt Leinert. This field, located on the west side of the University of Southern California campus, is where these players first took the field as Trojans and worked their way to Heisman glory. 

But this field is also home to some lesser-known athletes, the maintenance workers who clean and groom the field. 

These men arrive at work around 5 a.m., cleaning the campus at an hour so early that most students don’t even see them performing the majority of their work. 

Soccer Break

But at 11:30 each day, the maintenance workers stop edging or mowing and meet in the corner of Howard Jones to play soccer during their lunch break. Taking off their stiff uniforms for more comfortable T-shirts and jerseys, these workers play during what is often the hottest part of the day, but that doesn’t seem to bother them. 

These games are informal and rarely draw a crowd or ESPN reporters to analyze their plays, but that doesn’t mean the players don’t take it seriously. 

“We have a lot of Hispanic guys that really love soccer,” said Eric Warren, athletic field supervisor and USC employee since 1974. “Anyone who would come out here on their lunch break and play in this heat and go at it like they’re going at it have to really love the game.” 

  

Though Warren rarely joins the game, he also spends his break out on the field, socializing and cheering on his employees. 

Like Warren, some of the workers enjoy taking part in the action while others enjoy rooting them on from the sidelines. 

Painter Turned Player

For Jesse Barralagalara, a painter at USC, soccer gives him a chance to reconnect with his native country of Honduras.

“I did play for a team in my country, Honduras,” Barralagalara said during a time-out from the soccer game.  

 He emigrated alone from Honduras 22 years ago to start a new life in Los Angeles. Though his brother and sister live in Southern California, it took Barralagalara a while to transition to his new life in L.A. 

But since he began working for USC three years ago, playing soccer with his co-workers has helped him feel comfortable in his new home. 

“We start playing and then we [get to] know each other and then we become friends,” Barralagalara said. “It’s a good thing.” 

Keeping the Field Green

Careful not to mess up their hard work, the men do not play on the grass they spend hours each day grooming but on the fake turf in the corner of the field. 

“That’s our prize right there and we can’t afford to be just messing it up,” said Julio Cesar Carbajal, Howard Jones field manager. 

When the clock strikes 12, the workers put on their uniforms and go back to cleaning the field. And although they will never become Heisman winners, it’s these morning soccer games that connect them to one another and give them something to look forward to each day.    

- To view more photos, go to www.flickr.com

Read about the USC Marathon Team here