The morning of the race, we arrived at the site at 4am to conduct sound and comm checks with law enforcement and medical staff. Our Command Post was close to the finish line. The race started and our new radio equipment ran flawlessly. I grabbed my radio and walked over to the finish line to catch a glimpse of the finishers. This was my first time witnessing something like this. I saw people weeping at the finish line, limping to get across, and some photo finish sprints. Most moving of all, I saw a double amputee crossing the finish line. From what I witnessed at the finish line, it became clear to me why the Marine Corps Marathon is known as “The People’s Marathon”. At that moment, I decided I wanted to one day run a marathon. Shortly after that race, I deployed to Iraq and from there a series of life changes which did not allow me to make this goal a reality until 2008 when I ran my first marathon in Brussels in 2008. I became fascinated with the races. So far I’ve ran 6 marathons and 8 half-marathons and do not plan to stop any time soon.
Fast forward to 2013. As soon as my alarm on my phone alerted me to sign up, I did. Thankfully, there is an earlier sign up for military personnel. Even under those conditions, I tried several times to get into the race. I knew few friends who were running, to include a dear friend, Karla, who I went to Boot Camp with in 1997. I had visualized a whole training plan in my head but it did not work quite like my vision. A combination of travel, poor time management and awful summer heat made my runs very far in between.
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| Packet Pickup |
I thought of not running the marathon but I also wanted to be there for Karla, who was running her first marathon. Karla arrived from Boston and we headed to the expo. I was disappointed when I saw the huge line to pick up packets. We stood for 1 1/2 hours just to go into tent where young Marines were twiddling their thumbs waiting for the runners to arrive. I had been so proud of my work in 2004&2005 and was personally disappointed with this check-in process. The expo had a lot of great features and vendors but I wish they could have streamlined the entry of the armory and packet pickup. I know security is a concern, but to have hundreds of people waiting in line outside doesn’t make it the safest environment either.
Race day was complete redemption. The morning of the race we were both motivated to run. I was honest with Karla and told her I was not able to run the race at her pace but I will pace her for the first 5 miles. Thankfully I was able to pace her for 10 and started slowing down from there. I was not prepared. My run turned into a jog by the halfway point and my jog turned into a shuffle by the 20 mile mark. At mile 22, my toes started cramping and I literally limped across the finish line.
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| Marathon, Done… |
To me, there were three highlights of the race. One, the Marines who went above and beyond with the water, support, and aid stops. Loved running by the Lincoln Memorial as the Marines’ Hymn played and being given my medal by one of my own. Secondly, the scenery. Washington, DC is one of my favorite cities in the world. This course truly allows you to see all the things which make this city truly special. Third, was to run the race with one of my dearest friends and sisters in arms. Although I was in pain during and after the race I do not regret running this race. Embracing Karla at the end made the six hours worth every little cramp. I can truly say it was the best of races and the worst of races in the sense the experience was inspiring but my body was not conditioned for it. Although once that finish line was crossed, all that pain just seemed like an afterthought.
Overall, the race was a great experience. I really would like to see an improvement next year on the packet pickup. The organization race day was superb. Every little detail was taken care of. You can always trust Marines with that. Semper Fi!
