Fargo Marathon

Fargo, ND
Time: 4 hours 21 minutes 40 seconds

I lived a dream today! Today I got the chance to run with Ultra Marathon Man Dean Karnazes. He is running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. Today he ran in Fargo and since it is just a few hours away from my home I had to go run with him. While it is only 11 days since my 1st marathon I felt great. The first couple days after the Air Force Marathon it was uncomfortable to walk though.

The run today with Dean was not a competitive marathon. It was really just a fun run. We started out a a leisurely pace and didn't really take off from there. Most of the day we were running around 10 minute miles. Just like the Air Force Marathon everyone was talking and having a good time. I thought that everyone would want to just talk to Dean along the way. That was not the case. We all spent plenty of time sharing stories with each other. It was a good time had by all. Dean had a crew with him that is making a documentary while we were out on the run. They constantly had a camera on Dean but took a few minutes to interview me as well. They asked me about my experiences at the Pentagon while I was on the run. Not sure how that will turn out. While they were asking me questions I was trying to replace the band aids over my nipples. Kind of funny.

I stayed with the main group until we got to within a couple miles of the finish. My legs were getting stiff on me just like they did at the Air Force Marathon. This time they were not as bad and I was able to run the entire distance. I got to the finish line about three of four minutes behind the main group.

No medal for this one, so I won't count it!

Air Force Marathon

Wright-Patterson AFB, Oh
Time: 4 hours 5 minutes 8 seconds

I completed my first marathon today. It was an awesome experience!

At smaller racing events, when the gun sounds everyone takes off. A marathon can be a little different. I was about three quarters of the way back in the field because it was my first marathon and I want to stay out of the way of any serious runners. When the gun sounded, everyone just stood around where I was. There was really no where to go. We had to wait about a minute and a half before we could even get up to the start line.

Once I got moving I was a little nervous. The little guy in my head kept on telling "What if you can't go 26.2 miles." After getting the first couple miles done with he finally shut up and I found my groove. Something that I didn't expect was that so many of the runners are talking to each other while they run. I struck up a conversation with people from time to time and now that it is over, I have to say the conversations made the experience even more special.

I got through the 1st 23 miles with no problems. I was running at a faster pace than I had expected as well. At that point I was on pace to run a 3:45 marathon. Sometime after I passed mile marker 23 my legs began to seize up on me though. I couldn't quit though. Even though I had to take walking breaks for the last three miles I wouldn't let up. By the time that I got within sight of the finish line my legs felt a little better and I started to jog. It hurt, I can't deny that. I did it though. I crossed the finish line at 4 hours 5 minutes and 8 seconds. I wanted to run it in 4 hours flat and only missed the goal by a little. I will have plenty of other opportunities to get one in under 4 hours though.

183 left.

Getting Started

Over the next 5 years I plan to run 184 marathons or ultramarathons. The real killer is that on September 16th I will run my first marathon of my life. Sounds crazy but I have spent the last two years training for this first marathon. I hope to complete the marathon in around 4 hours.
Now comes the question of why run 184 marathons in five years. On Sept 11, 2001 I was inside the Pentagon when the plane struck the building. To make a long story short, I was diagnosed with Post Tramatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Part of the treatment for it was diet and exercise. I lost 30 pounds over the last two years by running a lot and watching my diet. The real suprise for me was that the running actually keeps my PTSD in check.

Once I got in shape, I decided to run a marathon. While training for the marathon I entered a few smaller races. I won a medal for placing 1st at a 3k race, 1st in a 5k race, and 2nd in a 10k race. I decided to dedicate each of those medals. The first to myself for getting through what I have gotten through, the second to my wife for helping me through it, and the last one to my daughter, who had God not granted me the ability to walk out of the Pentagon on 9/11 would not be with us today. I will dedicate the next 184 marathons and ultramarthons to my coworkers that perished on 9/11.