2011: A race to the finish for one first sergeant

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Gillian Albro
  • 916th Force Support Squadron
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Editor's note: The following is a commentary from 916th Force Support Squadron First Sergeant Gillian Albro on her trials and tribulations to complete three marathons in 2011.

A runner runs. And every runner wins. Maybe it's not the race, but there are other things to win: beating a personal record, accomplishing a goal, or just finishing. To some, that is the reason they run.

My reason to run the three service races - the Air Force Marathon, the Army 10-Miler, and the Marine Corp Marathon - was to accomplish a personal goal. This was my New Year's Resolution.

For me, these three races are about more than just the running. While open to civilians, all three have a heavy military presence. There's a warm feeling of unity, of camaraderie, when you step up to that starting line.

Last year I ran the 10k portion of the Air Force Marathon. I traveled to Ohio with a group from Seymour Johnson, "Team Seymour" our shirts proclaimed. We cheered each other on, and we watched for each other at the finish line. Truthfully, I only knew a handful of the team; nonetheless, we were a team, there for support as we ran our race.

This year I moved up to the half marathon, my first. My son ran the 10k with a goal to beat my time from the previous year. My goal was to finish before getting kicked off the route for time.

I had road blocks along the way during my training, so as I hit my wall at mile nine, pain and exhaustion trying to hold me back, I felt those road blocks trying to stop me. But my mind turned to my team, my military family and my own, and in my head I heard them all cheer me on. And as I looked past my pain and around me, I realized I was surrounded by strangers, cheering me and my fellow racers on.

As I came around the corner on that last mile and saw the planes from the Air Force Museum that formed the finish line, a swell of pride and accomplishment pushed me forward.

Bad news can be very discouraging as you attempt to accomplish your goals. Part of the pain and discomfort I felt during the race led me to the doctor's office, and I was given a diagnosis of Morton's neuroma in my foot. I was told not to run for two weeks. It's hard to tell a runner not to run, especially when the Army 10-Miler is two weeks away.

Armed, or should I say, footed, with pads for my feet, I showed up on race day in Washington, D.C., with a goal of beating my time from two years before. Anyone would have forgiven me if I quit at this point. No running for the last two weeks, pain in my feet.

But, being honest, the Army 10-Miler is one of my favorite races. It winds through D.C., through monuments, through the history of the United States. You tend to slow your pace a bit to take it all in. Bands, mostly military bands, play every two miles and the streets are lined with supporters. Everything about this race makes me proud to be in the military and proud of being in the land of the free. I donned my Air Force Marathon shirt and headed off with 30,000 others on our fall jaunt around the city.

The first five miles were strong and fast. By miles six and seven the pain began to creep in again. As I came off the ramp of I-395 and into the shadow of the Pentagon at mile nine, I was limping. In the end, though, I beat my previous time and accomplished me second goal.

A week later I was back at the doctor's office getting cortisone shots in my foot, one of the most painful experiences I've ever had. That weekend was my Air Force PT test. Here's what I learned over this past year -- cardio alone isn't going to give you a high score. I had almost four minutes to spare on my run time, but the lack of strength training reared its ugly head as I struggled through pushups and sit ups, barely meeting my minimums.

With a score of 89.6, I vowed to change my work out habits, add that much needed strength training, and come back to my test in April stronger and better than ever.
The end of October brought me to the end of my journey, the Marine Corp Marathon, the 10k portion. This was my first time at this race, and as snow fell across D.C. the night before the race, I felt like it might be my last. It was 35 degrees when I headed out race morning.

I have to give it to D.C.; they have the best Metro system I have ever ridden. A quick ten minute car ride from my hotel, a twenty minute ride into the city, and, there I was with thousands of others at the Metro station trying to keep warm before the race.

The start line was at the Smithsonian, but, unlike the Army 10 miler, this race turned towards Crystal City, past the Pentagon, and finished at the Iwo Jima Memorial, appropriately.

It was a good race, mostly flat, and there's no lie to those signs that say bridges ice before the road, as we went slipping and sliding a few times. Each water station was manned by what seemed like a platoon of Marines, each with a drink of water and a "good luck ma'am." They were also lined up where a runner needs them most, along the steep incline of the last .2 miles to the memorial, encouraging all the runners as they climbed their way to the finish, a gauntlet of young Marines pushing us forward with their words and cheers. With a personal best in the 10k, I thought, maybe the cold was worth it after all. And I hear this is a great race for first time marathon runners. Drew Carey ran it, too. Hmm ...

This was an amazing running journey. Through my travels I met amazing people, such as the Soldier who lost both legs in Iraq and was running his first race since and the woman who lost 60 pounds so she could live a healthier life for her children. I pushed myself to limits I didn't know I had, maybe a little too much sometimes, but also realized my shortcomings and vowed to make changes in my fitness routine.

A runner runs. Not always to win, but for health, for fun, for a cause. I encourage all of my Wingmen to try it, to experience one of these races. You might get hooked.