What a truly amazing and inspiring weekend I have just had and I owe it all to the
Daytona Beach Track Club!
I had the honor to run in the Soldier half marathon this past Saturday in Ft. Benning, GA. I am so honored to have been the Daytona Beach Track Club(http://www.daytonabeachtrackclub.org/) ambassador for this event. The Soldier Marathon and Half Marathon started and ended at the National Infantry Museum (http://www.nationalinfantrymuseum.org/) and ran through the Ft. Benning military base itself. I couldn't think of a more fitting 1/2 marathon to run on Veterans Day weekend.
I arrived at the packet pick up and expo on friday early enough to be able to tour the National Infantry Museum before heading off to the pasta dinner they had for the runners. This museum is a must for anyone that has served our country or knows someone who has. "The National Infantry Museum emphasizes the values that define the Infantryman, as well as the nation he protects: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. It preserves and displays one of the greatest collections of military artifacts in the world, but it is a museum of people, not things. As a visitor, you will meet the Infantryman face to face and join him on his journey. You will come to understand why an Infantryman does what he does, why he puts himself in harm’s way in defense of an idea and you will leave transformed, just as the Infantry transforms the man into the Soldier. The 190,000-square-foot museum opened in June 2009 on a 200-acre tract of hardwoods and pines just outside the gates of the Fort Benning Maneuver Center of Excellence. It is one of the Army’s largest installations, the home of the Infantry."
I knew this would be an emotional race for me, but I started to get glassy-eyed in the Medal of Honor showcase. I have had the honor to meet a dozen of these heroes over the years at the Coke Zero 400 in July at the Daytona International Speedway. Just to see the faces and names of all Medal of Honor recipients was so powerful and humbling.
Saturday morning was race day and I woke up to a blistering 37 degrees, it felt like Florida in February! :) I got all geared up and headed out to find fellow runners that are part of a few groups that I am a member of: Team RWB & Half Fanatics. 8 am was the start of our 26.2 & 13.1 adventures. I was so excited! Wow, what a great course! We ran through the Ft. Benning base past soldiers homes, practice facilities, park memorials, and the youth center. As a girl that grew up in eastern Pennsylvania I do miss the changing of the seasons and I was so excited to see all of the fall foliage and great colors in the base! I tried to hold my emotions in check for the entire 13.1 because every 200-500 yards was a soldier standing outside at 8am in the freezing cold just to cheer us on as we ran. We should be cheering them on for all that they do and are doing for us, not the other way around. Whenever I had an extra breath I thanked them as I passed by and they all responded with "yes ma'am" or more words of encouragement for little ole me. I am a slower runner, but if I knew I wouldn't be swept off the course I would have stopped to shake each and every one of their hands!
Personally it was a great run for me, I finished in my second fastest time of 3:02:47. During the run I didn't feel fast and I was sore due to all of the Georgia hills and speed bumps, haha....but I did it and I am so proud of myself. The only negative to this otherwise amazing experience was, they ran out of half marathon medals about 10ish runners before me. :( I have heard of this happening at other races, but I have never personally been effected by it. I got so much more out of this race other than the bling that I would have received if they didn't run out, that it didn't rain on my parade for too long.
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| I borrowed a fellow runners medal to show what it would look like once they mail me mine ..... :( |
OK, so the post race was the best out of ANY race (other than a Ragnar postrace) that I have every been to. They had a bag check that was extremely organized and a fast in and out, the refreshments were plentiful whether you needed a McD's breakfast sandwich, icepop, sugar candies, pb&j bagel, fruit, gluten free snacks, beer, soda, water, energy drinks and much more. I felt like it was halloween for runners. :) In the lawn they had bounce houses for the families, soldiers around to help you with anything you needed or just if you wanted to thank them for their service. My absolute favorite part of the post race was the massage tent! Oh the massage tent ... I have been to races that offer post race massages and after you wait in a long line they will only adjust you or they are mini chair massages. Don't get me wrong, I love both of those and need them after what I put my body through during the 13.1 miles. The Soldier Marathon / Half Marathon massages were heavenly to say the least! They had almost 20 licensed massage therapists volunteering so the line went fast; my masseuse focused on my troubled areas which for me were my right hamstring and my midback, but after she made those feel like new she started a full body massage that had to have taken her atleast a half an hour!!! When I got up from her table I felt as if I had just been at the spa!
The relaxing massage and plentiful refreshments got me back up and moving for my 6 hour drive home. What a great weekend and roadtrip, I can't wait to do it all again next year!! A HUGE Thanks again to the Daytona Beach Track Club for making it all possible!!! **Suzan**
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| In 03/2014 the Vietnam Travelling War Memorial will find its forever home here at Ft. Benning! |
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| These are the HEROES I was running in honor of!!! Race Swag! My 1st Ever Space Blanket!!! |
