30 Sept
Run: 23.2 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Ok, my legs are officially fried. I might *try* to run a short run tomorrow because starting Monday, I have an easy week. Yay! I ran through Bethesda, through Rock Creek Park, down the Capital Crescent Trail and around DC. DC is so beautiful, and I hope to run through there a lot more. Then Metro'd back home. Pace was ~8:40/mile. It was a hard run after the workout yesterday.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Friday, September 29, 2006
Run
29 Sept
Run AM: 3.5 mi
Run PM: 11.4 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Since I was supposed to run 3.5 miles yesterday, I just did it this morning since I usually do my runs in the afternoon. I just pushed the short run back a few hours, that's all! The PM run was 1.7 mi WU, 3 mi MP, 2 mi tempo, 3 mi MP, 1.7 cool. Here are the splits (half mile):
Marathon Pace
3:57
4:04
3:57
3:55
3:55
3:52
Tempo Pace
3:31
3:32
3:37
3:33 (doesn't seem like much, but I WORKED for this one)
Marathon Pace
4:09
4:02
3:58
3:59
3:57
3:43
It looks like I slowed during the tempo part, but the first mile was downhill and then I had to come back up. I worked HARD for those last two splits. The rest of the MP splits were also uphill on the way back home (Capital Crescent Trail). I wanted the MP to be between 8:00-8:10 and the tempo to be ~7:30. My legs are pretty tired from the past few runs. Only 2 more days of running!
Fun--Here are some more pictures from Oktoberfest. It was so much fun hanging out with my dad and the German folk! I am totally motivated to work an embassy job, overseas assignment, or joint assignment. I had a great time.
Crazy dude playing an anvil with hammers
Run AM: 3.5 mi
Run PM: 11.4 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Since I was supposed to run 3.5 miles yesterday, I just did it this morning since I usually do my runs in the afternoon. I just pushed the short run back a few hours, that's all! The PM run was 1.7 mi WU, 3 mi MP, 2 mi tempo, 3 mi MP, 1.7 cool. Here are the splits (half mile):
Marathon Pace
3:57
4:04
3:57
3:55
3:55
3:52
Tempo Pace
3:31
3:32
3:37
3:33 (doesn't seem like much, but I WORKED for this one)
Marathon Pace
4:09
4:02
3:58
3:59
3:57
3:43
It looks like I slowed during the tempo part, but the first mile was downhill and then I had to come back up. I worked HARD for those last two splits. The rest of the MP splits were also uphill on the way back home (Capital Crescent Trail). I wanted the MP to be between 8:00-8:10 and the tempo to be ~7:30. My legs are pretty tired from the past few runs. Only 2 more days of running!
Fun--Here are some more pictures from Oktoberfest. It was so much fun hanging out with my dad and the German folk! I am totally motivated to work an embassy job, overseas assignment, or joint assignment. I had a great time.
Crazy dude playing an anvil with hammers
Chug it down!
Deutche Beer!
Rest
28 Sept
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Rest--I didn't want to take a "rest" day but this is one of the few days in my life where I didn't have time to run. I woke up at 4:00, was on the Metro by 5:00, spent the day doing a laser range survey at Dahlgren Navy Base, carpooled home, met my dad in Alexandria, carpooled to the Oktoberfest out at Dulles. Wow, the Oktoberfest was a ROCKIN' FANTASTIC TIME!!! I stumbled home at around 12:30 in the morning. Thank you Metro!
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Rest--I didn't want to take a "rest" day but this is one of the few days in my life where I didn't have time to run. I woke up at 4:00, was on the Metro by 5:00, spent the day doing a laser range survey at Dahlgren Navy Base, carpooled home, met my dad in Alexandria, carpooled to the Oktoberfest out at Dulles. Wow, the Oktoberfest was a ROCKIN' FANTASTIC TIME!!! I stumbled home at around 12:30 in the morning. Thank you Metro!
A beautiful rainbow!
Polka! Accordians are soooo cool!
POLKA!
Steph, Polka Band, and a REAL German person!
Mmmmm.... schnitzel!
Luftwaffe!
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Run
27 Sept
Run AM: 8.5 mi
Run PM: 19.5 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--These dogs are tired. But not as tired as they could be! :-)
Comments--I apologize to the blogger people out there who left comments. I just figured out how to turn the comment moderation off! I (think I) fixed it. Thank you!! Feedback and constructive criticism (esp. about running and my taste in movies) are always appreciated and welcome.
Run AM: 8.5 mi
Run PM: 19.5 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--These dogs are tired. But not as tired as they could be! :-)
Comments--I apologize to the blogger people out there who left comments. I just figured out how to turn the comment moderation off! I (think I) fixed it. Thank you!! Feedback and constructive criticism (esp. about running and my taste in movies) are always appreciated and welcome.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Run, Swim
26 Sept
Run: 8.5 mi
Swim: 4200 yd
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Wow, it was beautiful outside! Today was a somewhat easy day, so I didn't wear my watch out on the trail. My legs were really tired for some weird reason.
Swim--After practice, my "lane-mates" and I had an altercation about how fast we think the intervals should be. I am by far the slowest one in my lane (for freestyle), and I would prefer to swim last and have little or NO rest between intervals. The faster swimmers would rather swim slower and still have a long rest interval. That makes no sense to me. For me, my swimming developed by leaps and bounds after I moved to a faster lane and struggled to meet the times. We're not going to get any better or faster if we swim slowly and have lots of rest. Grrr! Maybe it's time for me just to move up to the next faster lane and shut up!
Run: 8.5 mi
Swim: 4200 yd
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Wow, it was beautiful outside! Today was a somewhat easy day, so I didn't wear my watch out on the trail. My legs were really tired for some weird reason.
Swim--After practice, my "lane-mates" and I had an altercation about how fast we think the intervals should be. I am by far the slowest one in my lane (for freestyle), and I would prefer to swim last and have little or NO rest between intervals. The faster swimmers would rather swim slower and still have a long rest interval. That makes no sense to me. For me, my swimming developed by leaps and bounds after I moved to a faster lane and struggled to meet the times. We're not going to get any better or faster if we swim slowly and have lots of rest. Grrr! Maybe it's time for me just to move up to the next faster lane and shut up!
Monday, September 25, 2006
Run
25 Sept
Run: 17.5 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Ok, back on the horse. Ran Huntington Loop, Rock Creek Park, Capital Crescent Trail, through Bethesda on home. I felt a slight twinge in my right knee the whole time (which probably would have blown up by 20 mi), but it felt ok for this run. My mind is so warped with this marathon training that I didn't even consider this a "long run." How cool! I tried out a Tri-Berry GU (tried and true) and a new Caramel Power Gel. I usually use GU, but the Caramel was pretty tasty! I think the extra sodium really made me extra thirsty though. I can't wait to find out what the other flavors taste like!
Splits
4.6 mi, 36:57 (home down Huntington Loop to Cedar Lane)
4.1 mi, 34:29 (Cedar Lane to Ohr Kodesh)
3.1 mi, 27:08 (Ohr Kodesh to Barnes and Noble)
3.5-4.0, 4:08
4.0-4.5, 4:04
4.5-5.0, 4:00
5.0-5.5, 3:54
5.5-5.0, 4:09
5.0-4.5, 4:12
4.5-4.0, 4:04
4.0-3.5, 3:59
3.5 to home, 14:00 (1.7 mi)
Total, 2:25:10, 8:18 pace
I love running!
Run: 17.5 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Ok, back on the horse. Ran Huntington Loop, Rock Creek Park, Capital Crescent Trail, through Bethesda on home. I felt a slight twinge in my right knee the whole time (which probably would have blown up by 20 mi), but it felt ok for this run. My mind is so warped with this marathon training that I didn't even consider this a "long run." How cool! I tried out a Tri-Berry GU (tried and true) and a new Caramel Power Gel. I usually use GU, but the Caramel was pretty tasty! I think the extra sodium really made me extra thirsty though. I can't wait to find out what the other flavors taste like!
Splits
4.6 mi, 36:57 (home down Huntington Loop to Cedar Lane)
4.1 mi, 34:29 (Cedar Lane to Ohr Kodesh)
3.1 mi, 27:08 (Ohr Kodesh to Barnes and Noble)
3.5-4.0, 4:08
4.0-4.5, 4:04
4.5-5.0, 4:00
5.0-5.5, 3:54
5.5-5.0, 4:09
5.0-4.5, 4:12
4.5-4.0, 4:04
4.0-3.5, 3:59
3.5 to home, 14:00 (1.7 mi)
Total, 2:25:10, 8:18 pace
I love running!
Rest
24 Sept
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Rest--My mom, sister and cousin flew back home, but my dad was still in town. We were totally zoinked from the wedding still, so we both slept for 3 more hours after we dropped the family off at the airport. Then we watched "Stick It" (which we both loved!) and then we did some homework at night. My poor dad has a lot going on. I blew off running for that day too. I was taking this easy week seriously!
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Rest--My mom, sister and cousin flew back home, but my dad was still in town. We were totally zoinked from the wedding still, so we both slept for 3 more hours after we dropped the family off at the airport. Then we watched "Stick It" (which we both loved!) and then we did some homework at night. My poor dad has a lot going on. I blew off running for that day too. I was taking this easy week seriously!
X-Train
23 Sept
X-train: dance for 3 hrs
------------------------------------------------------
X-train--We went to bed LATE on Friday (Steph + fam), so naturally we all slept in on Saturday! I actually sacrificed a LOT of my time and a LOT of my previous schedule and priorities to spend the entire day with the family (same for Sunday). We went to the wedding of a long-time family friend on Saturday night. I danced for about 3 hours with just about everyone in attendance. I actually broke the ice and asked two guys to dance with me, just to draw people to the dance floor. My dancing? Think Napoleon Dynamite! But with some 'sprinkler' and 'lawnmower' action. Ya, that's me. I'm "that gal." But it really did make my parents and sister happy. That's what matters.
X-train: dance for 3 hrs
------------------------------------------------------
X-train--We went to bed LATE on Friday (Steph + fam), so naturally we all slept in on Saturday! I actually sacrificed a LOT of my time and a LOT of my previous schedule and priorities to spend the entire day with the family (same for Sunday). We went to the wedding of a long-time family friend on Saturday night. I danced for about 3 hours with just about everyone in attendance. I actually broke the ice and asked two guys to dance with me, just to draw people to the dance floor. My dancing? Think Napoleon Dynamite! But with some 'sprinkler' and 'lawnmower' action. Ya, that's me. I'm "that gal." But it really did make my parents and sister happy. That's what matters.
Rest
22 Sept
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Rest--I didn't make time to run. No excuses. It was the start to the weirdest weekend ever.
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Rest--I didn't make time to run. No excuses. It was the start to the weirdest weekend ever.
Swim
21 Sept
Swim: 4200 yd
------------------------------------------------------
Swim--Long IM sets, which was just fine for me. One more step closer to finishing my 200m fly race this winter! I had a hard time with the 8x75 (25 free/25 corkscrew/25 back). I was sooooo dizzy that I kept flip turning into the other lanes after the corkscrew. That stuff messed me up.
Swim: 4200 yd
------------------------------------------------------
Swim--Long IM sets, which was just fine for me. One more step closer to finishing my 200m fly race this winter! I had a hard time with the 8x75 (25 free/25 corkscrew/25 back). I was sooooo dizzy that I kept flip turning into the other lanes after the corkscrew. That stuff messed me up.
Run
20 Sept
Run: 3.4 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--The TNTers stood me up, so I ran to the meeting place and ran home. After all, my family was coming to town and I wanted to be on time for the airport!
Run: 3.4 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--The TNTers stood me up, so I ran to the meeting place and ran home. After all, my family was coming to town and I wanted to be on time for the airport!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Swim
19 Sept
Swim: 4600 yd
------------------------------------------------------
Swim--The first 1600 yrd (after the warm-up) consisted of 2 crazy weird kicking sets, one backstroke, one freestyle. It was brutal, especially after my long run yesterday! I struggle with backstroke, so it was great our coach had this set lined up for us. My brain is warped. Masters swim practice is actually an easier training day!
Strategy--This is actually an easier training week for me, which is fantastic. I had two high mileage weeks (73.4 mi and 76.7 mi) back-to-back. I have some time to catch up on thesis work, some coursework, and random to-do's. And the family is coming to visit tomorrow!!! YAY!
Swim: 4600 yd
------------------------------------------------------
Swim--The first 1600 yrd (after the warm-up) consisted of 2 crazy weird kicking sets, one backstroke, one freestyle. It was brutal, especially after my long run yesterday! I struggle with backstroke, so it was great our coach had this set lined up for us. My brain is warped. Masters swim practice is actually an easier training day!
Strategy--This is actually an easier training week for me, which is fantastic. I had two high mileage weeks (73.4 mi and 76.7 mi) back-to-back. I have some time to catch up on thesis work, some coursework, and random to-do's. And the family is coming to visit tomorrow!!! YAY!
Monday, September 18, 2006
Run
18 Sept
Run: 23 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--I missed my Sunday long run because of the headache, so I decided to make it up today. I really like doing long runs! The goal was to go out really easy (esp since the temp was around 85 degrees and humid) and then run the last 5 miles or so at marathon pace. It worked out really well, and I had gas left in the tank, but unfortunately my right knee stopped COLD during the last few miles. Maybe the path was slanted down to the right slightly, maybe I have bad form, I'm not quite sure. I had a good pace going until then, and I felt like I could have run faster. I brought 3 Clif Shots. I think I am going to go with Strawberry Jam Clif Shots and Tri Berry Gu for the race. The knee is on ice for the rest of the night.
Splits
4.6 mi, 36:54 (home down Huntington Loop to Cedar Lane)
4.1 mi, 34:39 (Cedar Lane to Ohr Kodesh)
3.1 mi, 27:07 (Ohr Kodesh to Barnes and Noble)
3.5-4.0, 4:12
4.0-4.5, 4:08
4.5-5.0, 4:03
5.0-5.5, 4:01
5.5-6.0, 4:04
6.0-6.5, 3:53
6.5-7.0, 4:03
7.0-7.5, 3:53
7.5-8.0, 3:52
8.0-8.6, 4:22 (Fletcher's Boat House detour)
8.5-8.0, 3:57
8.0-7.5, 4:02
7.5-7.0, 4:02
7.0-6.5, 3:57
6.5-6.0, 4:06
6.0-5.5, 3:51
5.5-5.0, 3:58
5.0-4.5, 4:00
4.5-4.0, 4:12 (knee blows up, IT band)
4.0-3.5, 4:21
3.5 to home, 17:22 (1.7 mi)
Total, 3:17:10, 8:34 pace
Run: 23 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--I missed my Sunday long run because of the headache, so I decided to make it up today. I really like doing long runs! The goal was to go out really easy (esp since the temp was around 85 degrees and humid) and then run the last 5 miles or so at marathon pace. It worked out really well, and I had gas left in the tank, but unfortunately my right knee stopped COLD during the last few miles. Maybe the path was slanted down to the right slightly, maybe I have bad form, I'm not quite sure. I had a good pace going until then, and I felt like I could have run faster. I brought 3 Clif Shots. I think I am going to go with Strawberry Jam Clif Shots and Tri Berry Gu for the race. The knee is on ice for the rest of the night.
Splits
4.6 mi, 36:54 (home down Huntington Loop to Cedar Lane)
4.1 mi, 34:39 (Cedar Lane to Ohr Kodesh)
3.1 mi, 27:07 (Ohr Kodesh to Barnes and Noble)
3.5-4.0, 4:12
4.0-4.5, 4:08
4.5-5.0, 4:03
5.0-5.5, 4:01
5.5-6.0, 4:04
6.0-6.5, 3:53
6.5-7.0, 4:03
7.0-7.5, 3:53
7.5-8.0, 3:52
8.0-8.6, 4:22 (Fletcher's Boat House detour)
8.5-8.0, 3:57
8.0-7.5, 4:02
7.5-7.0, 4:02
7.0-6.5, 3:57
6.5-6.0, 4:06
6.0-5.5, 3:51
5.5-5.0, 3:58
5.0-4.5, 4:00
4.5-4.0, 4:12 (knee blows up, IT band)
4.0-3.5, 4:21
3.5 to home, 17:22 (1.7 mi)
Total, 3:17:10, 8:34 pace
Rest
17 Sept
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Rest--I had another one of those: "holy moly, I want to crawl into a hole and die" feelings on Saturday night/Sunday. Maybe I am just getting old! I went to Busch Gardens with some of my parents' friends on Saturday, and those roller coasters totally rattled my brains. I was done-ski! Needless to say, after I drove back up to DC on Sunday morning, I slept for 18 hours because I felt so horrible. I have no idea why I had such a bad headache.
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Rest--I had another one of those: "holy moly, I want to crawl into a hole and die" feelings on Saturday night/Sunday. Maybe I am just getting old! I went to Busch Gardens with some of my parents' friends on Saturday, and those roller coasters totally rattled my brains. I was done-ski! Needless to say, after I drove back up to DC on Sunday morning, I slept for 18 hours because I felt so horrible. I have no idea why I had such a bad headache.
Run, Core
16 Sept
Run: 4.5 mi
Core: Sit-ups, pull-ups, jumps, balance
------------------------------------------------------
Run--I drove to VA Beach Friday afternoon when I thought I could drive ok after being sick. I didn't eat anything really for the rest of Friday, and I felt surprisingly ok on Saturday. The new Asics 2110 (purple this time!) went out on the maiden voyage, an easy run. They felt the same as my other two pairs of 2110's! The neighborhood I ran in was called "Running Man." How cool is that!
Run: 4.5 mi
Core: Sit-ups, pull-ups, jumps, balance
------------------------------------------------------
Run--I drove to VA Beach Friday afternoon when I thought I could drive ok after being sick. I didn't eat anything really for the rest of Friday, and I felt surprisingly ok on Saturday. The new Asics 2110 (purple this time!) went out on the maiden voyage, an easy run. They felt the same as my other two pairs of 2110's! The neighborhood I ran in was called "Running Man." How cool is that!
Rest
15 Sept
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Rest--I didn't sleep one wink Thursday night. The illness just took over my body. I started having issues during my Wednesday run, but I thought it was just the usual GI nervousness thing. Then it didn't go away on Thursday. And on Thursday night/Friday all day I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Not sure if it was the spinach salad (seriously, I ate half a bag over 2 days), my diet in general or stress. Who knows, maybe it was all three. I was in BAD shape!
Rest
------------------------------------------------------
Rest--I didn't sleep one wink Thursday night. The illness just took over my body. I started having issues during my Wednesday run, but I thought it was just the usual GI nervousness thing. Then it didn't go away on Thursday. And on Thursday night/Friday all day I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Not sure if it was the spinach salad (seriously, I ate half a bag over 2 days), my diet in general or stress. Who knows, maybe it was all three. I was in BAD shape!
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Run
14 Sept
Run: 7.5 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Miles in a crazy weird mist. It was a very emotional run in spirit with my best friend who I lost a few months ago. I was crying, I was laughing, I was sprinting, I was mourning, I was sweating. I miss him more than words can say. Nacho will always have a place in my heart! :-)
Run: 7.5 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Miles in a crazy weird mist. It was a very emotional run in spirit with my best friend who I lost a few months ago. I was crying, I was laughing, I was sprinting, I was mourning, I was sweating. I miss him more than words can say. Nacho will always have a place in my heart! :-)
Nacho and Steph, "Life is Good"
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Run
13 Sept
Run AM: 6.5 mi
Run PM: 17.3 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Holy moly, my legs are going to fall apart... or fall off! I'm super tired and super hungry. And somewhat sore. Only a few more days of this hard week and then a break! Hang in there!
Safety--Drivers in Bethesda are the rudest and most dangerous people I have ever encountered. I have a near-death experience virtually everyday I run. Very soon I am probably going to have a Lexus, Mercedes or BMW imprint on my body from a run-in with some dude. I was actually flipped off today for totally yelling at a driver honking at a car in front of her who was yielding to pedestrians (4 very small kids and an adult, actually). Hopefully I made my point!
Run AM: 6.5 mi
Run PM: 17.3 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Holy moly, my legs are going to fall apart... or fall off! I'm super tired and super hungry. And somewhat sore. Only a few more days of this hard week and then a break! Hang in there!
Safety--Drivers in Bethesda are the rudest and most dangerous people I have ever encountered. I have a near-death experience virtually everyday I run. Very soon I am probably going to have a Lexus, Mercedes or BMW imprint on my body from a run-in with some dude. I was actually flipped off today for totally yelling at a driver honking at a car in front of her who was yielding to pedestrians (4 very small kids and an adult, actually). Hopefully I made my point!
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Run, Core
12 Sept
Run: 6.5 mi
Core: 18 min
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Warmed up for 1.7 mi, then ran the rest. Did some skips, galloping, jumps, sprints every once in a while to keep it interesting. Right quad is pretty tender. Time for ice.
Core--4 x (3 x 1:30 intervals [abs/oblique/back])
Food-for-Thought--"You know what? Before I met that young man, I didn’t much believe in anything. But now I’m starting to think that one day when my time is up, God is going to ask me, 'George, have you ever put it on the line? Did you ever not know and still jump? Did you ever just close your eyes and let go?' Right now my answer is no. No, I never did. So I am closing my eyes." -Father Hubbert, of 'Saint Ralph'
Run: 6.5 mi
Core: 18 min
------------------------------------------------------
Run--Warmed up for 1.7 mi, then ran the rest. Did some skips, galloping, jumps, sprints every once in a while to keep it interesting. Right quad is pretty tender. Time for ice.
Core--4 x (3 x 1:30 intervals [abs/oblique/back])
Food-for-Thought--"You know what? Before I met that young man, I didn’t much believe in anything. But now I’m starting to think that one day when my time is up, God is going to ask me, 'George, have you ever put it on the line? Did you ever not know and still jump? Did you ever just close your eyes and let go?' Right now my answer is no. No, I never did. So I am closing my eyes." -Father Hubbert, of 'Saint Ralph'
Monday, September 11, 2006
Run
11 Sept
Run: 11.4 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--I wanted to run at marathon pace, but my legs were a bit too sore and my stomach was on the fritz. Instead of bagging the run altogether, I decided to take it easy and enjoy the drizzly weather. The pace was 8:50/mi, which wasn't too bad I suppose. I hope the stomach problem is solved.
Story--Lots of talk today was about where we all were when we learned what happened in New York, DC and PA on this day 5 years ago. My story is short but simple. I was a freshman cadet (AKA 'four degree') at the Air Force Academy, just starting the academic year. Like most people, we thought some Cessna or some prop-job crashed into something. Throughout the day more and more information was exposed. The base went under lock-down, which meant nothing to me. As a lowly four degree I was stuck there anyway. We were told that in spite of everything going on, we were to go about our daily lives as scheduled. An integral part of a four degree's life was 'running the strips,' these beautiful marble strips all along the cadet area like a huge grid. We weren't allowed to walk anywhere! I just remember running around in my boots and BDU's, bookbag in my left hand, trying to make sense of why a former music performance major ended up at the Air Force Academy and how our lives changed completely in a matter of minutes. Running still brings back those memories of my cadet days (they weren't that long ago). Running seems to magically clear the doubt, reveal the underlying meaning of situations. I have never been more proud to be a member of the greatest Air Force in the world.
Run: 11.4 mi
------------------------------------------------------
Run--I wanted to run at marathon pace, but my legs were a bit too sore and my stomach was on the fritz. Instead of bagging the run altogether, I decided to take it easy and enjoy the drizzly weather. The pace was 8:50/mi, which wasn't too bad I suppose. I hope the stomach problem is solved.
Story--Lots of talk today was about where we all were when we learned what happened in New York, DC and PA on this day 5 years ago. My story is short but simple. I was a freshman cadet (AKA 'four degree') at the Air Force Academy, just starting the academic year. Like most people, we thought some Cessna or some prop-job crashed into something. Throughout the day more and more information was exposed. The base went under lock-down, which meant nothing to me. As a lowly four degree I was stuck there anyway. We were told that in spite of everything going on, we were to go about our daily lives as scheduled. An integral part of a four degree's life was 'running the strips,' these beautiful marble strips all along the cadet area like a huge grid. We weren't allowed to walk anywhere! I just remember running around in my boots and BDU's, bookbag in my left hand, trying to make sense of why a former music performance major ended up at the Air Force Academy and how our lives changed completely in a matter of minutes. Running still brings back those memories of my cadet days (they weren't that long ago). Running seems to magically clear the doubt, reveal the underlying meaning of situations. I have never been more proud to be a member of the greatest Air Force in the world.
US Air Force Academy Marathon Club, Marine Corps Marathon 2004 (Steph bottom left)
US Military Academy, West Point Marathon Team, Richmond Marathon 2003
(Steph front center, semester exchange program)
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