Army Ten Miler
10 miles in 1:26:18. Woo Hoo! I’m rather happy because this is 36 minutes faster than last year. These results are, of course, unofficial; coming from my watch (the official results will be posted after 7:00 tonight.) It was such a beautiful day and other than the one bio-break that I had to take which cost me about a minute or so (yes, I used the Port-O-Let not the bushes) the race went great. I also completed over 30 decades of the Rosary while out on the track. I keep a small (1 decade) rope rosary in my hand while I run and I just pray the rosary the whole time I’m running. I used to listen to it on my iPod but knowing that they don’t allow electronic devices on the course, I decided to just start praying it instead. It’s a great way to stay focused and keep the same pace all the time.
I have to say that the most impressive thing about a race like this is seeing all of the amputees and wheelchair-bound folks who run it as well. I only passed three or four this year, last year most of them were passing me! I couldn’t help but slow down and personally thank a couple of these brave soldiers who have paid such a dear price for the sake of our freedom. I don’t really know if it helps them or not, it seemed almost awkward to just say ‘Thank You’ as I was running by but I couldn’t think of anything else. A lot of the supporters in the crowd clap and cheer as they go by but they do that for most of the runners and though it gets much louder and lasts longer for them, I just wanted to do something personal. Next year, I’m going to plan on staying until the end of the race and cheering on every person who crosses the finish line.
Debbie ran 10 miles in Islamabad this morning as well. We were supposed to run the ATM together this year (our times were within a minute of each other, though she had hills on her track) but the Air Force had other plans and needs. Oh well, maybe next year. I did get a flyer in my goodie bag that mentions another 10 mile race in April. I’m going to see if we can work that into our schedule.
Time to go have a beer and celebrate. God bless you all!
