Somehow I was assigned a group that was before Doug’s, but I stayed with him. His group was after mine so I figured no one would care if I started later. I think the colored starts were more of an attempt to organize so many people, but when you run slowly no body will care if you start farther back. The wheelchair and missing limb vets started the race. I would have loved to see them off, but we were already lined up. Wave one started and it was funny to see the cannon fire but nobody move! Not with that many people! Finally the first wave got going (probably about 10,000 people) and it was wave 2s turn to move forward. The MC was trying to get us to hurry up the hill to get things started, but sorry; I am not running to the start line of a run! We got there and started running. At half a mile lots of people were running off into the bushes to pee. Doug joined them (only took 30 seconds - how efficient :) ) then we were on our way. There were a few people at the first aide stations getting bandages; they must have tripped over the curbs or something. At about mile 1 I started to get that horrible cramp in my diaphragm and upper abs. I don't know what is causing that. I battled through it for a while. After we crossed the bridge over the Potomac the course took a left to go north towards the Watergate building. From the bridge you could already see the runners from the first wave that had completed that loop and were heading over to the Mall. At about mile 2 there was a volunteer retired 4 man band playing Army marching songs. That was great. The runners were cheering and clapping along. I remember hearing those songs all the time in my childhood but they've never lifted my spirits like this before. There was water about every 2 miles and the troops were great. Boy did they look young!! I don't remember that from my childhood either. My best memories of the troops were always "yummy looking!" But I digress..... After we looped back the cramp finally started to ease. I remember wanting to be around people that were talking. I couldn't catch my breath enough to talk with Doug, but eves dropping on other people's conversations helped. It was nice to see good running courtesy going on when people slowed to walk (announcing it before you just stop). Yes in the pack I was in there were several people doing a timed run/walk combo so there was a lot of that. Good for them. (I'll bet they finished stronger than I did) I had been holding an 11:15 min/mile pace until mile 3 when the cramp finally went away. From 4-7 I picked it up to at least a 10 min/mile if not better and I felt great. We ran past the Big Red One monument (and I saluted my shirt - thanks Mom) and most appropriately saw a sign encouraging FRED. Doug said, "Look there's a sign for your Dad" to which I replied, "there better be since he's the reason I'm out here." But all sarcasm aside I was very happy to see his name and it made me think of him once again. On we go to pass the back of the Jefferson Memorial, the new WWII and hit the 5 mile mark on the north side of the Washington Memorial Park. Yhea, half way point and I felt great. We crossed in front of the western most start of the Smithsonian Mall, closest to the river, and then turned east to run up the outside of the Mall. At this point the first wave was running towards us having completed this loop. It was great to see them, lots of friends greeting each other. There were a lot more family spectators along the Mall. The troops at the 6 mile water station were funny. I think they were having a competition with each other on the number of cups they gave away. They were saying things like, “fresh from the Potomac, flow in from Iraq, no fructose in water,” and my personal favorite, “HE’S GOT WATER BUT I’VE GOT VODKA!” There was a high school band playing on another corner. I wish there would have been more music. We looped in front of the Capital building and I started to slow down. A photographer took mine and Doug’s photo with our matching Big Red One shirts. At mile 8 I checked my watch. 1:35 minutes. I said to Doug lets make it in under 2 hours but no sooner had I said that than my legs said NO WAY. Mile 8 was the LONGEST mile of my life. Doug got a head of me a little so he walked until I caught up, but then his walking was the same speed as my running :( I tried to walk and that didn’t even feel good. It was so hard to pick up my legs and put one in front of the other. We FINALLY got to mile 9 and the road turned down hill into the Pentagon. I was thinking it was the last mile and every step was one step closer to the finish line. I was able to pick up the pace a little and Doug took my hand and we sprinted (I use that term very generously) across the finish line together!!!! FIRST TIME EVER FOR 10 MILES – I DID IT FOR YOU DAD!!!

Train for longer distances

The finishing chute was a series of channels to keep people moving away from the finish line. I sat down to take off my timing chip and couldn't get back up!! We got our coins - very cool - and looked for General Rhames. Of course we couldn't find him in that crowd. We had our picture taken at the photographers stand and walked around some of the units booths. I saw a 2nd Infantry Division booth so I thought maybe the First ID had one too. No Big Red One but I did see a Mountaineer group from Ft Lewis!!


It wasn't a limiting factor, more of an enhancer. I walked through every water station and I'm sure I ran more at the end than I would have if Doug wasn't with me.


Fabulous race. Very personal and emotional. Georgous day and it is always great to be in DC. It was hard to see all the shirts with "In memory of..." with a soldier's face on it. After a while I had to stop reading them. Hopefully I'll be back next year.