1st Lt Prifogle’s Blog

            Why run?  It’s a question normal people always ask runners.  To most people it seems insane that anyone would wake up at 5 in the morning to go run 11.5 miles, but to a runner not running seems insane.  To a runner, running is as essential as breathing and eating.

            Unlike football or basketball running is a natural movement.  We learn how to walk when we are around 1 year old.  My mother loves to tell the story that I took off running when I was 9 months old chasing my older siblings and never stopped.  After we learn to walk, we learn to run.  The movement itself is simple, one foot in front of the other.  This is my mantra during marathons, ‘one foot in front of the other.  One step closer to the finish line.  One foot in front of the other. . .’  for 26.2 miles.  So, why do I run?  Simple, I have to run and I never stopped. 

            Marines feel the same way about taking on a challenge as runners do about running – it’s essential.  The challenges can be something as silly as drinking an entire gallon of milk in one hour or as basic as a pull up competition.  At the beginning of the deployment the XO challenged everyone in the command to run 11.5 miles on 5.11.  He sent out a training schedule starting at 3 miles and building up to 11 miles.  On Sunday May 5, twenty-one Marines of MAG-16 took on the XO’s challenge. 

            At 0500 runners start gathering outside the barracks near the starting line to stretch and nervously talk about what pace each one expected to keep.  When you run a race it’s good to find someone who runs your pace so you can keep each other on track.  At 0530 the runners assemble at the starting line and wait for the signal.  “On your mark.  Get set. GO!”

And we’re off.

            The run route goes from the barracks through the main side of base.  We run by the PX, Coffee Bean coffee shop, the main gym, past bus stops and groups of men and women (both civilians and military personnel) who clear the path as we plow through the streets of Al Asad like a herd of wild horses.  The route goes up to the flight line, passing Ugandan guards at the first checkpoint.  Everyone yells “Jambo,” a Swahili greeting, and flash our ID’s as we pass.  One mile down, 10.5 to go. 

            At 0545 in the morning the flight line is quiet.  The bustling activity of the day past and the day to come settles down for a few hours of recuperation.  We run along the empty road as the sun rises over the flat horizon.  For a runner an endless, empty road and wide horizon with a rising sun is heaven.  As the ‘runner’s high’ kicks in you feel like you can run forever and as you look over the stretch of land you know that you really could run forever.  When the high wears off and you turn the corner from the flight line back to mainside the dream about running forever is over and you realize 6 more miles is enough. 

            At the end of the flight line there is another guard shack.  We pass yelling, “jambo” as the guards wave and cheer us on.  After the gate it is downhill.  The best part of running uphill is knowing eventually you get to run downhill.  Running downhill is the closest thing man can get to flying like a bird.  The earth slopes downward beneath you and your limbs leap through the air.  The ground falls further away and each gallop feels like you are really going to take off this time.  At the bottom of the hill is one of the chowhalls.  Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, civilians, and foreign contractors watch as they walk to their Sunday breakfast.  We run by the chowhall back to the starting point.  Halfway.  Repeat it all one more time and you’re done.   Mentally there are a few ways to look at this. 

The defeated – oh my god I have to do that all over again. 

The competitors – ok, I have to speed up and gain some time. 

The enthusiast – halfway done?!  I could run forever today, its perfect weather. 

The challengers – ok halfway done.  Just one more loop and I’ve done it! 

            I change between each perspective with each step depending on how many endorphins are surging through my body. 

            All 21 runners that started – finished.  First place for the males was Gunnery Sergeant Cortez Brown with a time of 1:16:03.  First place for the females was Private Kari Frampton at 1:31:05.  These two winners represent exactly what it means to be a Marine – setting a goal and pushing yourself to win.  All twenty-one runners took on the 11.5 on 5.11 challenge and pushed themselves to finish it under 2 hours! 

On behalf of all the runners –

Volunteers, thank you for your outstanding support (water, Gatorade, motrin, moral support) we couldn’t have done it without you.  XO, thanks for challenging us to push ourselves to reach a goal.  And finally, Runners.  Great job.  Next, 26.2, right?

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