Fun, fitness as 17th TRW represent in marathon Published Sept. 28, 2010 By Airman 1st Class Anne Gathua 17th Training Wing/Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Spirited cheers from fans and roars of jet engines helped propel more than 30 Airmen and civilians from the 17th Training Wing across the finish line during the 14th United States Air Force Marathon held Sept. 18 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Teams from Goodfellow and Presidio of Monterey, Calif., joined more than 12,000 runners from around the world at the annual event, held in celebration of the Air Force birthday. The races, which included a marathon, half marathon, 10-kilometer and a 5-kilometer, were all sold out before the race day, the first time the annual event has achieved that distinction. The event kicked off with mulitple flyovers from B-52 and F-16 aircraft. A replica Wright Brothers aircraft buzzed over the course, while hundreds of clapping, cheering and cowbell-clanging volunteers and fans, including one dressed up as Elvis, helped keep the runners hydrated, motivated and entertained. Lieutenant Colonel Donna O'Harren, the 311th Training Squadron commander, said the race was awesome and the day's festivities were great. "I absolutely enjoyed myself and will do it again," said Colonel O'Harren, who ran the half marathon for the first time. "I'm now training for the November Big Sur Half Marathon in Monterey, Calif., and my aim is to improve my time." Though disappointed that he didn't meet his goal in the half marathon, Tech. Sgt. Carlos Araiza, 17th Civil Engineer Squadron, said he enjoyed himself and the cheering volunteers were motivating. "The best part was going out with the team and encouraging each other," Sergeant Araiza said. "I would love to do it again next year. I will definitely train better and ensure I can run the 13 miles comfortably so I'm not as sore as I was." Bertha Lopez, 17th Medical Operations Squadron, whose goal was to finish the race and show other diabetics a way to stay healthy, said she had a great experience and enjoyed the company of all the other participants. Running his first full marathon, Staff Sgt. Carlos Estrada, 315th Training Squadron, met his goal of finishing the marathon in less than five hours despite the muscle cramps that slowed him down. "I put my body through six months of vigorous training, running at least 3-5 miles every day and building it up to 8-12 miles at the end of the week," the sergeant added. "Towards the end of my training, I was up to 15 miles a day." Sergeant Estrada said he really enjoyed being part of Team Goodfellow and running with Staff Sgt. Jacob Gjesvold, 315th TRS helped them push each other to finish the race. "The whole experience was great and I highly encourage others to participate in future," he added. For Airman Juan Mora, 17th Communications Squadron, the training was definitely what gave life to the marathon. "The actual race was just proving to myself that all the pain and sacrifice of training was worth something," he added. "It was my first race of that size, and first half-marathon. I had a blast with the team who made the whole experience a truly enjoyable one. I loved training, traveling and racing alongside each and every one of them." Staff Sgt. Kraig McFadden, 312th Training Squadron, ran the 5K in 26 minutes, setting a personal record and then ran the half marathon the next day. "Once the adrenalin starts pumping it is hard to dial it back," the sergeant added. "It was an amazing experience. The amount of support from the spectators provided a nice mental boost and the hills were a nice challenge. I will definitely do it again" For Sergeant McFadden, running has become a way to vent stress and frustration. "After my knee surgery five years ago, my weight increased considerably," he added. "Running consistently for the past year, I have dropped more than 40 pounds and participated in five 5ks and two half marathons. It has become a way to prove wrong those who said I couldn't do it or that I was faking knee pain." Staff Sgt. Matthew Dennin, 311th Training Squadron, who ran the full marathon, said he enjoyed the experience although he didn't meet his marathon goal. "My foot started bothering me after mile 18," said Sergeant Dennin. "I think next year I'll try the half marathon to see if I'm better suited for shorter-distance running." Technical Sgt. Reketta Montgomery, 311th TRS, said running was fun and it was a great victory and self-accomplishment. "It was an awesome experience," said Sergeant Montgomery. "The different themes at the hydration stations and the music played were great entertainment and it distracted me from the mental challenges of the course." Staff Sgt. Kevin Coughlin, 312th TRS, said he first signed up for the 10K but after a month of training he realized he could run farther so he signed up for the half-marathon. "This is the farthest I've ever run," the sergeant added. "Determination and motivation from my wife led me to complete the race. I was surprised by the atmosphere and level of excitement at the event. I'm already making plans for next year." An Angelo State University, Detachment 847, Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps Cadet, Jaymes Trimble said it was a joy to see servicemembers from all branches come together for the event. "I enjoyed myself from the moment we left San Angelo," he added. "Most people wouldn't consider running a half marathon a vacation, but I sure did. It was nice to go somewhere other than Texas. I will definitely go again next year and plan on taking a team from the ROTC Detachment." Colonel O'Harren was grateful for the support of Travis Air Force Base, Calif., who provided military airlift, as well as the support from Team Goodfellow for coordinating lodging and supplemental funding for the team's trip. "Without their assistance, the trip would not have been possible," she added. "I was really pleased with everyone's accomplishments and was proud of the whole team. Everyone had fun and raced well, and best of all, there were no injuries." The next event is scheduled for Sept. 17, 2011. Full Marathon runners Team Goodfellow Staff Sgt. Carlos Estrada, 315th Training Squadron Staff Sgt. Jacob Gjesvold, 315th TRS Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Held, 315th TRS Airman Yelisey Petrenko, 17th Medical Operations Squadron Presidio of Monterey, Calif. Tech. Sgt. Nang Pham, 314th Training Squadron Tech. Sgt. Reketta Montgomery, 311th Training Squadron Staff Sgt. Matthew Dennin, 311th TRS Airman 1st Class Timothy Buch, 314th TRS Airman 1st Class Diane Darling, 311th TRS Airman 1st Class Roger Jantzen, 311th TRS Airman 1st Class Corben Lowden, 311th TRS Airman 1st Class Jennifer Arnette, 311th TRS Half Marathon runners Team Goodfellow Capt. Elizabeth Abdalla, 17th MDOS Tech. Sgt. Carlos Araiza, 17th Civil Engineer Squadron Tech. Sgt. Jin Baik, 316th Training Squadron Tech. Sgt. Gerardo Esquivel, 17th Force Support Squadron Staff Sgt. Kevin Coughlin, 312th Training Squadron Staff Sgt. Junay Skinner Staff Sgt. Kraig McFadden, 312th TRS Staff Sgt. Sonia Vega, 17th MDOS Ms. Bertha Lopez, 17th MDOS Cadet Jaymes Trimble, AFROTC Det. 847, Angelo State University Airman Juan Mora, 17th Communications Squadron Airman 1st Class Anne Gathua, 17th Training Wing/Public Affairs Presidio of Monterey, Calif. Lt. Col. Donna O'Harren, 311th TRS Chief Master Sgt. Phillip Kristoff, 517th Training Group Tech. Sgt. Matthew Collingridge, 311th TRS Tech. Sgt. Richard Loreto, 311th TRS Staff Sgt. Kyle Pierce, 314th TRS Airman 1st Class Marisa Lengrich, 311th TRS Airman 1st Class Ashlee Laing, 314th TRS
