Personal Narrative: Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon

Soon, the exhaustion became routine and it took no effort to change into my running gear and welcomed the continuity. Before I knew it, I began to wake up before my alarm clock and race to the door and begin my run as I could. With my fighting spirit, I was able to push myself to adapt to different types of situations and start to accept them. I motivated myself to endure the pain I had gone through and came out to be a better runner. If I hadn’t pushed myself at this time, I would remain in the same situation and dread running even a mile.

Each of the four years I have been in college has brought a unique challenge and opportunity for growth. For two and half years I ran year-round on the cross country and track team, until I realized I was forcing myself to run eight to sixteen miles a day. That, and the fear that I missing out on other opportunities, resulted in me giving up the sport I enjoyed for over eight years. I do not regret the decision though. I am still able to run and pursue physical fitness through many other enjoyable means such as long bike rides, tennis and hiking.

Louie Zamperini wasn’t the brightest kid in his neighborhood, nor the smartest, but he was the fastest. Bent on making it to the olympics, and there forth breaking the four minute mile; there is nothing in the world that can stop him. Except World War 2. Enlisted as a bombardier, he finds himself in the middle of the ocean. Hundreds of miles from land, he has to endure the unbearable. His determination, persistence, and strive for life is the real runner inside of him that never stopped until his death.

While the pain is fresh and the glory is sweet, I decided to write this article about my experience running the marathon and how in my opinion, it metaphorically correlates the beginning and the diurnal responsibility of my profession as a Surgical Technologist.

This past weekend, 108 entrants set off on a hundred mile race—the fourth annual Pine Creek Challenge. The footrace follows the Pine Creek Trail, a flat, scenic route that still provides ample challenge for the runners. Race director, Steve Hanes, comments, “For me as a race director, it’s great to see people stretching their boundaries...it's great to see people work towards something they might not have even imagined a few years ago, and come out here and accomplish something that's really noteworthy.”

I have an unorthodox relationship with running. As a child, I swore I would never run, that I loathed even the mere idea of running for fun. But now, I find it an escape, a paradise where I can truly be who I am, with no exceptions..

The Battle of Marathon was fought around 490 BC. It was the joined powers of the Athens and Plataea armies against King Darius' Persian Army. The war began when Darius ordered the Persian Army to invade Greece because he was seeking revenge after the Athenians had sent aid to Lonia in a revolt against the Persians.The Persian armies had defeated Ionian, they then turned their attention on Greece for attempting to help out there former enemy. The first oder of business they toke care of was the capturing of Eritrea , who had helped the Athenian forces.The Greek were heavily outnumbered in armed forces but after five long days of battle, the Greek Army managed to defeat the Persians and King Darius. King Darius tried vividly to rebuild another

A jagged pain arcs across my chest as I take in a breath. My legs grind up one after the other, barely moving but still pushing me forward. The runners ahead of me continue to press on, legs becoming a blur as they widen the gap. Eyes glancing up for a split-second, I find a primitive strength rising up within me, something that says No. You are not done yet. Throwing my arms higher and feeling my body ache even more, I set my gaze on a tree that lines the top of the hill, and I gradually increase the length of my strides, slowly but surely catching up with the group that was about to leave me behind. As we pound around the corner and begin to coast downhill, I release a small sigh of relief, despite my exhausted lungs. I may have won a battle, but the war continues, and we continue to

The word adversity means difficulty or misfortune and many people don’t know what it means while many people are suffering from it every day. Many people find it hard to overcome adversity but there are only a few simple steps to follow. First, Many people overcome adversity by relaxing and relieving stress. Many people also find it helpful to talk to friends and family about how they are feeling. For many people including Malala, Jim Abbott, and previous runners in the Boston Marathon, it was hard to overcome adversity but with a little bit of hard work, they did. Overcoming adversity is stressful, but using courage and determination, taking support from others, and listening to friends and family will be a big help.

I joined the Marine Corps looking for a challenge. I wanted to open doors for a new career and longed to have a positive impact on the world around me. Looking back five years later, I realize I found all that I originally sought, but I’ve also found something profoundly satisfying and meaningful that I never knew I was missing.

The weather is perfect for racing: not too hot, not too humid, not too windy. I dash down the twisted trails in the woods, trying not to stumble on the gnarled roots protruding from the dirt. My spikes puncture the soft earth with every stride, and my legs repeatedly pound on the ground, soreness surging through them. As sweat trickles down my face and dirt smears across my aching calves, I ascend a steep hill, trying to bring forth the strength I have accumulated throughout endless hours of practice. Now that I am nearing the final two hundred meters, I must force my body to begin sprinting. Breathing heavily, I dart for the imminent finish line, trying to beat the uninterrupted tick of the timer. Even though the crowd surrounds all around me, I can barely hear their animated cheers, because all I can focus on is crossing the line before the girl next to me. I can feel adrenaline surging through my body, and I widen my stride to cap off the remaining distance. When I glance at my Garmin watch, a new personal best time flashes across the screen. I realize that all of the gruelling work I have put in is worth the final result: happiness. (Snapshot Lead)

Rae Smith with the Love Yourself Challenge on tumbler.com relays a strong message when she says, “There is nothing wrong with your body, but there is a lot wrong with the messages which try to convince you otherwise.” When it comes to having a positive body image in today’s society it can often be a struggle for anyone. 89% of American women are unhappy with their current weight and body, 84% would like to lose weight. (Schultz, 2015) Speaking for myself, I have struggled with weight and body image since I was about 11. I have done so many harmful things to myself as a teen and into my adulthood trying to achieve the body I thought I could be happy with but it never really occurred to me the damage I was doing until I had a daughter. My

When my family moved away from the place I grew up I began to have a major problem with my weight; I turned to food to comfort me. I somehow felt secure while eating and because of that psychological reassurance I got from the food, I was soon over weight. I knew I had to do something but that urgency would die when I would be introduced to a new flavor of Brewster’s ice cream or a limited time only supreme large fries that I saw advertised on the television or in a magazine. My self esteem and body-image suffered a great amount during those years of constant struggle. As I looked at pictures of celebrities, athletes, average people, friends, my sister and then myself, I noticed something, all of them were thin except me. After this and

With my heart pounding I stepped forward. As the other competitors are doing everything to stay loose and ready, I simply could not stop shaking. To my left and right stood two seniors, the fastest half-mile runner in the state and my biggest rival of that year. I felt very out of place, only a sophomore that season. In Montana, the 800m race at the state meet had been dominated by seniors for decades. The echoing silence filled the arena after the starter yelled, "set!." If I were to recall the longest is second in my life, undoubtedly it would be that moment.

I remember the game winning point in Van Horn Iowa. We Bump, Set, Hit.... It was a kill!. The crowd goes viral. It's 2016 and the Sailor Nation 7th graders are on there way to state!