Blogs
Double the trouble or double the fun? This week’s Stars Spotlight is also a member of the Tailwind Ace Crew Ambassadors! Amanda Preble has taken part in the Air Force Marathon since 1997. She stated she had such a good time that first year, she just kept coming back. 2002 is her most sentimental year
Getting to know the Ambassadors: Over the last few months, we have truly had the honor to get to know our Ambassadors. The way they interact with the staff, with others in our group makes hearts swell. Reading John’s posts, his comments when others post is the reason he is today’s spotlight. Wanting you to
Why the Air Force Marathon? Rachael and I were interviewed for a podcast Monday. One of the first questions asked was ‘what brought you to the Air Force Marathon?’ Rachael’s story is one of working her way through the ranks and growth. Mine is different because I worked my way through a few different races
Ambassador Spotlight #1 Join me Tuesdays leading up to the Marathon weekend as we get to know our Tailwind Ace Crew Ambassadors! The individuals you will come to know have different reasons for wanting to represent the Air Force Marathon. All filled out questionnaires and agreed to promote the race through social media channels. As
On the move…traversing Dayton Being able to travel around Dayton and find new places for all of us to venture is truly an amazing job perk. Meeting the people who run the establishments is even more fun. This week, we’re on the move in a few must visit areas of Dayton. Carillon Historic District If
Back in the Saddle… Do you exercise for health, for sanity, for goals? When I run, I like to have goals in mind whether it be an upcoming race I am running or a race I am pacing. I used to set timed goals to the point of obsession. At that time in my life,
Introducing me: Hello! I’m Jill! Assistant Race Director by day, mom all the time, and forever on the move. I have two teenagers involved in sports, extracurriculars, music, and everything social. We have a Black Lab who NEVER stops talking. I am a fiercely loyal friend. Something I am not: a life-long runner. That journey
From the Director’s Desk: Happy New Year! We are two weeks in to our resolutions (if you make them). Personally, I have always been a goal setter-adding, evaluating, revising all year long. Sometimes, I succeed. Other times, I let go. This year we have team goals for the Air Force Marathon, and I have separate
A Strong Runners’ Mindset Written by Michelle Daniel, owner of The Lifestyle Technique, LLC Mindset is the driving force in the pursuit for success and achievement. A mindset that combines discipline, strength, confidence, and ambition is a powerful mindset. This can help motivate and drive you in achieving anything your mind sets its sights on.
Listening to your body! Written by Michelle Daniel, owner of The Lifestyle Technique, LLC What does it mean to listen to your body? It means being in tune with how you feel on any given day. This can mean noticing your breathing pattern, feeling fatigue, your mindset, or maybe your legs feel tired. The body
Can stress affect a runner’s performance? Written by Michelle Daniel, owner of The Lifestyle Technique, LLC Exercise has been shown to increase your overall health and sense of well-being. It can also help relieve stress and have great benefits. Physical activity, such as, running can help increase your endorphin production, which is our brain’s feel-good
Can sleep deprivation prolong post-run recovery? Written by Michelle Daniel, owner of The Lifestyle Technique, LLC Many people boast about the little sleep they run on each day. For runners, not receiving an adequate amount of sleep, can hinder their post-run recovery. Why is this? During a long run or hard workout, your muscles
Maximize Your Post-Workout Recovery with These Top 10 Foods Written by Michelle Daniel, owner of The Lifestyle Technique, LLC In the previous Air Force Marathon blog, we discussed how fueling before a long run or race is important in performing and recovering quicker. Fueling your body with carbohydrates prior to exercise will give you the
Benefits of Practicing Yoga for Runners Written by Michelle Daniel, owner of The Lifestyle Technique, LLC As your training miles begin to increase for your upcoming race, some runners may begin to have some aches and pains. Paying attention and being mindful in what your body needs will help you throughout your training program. Depending
Pre-Workout Overnight Oats Written by Michelle Daniel, owner of The Lifestyle Technique, LLC Overnight oats is a great pre-run breakfast choice. It’s easy to make, eat and digest. Plus it provides a ton of carbs: one half-cup gives you about 64 total grams! Of course, every runner is different in terms of fueling and metabolism, but I
Long Distance Training and Dietary Supplementation Written by Michelle Daniel, owner of The Lifestyle Technique, LLC Training for a long-distance run is sometimes a running curve. Fueling your body properly is imperative when training for a race and is done through your diet. There are times though that eating real food just isn’t possible or
Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness Written by Michelle Daniel, owner of The Lifestyle Technique, LLC Do you ever get sore after you start a new exercise or increase the intensity, resistance, frequency, or duration of your workout or run? If so, you may be experiencing what is called delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) which
Experimental Era: History & Heritage of the XF-85 Goblin The XF-85 Goblin, nicknamed Parasite, was made to protect B-36 bombers. These small-framed bombers could easily fly beyond the range of the conventional escorts. The range endurance was 1 hour and 20 minutes. The B-36 would carry the XF-85 in case the enemy fighters came into
Top 10 Success Tips to Help Support Your Training Program Written by Michelle Daniel, owner of The Lifestyle Technique, LLC As many may be beginning a training program for the Air Force Marathon races, there are a few tips that can help with your progress and success along the way. To begin, creating healthy habits
Meet the Team: Matthew Crooker Hello everyone! My name is Matthew Crooker and I am the Operations Manager for the Air Force Marathon and the Space Force T-Minus 10-Miler. I started in August 2021, and I am the newest member of this wonderful team! I want to dedicate my career to public service, and there’s
Lung Cancer Warrior: Every Race is an Accomplishment Despite starting his running career at age 62, surviving lung cancer, and dealing with the challenge of 2020, Vince Fonner proves that it’s never too late to start and that each race truly is a significant accomplishment. Along with two friends, I completed the 2020 Air Force
Virtual Strides: Running Your Own Race I completed the virtual AF Half-Marathon on 6 September 2020 running 13.1 miles straight down the measured Montour Trail near the Pittsburgh Airport. I parked my car near mile-marker 21 and started at 0742 with two bottles of water in my hands and some Gu Gel to keep me
The Green Program: Going for Gold In 2019, here at the Air Force Marathon, we launched the Green Program. Honestly, we’d love to have a better name for it, as that feels very generic and not sufficient to all that the program entails. This program is done in partnership with the Council for Responsible Sport.
Just Breathe: Learning to Run and Never Stopping I started running competitively in 2010. I’d always admired runners but never imagined I’d be one. I started walking at the local track and would look longingly at runners but couldn’t breathe properly whenever I tried. “I’d always admired runners but never imagined I’d be one.” One
A Day in the Life: Assistant Race Director “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” – Colin Powell I first wrote this blog in a way which described the role of the Air Force Marathon Assistant Director (AD), but decided to scrap that and start over. I wanted
Why I Run…Why Not Run It? It’s not about why I run the USAF 5K as much as “why not run it.” I’ve never been the athletic type but always thought that my life as a working mom was keeping me active enough. My brain kept insisting I was healthy and fit in spite of
Stepping Out: Sole Sisters It is 2016 and someone at the young age of 53 decided it was time to get up and get moving so the challenge was made to family and friends and Stepping out Sisters was established. Our goal was to move more so we challenged ourselves to complete a 5K, 10K,
Director U.S. Air Force Marathon 88 MSG/AFM 5030 Pearson Rd, Bldg 219, Room 106 WPAFB, Ohio 45433 July 4, 2020 Hello, I’ve run your race a number of times, once the full and I believe three times the half. At 71 I’ve decided to experience different venues, but I would love to return to Dayton.
Weight Loss Journey: From Obese to Marathoner My weight loss journey began after a routine visit to the doctor’s office. My certified Nurse Practitioner said that I was obese!! This was very unsettling for me, and I knew I needed to make some drastic changes in my life. Needless to say, I was not going
Running to Remember: Seeking to Find Meaning in Sacrifice It was the fall of 2007 and I was a freshman at the Air Force Academy in cadet squadron 20, the Tough Twenty Trolls! One of the seniors in my squadron was a tall slender young man, he had a “runners build” if you will. He
5 Reasons to Run, Even When No One Is Watching I used to hate running. And I mean I really, truly, unequivocally despised it. As a kid, I remember being excited to run with my older brother in a local Fourth of July fun run in Oregon only to trip and scrape my hands and
Always A Runner I started running when I was 12 years old and in the 7th grade. My first run ever I got lost in a cornfield, chased by a dog and cried the entire way back to where practice started. For some reason, I thought, “YES!!! Let’s do this for another 10 years!!!!” I
Why I Run I have not always been a runner. In fact, growing up I was the musician in my family where my 3 siblings were the athletes in cross country, track and football. I never minded that because we are all unique and made in different ways. One year, knowing my siblings had been
Racing Is Not Cancelled It is April 18th, 2020 and I am standing at the start line of the Yellow Springs High School track. Aside from my wife who is doing a 10K in the outer lanes, I am alone. I’ve already done a 2-mile warm up, I’m in my racing kit with my racing
“Sometimes, you just have to start all over differently.” – Bernard Kelvin Clive These times we face right now in the midst of COVID-19 provide challenges for each person in different ways. As a whole, you have all found unique ways to maneuver these days. Some of you have taken up new hobbies, others have