Blogs
Choose Happy. Often times, the greatest experiences are the ones most difficult to put into words. Every time I finish a long-distance race, I take time to reflect and embrace the journey. As I shared back in May, I set out to complete a half marathon in August, the last one for me having been
The age-old story of the Tortoise and the Hare… By now you have most likely heard the story of the tortoise and the hare. The hare is confident of winning the race, so he stops, rests, and does silly things along the way. At the same time, the tortoise is slow and steady. The hare
Fairborn and Dayton: Traveling to races, whether local or destination, always presents a challenge. Where should you eat before/after? Are there fun activities pre- or post-race? What could you visit on your downtime (instead of resting your legs)? Over the next 8 months, there will be local venues and activities for you to add to
Recovery After Your Race Written by Michelle Daniel, owner of The Lifestyle Technique, LLC Congratulations on completing your race. You did it. All the training and hard work paid off and I hope you are proud of your accomplishment. As a general rule of thumb, it is suggested to take one day of rest per
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
Vietnam Era: History & Heritage of the F-4 Phantom II The U.S. Navy Fleet first developed the F-4 Phantom II in 1958. It wasn’t until May of 1963 that the U.S. Air Force flew their first version of the Phantom II, an F-4C. By 1979 5,000 Phantom II’s were built for the U.S. Navy Fleet,
Pre-WWII: History & Heritage of the J-3 Cub The Piper J-3 Cub is a symbol of the contributions of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) to the United States Air Force. The J-3 was used by these CAP members to hunt enemy submarines, report damaged ships, tow aerial targets, and deliver integral war materials. The aircraft
Experimental: History & Heritage of the North American XB-70 Valkyrie The XB-70 Valkyrie started as a prototype for the B-70, a high-altitude, nuclear strike bomber. The Valkyrie had six engines that allowed the aircraft to fly at Mach 3+, which is three times the speed of sound. No such enemy could defend against a bomber
WWII: History & Heritage of the B-17F Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress was a versatile plane used first in WWII. This highflying, fast plane with a respectable range was fully equipped for war. The bomber was so beloved that it quickly became the 2nd most manufactured bomber in history. Europe took extra liking
Post-Vietnam Era: The History & Heritage of the F-117 Nighthawk The F-117 Nighthawk is one of the most unique and memorable aircraft to fly in the USAF. Designed as a twin-engine stealth attack aircraft, its design was based purely around evading radar signature and thus was the world’s first operational stealth aircraft. In 1989 Lockheed
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
A Day in the Life: Race Director If you are reading this but have yet to read the other blogs in this series, I would encourage you to first learn what some of the other members of the Air Force Marathon team does first. Those blog posts can be found linked below. Administrator Assistant Director
Pre-WWII: The History & Heritage of the P-26A Peashooter The Peashooter marked both the beginning and end of numerous features in the evolution of fighter aircrafts (in the pre-AF years, fighters had a “P” designation or “pursuit”). It was the first all-metal monoplane and was much faster than older wood planes. However, it was the
8 Years: Hooked on Running My husband used to volunteer for the Air Force Marathon because he worked for Civil Service. When he retired after 4 years in the Air Force and another 37 years on the base, he wanted to try the Half Marathon. I decided to run-walk with him. After 8 years of
Dayton Strong: A Passion for Running, Ohio, and AFM’s very own, Brandon Hough I love telling this story because I think of the world of USAF Race Director, Brandon Hough. I was born in Dayton, Ohio and at age 11, we all moved to Florida. I lived in Florida until I joined the Air Force
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
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.
One Step at a Time: Determination through Heartache I was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB from 1996-2001, working in the Aeronautical Systems Center Public Affairs Office when the U.S. Air Force Marathon was created in honor of the service’s 50th Anniversary. I proudly worked and supported the first four marathons before I PCSed. In 2000, our
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
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