Good Afternoon – let me first state that I was personally humbled to be in the company of all who showed up and ran the 25th anniversary of the Army Ten Miler on Sunday, October 4 – it was an awesome day and one that hopefully none of us will ever forget. When looking back on the ATM each of us has to take pause and realize what went into that day – the training, the dedication and the determination to make it all happen. It is not easy to go out and run 10 miles however it is even more difficult to train for all those months leading up to it – what this shows is a desire to win on each individuals part – running is not a team sport – it is inherently an individual effort that moves you to the starting line and carries you across the finish line - HOWEVER the group dynamic that was established with our team of runners and supporters ensured that we all crossed the finish line as a member of NIB.
As a runner I have entered many races and logged many miles and never was I more awe-inspired during a race event as I was watching and Kathy Gallagher (who is blind) and Judy Zabo cross the finish line. Dedication and determination are truly two words that capture the essence of what they accomplished! It was an honor to stand with them on the bridge before the start of the race when the cannon went off and an even bigger privilege to see them at the end! As many of you have come to realize and what others never will is that it takes commitment to get out of bed at 0400 or 0500 to make it to NIB each Friday for “team training” and why it is so important to quite simply….run! In the end you have heard me say that “this is what separates the Rock Stars from the Groupies” – and so now you know!
We all have our special memories of both the race and the training leading up to it. Suffice to say we all shared some great laughs, some pain and several “why the heck am I doing this” moments along the way! Running with Matt Klovas and Banton Brooks at the start of the race and seeing these individuals on Independence Ave making there way to the finish line as Team NIB brought the months of training into perspective for me. Fantastic run gentlemen! Now, all that said I need to recognize some very special folks who made this event possible. Special thanks go out to the following NIB persons: To the NIB Leadership: Thank you for allowing us this opportunity to participate in this great event. It was a fantastic day that will remembered by all who were there for years to come.
To Jennifer King: For coming up with the whole running team concept and for taking the initiative and then being a personal pain in my backside to make sure people stayed motivated, shirts were done, restaurant selected and personnel boarded the METRO on time….what would I do without you? Seriously though… Jennifer came up with the idea to form the two teams and put it all together. Add to that the countless hours of coordination both inside NIB as well as external and you quickly realize it was more for Jennifer then just lacing up the running shoes on Sunday morning! Again, thanks does not do what she did justice…however I will say it…Thank You!
Heather McKenzie: Even though I did not attend I heard it was a great dinner and even better company the night before the big race – thank you for putting that together and more importantly bringing everyone together for a great evening. To the Runners: We will always remember the Friday morning runs at 0600 and think back to when it first began (in June); quite a bit of humor as we went from running .5 miles up to completing the actual 10 miler. Know that what you did is a significant accomplishment and one that you should always take pride in – that said DON’T rest on your laurels. We have all made significant increases in our physical fitness levels so keep it up! I remember Michelle Grant last year in a lot of pain. I saw here 10 minutes after she finished running this year and she was in the best of spirits!.
To Robert Pope and Catherine Schultz: You took a sketch of a t-shirt (an idea we had) and turned it into a great looking piece of running gear in record time - when we ran we represented NIB and AbilityOne and I can’t tell you how many people along the route were yelling “go NIB” especially along Independence Ave in DC and in the “Hooah Area” – thank you both for taking this effort on and audaciously bringing it to fruition!
So now what? Well for starters I have to drop off “SOCKO the Motivation Mascot” for safe keeping till the next ATM. He will be rotated between the NIB Cheerleading Section (IT Shop: Reggie Winston/Steve Herriott) and also with DDC (Debutante of DC) Stephanie Hood as they will now start preparations for the 2010 ATM with such tasks as “alarm clock setting, actual running and training activities” I cant wait to see them on the course next year! For the rest of Team NIB…don’t stop running! So there you have it…the final Runner Alert for 2009! In closing I think the quote of the year goes to Kara Penny who after the race walked over and said…”I want to die peacefully…not like this!” Congratulations to all cheerleaders, runners and casual observers! Without you it would not have happened!
Regards Brian Hayes
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