Marine Corps Marathon - 26.2 Miles in the Nation's Capital

In less than four days, I will be participating in one of the great marathons in the United States - the Marine Corps Marathon. It will be my third full marathon, but my first national marathon with over 30,000 runners. And getting in was not easy. The original registration was back in the Spring, but, despite anticipating heavier than average registration traffic, Active.com had significant computer problems (think Obamacare). I was finally able to get a transfer bib, but not without difficulty. And don't get me started on the possible cancellation of the race because of the government shutdown.

Fortunately, I will not be running it alone. We have a group of seven of our Cornerstone Striders crew running the race. For the last couple of months, we have been dutifully putting in our long run miles on Saturday mornings. When you are running 20 miles on a weekend morning in July or August in 80 degrees and 90% humidity, you know it must be important. And we did it. Through the hottest part of the summer. And the payoff comes this Sunday.

Running a marathon is hard work. It takes effort and endurance. It is, however, a small effort compared with the sacrifices made by Marines and other members of our armed forces, who have fought and died to secure the freedom we all take for granted. While I plan to enjoy the experience of running this race and taking in the sights and sounds of Washington, D.C., I will do it with an appreciation for those who made it possible.