A Most Motivating Marathon:

How I (kind of) Ran the Marine Corps Marathon Without Training

As the train from New York to DC started, I found myself with a mix of nerves and excitement. It had been about 20 years since I had been with my immediate family without our significant others or our kids around and I didn’t exactly train for this marathon I told everyone I’d be running.

My training consisted of a few miles with my brothers for a get together in Texas earlier in the Spring and another run at home in New York shortly thereafter.

The idea to run the Marine Corps Marathon was proposed by our father, who suggested that if Second Brother asked me to run with him that I probably would. If it’s not obvious how wise I am for deciding to run this thing without training, it should be known that, in spite of also being a Marine, our father is wise, and so, everyone knowing my competitive nature, the challenge began.

Once Second Brother and I committed, the Third Brother jumped in, and just like that, all three of us were committed to running the marathon.

However, as the race day approached month over month, I found myself postponing training, and then postponing it some more. Third Brother moved his family to Alaska from Texas to go do his doctor thing after getting injured playing basketball, so his training schedule got derailed for this year.

I have gone through my own journey this Summer. Starting a new business for the second time in my career is a great thing to do right after you told your brother to run a marathon. I’m not making excuses for not training, I’m just saying…life, man. It’s a thing.

So…race day weekend comes around. I meet Second Brother after arriving at Union Station. We meet our mother and it felt like we were 7 and 4 again, before our younger siblings came around. I love walking around D.C. with the two of them, seeing the sights, while Pops is off at lunch with a business colleague. It reminds me of the old days.

Finally, race day arrives. The experience is unreal. Ospreys fly overhead as Sergeant Major Ruiz and General Smith motivate the crowd. There is nothing like having the top enlisted officer and the Commandant of The Marine Corps himself kick off a race, I’ll tell ya (prayers to General Smith and his family as he recovers).

“MARINES KNOW….VICTORY COMES not from being the strongest or the fastest but FROM THE REFUSAL TO FAIL!!!”

The three of us start together with the 4:30 pace group. Second Brother quickly takes off with the pace setters, while Third Brother and I keep running together. We let the 4:45 pace setters go by. Then the 5:15…it kills me to do so, but I do, knowing it will save me in the long run.

It must be around mile 7 or 8 when the Third Brother gets a call from the Second Brother, he’s running out of salts. Third Brother told me he would be peeling off the course as planned to give the Second Brother his salts at another point in the race. He says to me, ‘if you think you got this, brother, then go.’

I looked at Third Brother and said, ‘OK,’ and I stepped it out to catch the 5:15 group.

And so, I was left on my own, and I commit to making it at least 10 miles. But by the time mile 10 came around, I felt good enough to make another mile, and then another. Let’s take the half, I thought. The pace setter at 5:15 knew her stuff. Before I knew it, I had reached mile 14, and then mile 16, where I decided not to go with Sis and Moms and just…keep…going. Maybe my Marine Corps training will actually pay off all these years later?

As the clock keeps marching on, I knew I had to make it over the bridge before 1:15pm. My legs start to give out, and I find myself alternating between walking and running. That’s OK. I just have to finish. Just make it to the bridge. One foot in front of the other. By mile 19, I had made it to the bridge.

On that bridge, I did a lot of reflecting…

If anybody ever tells you the American Dream is dead, then show up for a Marine Corps Marathon and you might change your mind.

I ran with about 30 thousand motivators who will tell you different. Family members of Marines, friends of Marines, Marines, and a bunch of other military service members and veterans will tell you different.

We are living the dream and we all run for motivators who are willing to die for it.

At the half, I run through what I heard called King’s Row. I can’t find the words to describe the feelings I felt there, so I’ll save you for now, but most of my reflection on the bridge had to do with the fallen I saw named and pictured earlier that day.

Just over the bridge, around mile 21, an old-timer of a motivator offers me a shot of Woodford Reserve, my wife’s favorite bourbon, so I accept, and with newfound energy, I find my legs again.

However, by mile 24, they are gone once more. I keep walking and running, and by mile 25, there are too many people cheering me on to stop.

Marines are cheering. Family members and friends of fallen Marines are cheering. I am mostly running now in spite of my left knee being shot.

The final hill can’t stop me. I sprint with everything I have to get under the 6 hour mark.

Finally, at 26.2 miles, I had done it. I snap a selfie with a butter bar to commemorate the occasion.

I finished in 5 hours and 45 minutes…fifteen minutes prior to 6 hours, rah?

As I cross the finish line, I think to myself, “next time, I will train, because I want to enjoy this more…and I’ll wear band aids on my nipples.”

— — —

I made it back to the city in time to see another marathon finish. My favorite podcast, ‘Uhh Yeah Dude,’ recorded their 1,000th episodes that night and I made the second show. It was awesome.

I have a special spot in my heart for them and if you’ve listened to UYD as long as I have, you might remember them talking about me and my engagement to my wife during episode #444 (subscribe to UYD on Patreon to check it out). She made this all possible. She took care of our two beautiful children while I went on this adventure.

With her I feel like nothing is impossible.

Thanks to the nutrition recommendations from Second Brother, some key tips from his running coach, and a last minute read by another writer here on Medium, my legs even felt good enough to hike around the hood with the kids for Halloween, a mere 2 days after I accidentally ran 26.2 miles!

With the Marine Corps Birthday right around the corner, you can be sure this motivator is extra motivated this season.

OOH-RAH!