Am I Really Going To Train For Another Marathon?

Submitted By: Elaine Weisner

Jeff came up to me at work the other day, and said he had signed up for a marathon. He said a lot of people were signing up including many from our club’s original marathon training team. His words were encouraging. “C’mon Elaine….” I listened, and knew what a great experience it was to train with the group for the Richmond marathons, but I didn’t say very much. When Misty and I did the Williamsburg 1/2 marathon in February, we commented about how much easier it was to train, do, and recover from a 1/2 marathon. We had no plans to train for a marathon. So why was my heart getting excited at the thought of training for a marathon? This isn’t just any marathon, it’s the Marine Corps Marathon, which runs through the streets of our nation’s capital and finishes at the Marine Corps War Memorial of the marines putting the American flag in the ground at Iwo Jima!

My father served in the Marines for 20 years. The saying “once a marine, always a marine” was definitely true in my household growing up. As a child, I wasn’t thrilled to be occasionally awakened by the call of “Reveille!” from my Dad, but I knew he took great pride in having been part of the Marine Corps. A painting of the marines putting the flag in the ground at Iwo Jima hung in the upstairs hallway, a constant reminder of honor and service.

I asked Misty if she had seen the e-mails about a group getting together to train for the Marine Corps marathon. I didn’t know if she’d be interested. I went to see my Mom in Virginia for the week-end. That night, I got a message on my cell phone from Misty about the Marine Corps Marathon. I called Brad, who did the marathon 15 years ago in 1994, while I went along as a spectator with our 2 small children. I told him I was considering doing the Marine Corps Marathon this year, and that I sensed that Misty was itching to do it. Brad is my strong supporter, and he said something profound like, “Well, if she has an itch, she should scratch it.” With that said, I called Misty. She said we should both think about it, and for me to give her a call the next night.

I was sitting on my Mom’s couch that evening, and I decided that I should look at a calendar to see when the long training run week-ends would probably be. I picked a calendar up off her table, and as I opened it, the first picture I saw was a picture of the marines putting the flag in the ground at Iwo Jima. WOW! A sign! I think it confirmed what I already knew. I was going to start training for the Marine Corps Marathon.

This August will mark 20 years since my father passed away. When I go to D.C., I will visit his grave in Arlington National Cemetery. I know Dad will be with me, as I run the Marine Corps Marathon.