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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - What is long, exhausting, painful and takes hours to finish? Two likely answers are marathons and half-marathons. The third annual Morale, Welfare & Recreation Marathon and Half-Marathon are approaching quickly and will test Joint Task Force Guantanamo troopers’ and U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, residents’ endurance. The MWR will sponsor both runs on Jan. 30.
According to Elizabeth Leonard, the fitness facility manager for the G.J. Denich, there are approximately 70 participants signed up for the race as of now and she expects there will be more by race day.
Air Force Capt. Jennifer Eichten, the assistant to the deputy staff judge advocate, is one of the 70 people who signed up for the marathon. Full marathons, 26.2 miles, and half-marathons, 13.1 miles, require diligent training and marathons are nothing new to Eichten, she said.
She hasn’t run a marathon since 2009, when she was pregnant with her twins. Eichten said she has run three full marathons and four half-marathons, so she knows all too well how difficult they can be, what it takes to train for one and common mistakes that first-time runners make.
“Most first time marathoners start off too fast or try to run too fast,” said Eichten. “During my very first marathon, I started too fast because the adrenaline was going and I was excited.”
This is a common mistake, said Kaleb Heninger, the fitness coordinator at the G.J. Denich Gym at NAVSTA.
Many runners begin running much faster than they should and burn out quickly. Runners must remember they are running a lot further then a normal 5K and they must pace themselves accordingly. The G.J. Denich Gym offers a variety of classes to help runners get in shape for the upcoming marathon. Briana Hall, a first time marathoner, takes advantage of the multiple classes the gym offers.
Hall says her training consists of going to the Speed, Agility and Quickness sessions and yoga classes. Not only does she run long distances, she runs sprints up and down hills and conducts low impact exercises, such as cycling. It’s important to mix it up when training, said Hall, who has researched various training programs to help her get ready for her first half-marathon. It is not all about running all the time. Working out in the gym is important too, just as important as stretching, hydrating and eating healthy are, she added. Training too much and too often can be a bad thing because it may lead to shin splints.
“Training is really hard on your body,” said Eichten. “I don’t really set a strict marathon plan; I want to keep it fun, I don’t want to make it work. I think it’s counter-productive if you keep training without any breaks because your body does need the rest.”
With the races around the corner both Eichten and Hall look forward to the upcoming challenge. Eichten urges runners to remember, “Endurance is key.”
Although her first marathon, Hall said she realizes that finishing a half-marathon will not be an easy task but she has set a goal and plans on accomplishing that goal.
“I’m excited to race and hopefully I do well,” said Hall. “Maybe I will continue to train for them afterwards.”
The course will start at the Cooper Field Complex, said Heninger.
The full marathon begins at 4:30 a.m. and the half-marathon will start at 5:30 a.m. Sign-ups for the MWR marathon and half-marathon end, Jan. 28. Troopers and residents looking to sign-up, may visit the gym and register. There is a $20 registration fee and runners will receive a t-shirt and a coin upon completion of the run.
| Date Taken: | 01.22.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2016 10:56 |
| Story ID: | 190632 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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