Photo By Laurie Pearson | Rose Schwartz, wife of Chip Schwartz, plant manager at Production Plant Barstow,...... read more read more
Rose Schwartz, wife of Production Plant Barstow’s plant manager, Robert “Chip” Schwartz, competed in her first full marathon, March 24.
She ran the 26.2-mile marathon in 5 hours and 30 minutes, receiving a medal and incurring no injuries.
“She had a lot of fun,” stated her number one fan, Chip, proudly.
“I've run off and on since my late 20's,” Rose said, “but I really devoted myself to fitness when I turned 40 in 2004. Running has been part of overall fitness for me. I also like to lift weights, do bodyweight training with pullups and pushups, and other types of cardio like the Stairmaster, treadmill and stationary bike.”
She’s competed in several 5k events and Mud Runs, but the LA Marathon was her first long distance race. A 5 kilometer run measures out to just over 3 miles. Mud Runs are either 5 kilometers or 10 kilometers (just over 6 miles). By comparison, the full marathon she ran on Sunday was 26.2 miles. She had been preparing for the marathon, in part, by running with Ruth Clemans, wife of the base commanding officer, Col. Craig Clemans.
“She is the closest person I have to a coach,” Rose said. “I just feel good when I run and I like to challenge myself. Ruth is so positive and supportive. Plus she really knows about running and training. I especially love running hills with her. She's such a
blessing!”
She likes to encourage others to embrace a healthier lifestyle too by getting involved in fitness.
“Start with walking,” she said. “For someone who isn't used to moving just getting up and going for a walk is a great start. People can build from there by incorporating intermittent jogging/walking as their endurance increases on the way to whatever goal they have, like a 5k.”
Worried about her health and safety during the serious challenge presented by a marathon run, Chip watched her progress carefully, Sunday.
“During the marathon I was tracking her progress with the LA Marathon App and her phone's GPS location,” he said. “I was a little worried when she dove off into the deep end of distance running having never run competitively longer than 5 or 10k, so I wanted to see how she was doing. Turns out I didn't need to stress at all.”
In preparation for the LA Marathon, Rose increased her miles each week, but also kept in mind that she was just trying to have a good time and finish without getting hurt. If the LA Marathon was a success then she will consider training harder next time in order to improve her time.
As someone who loves a challenge, Rose’s main purpose in competing in a marathon was fairly simple.
“I want to say I did it!” she said. “I love all my fellow runners out there trying to finish, like me.”
In addition to training with Ruth, Rose also runs once or twice a week with her husband, Chip.
“We both love fitness and health,” said her husband Chip Schwartz. “It's wonderful to share this with someone as motivated and disciplined as Rose. She's incredibly strong and has amazing endurance, which keeps me motivated just to keep up. It's a huge part of our life together and I'm glad to have someone like her to share it with. She's also the only woman I know who can do more than 10 perfect dead-hang chin-ups. I’m bragging, but it’s true!”
She also stays focused on proper nutrition and hydration by eating a lot of fruits, salads, vegetables, fish, chicken and some red meat, she explained.
“My carbs come mostly from brown rice,” she said. “I stay away from processed foods but I do love chocolate! I drink a lot of water throughout the day and I keep bottles of water on the nightstand so I can stay hydrated at night.”
Ruth Clemans, who can be seen running with Rose most mornings on base said she is very proud of her friend.
“She’s so positive and fun to train with,” Clemans said. As Clemans continues to prepare for a marathon in June, in Duluth, Minnesota, she appreciates the company running and the encouragement she receives from Rose. “On mornings when I might be tempted to sleep an extra hour, I remember that Rose is on her way and I get a move on.”
After the marathon, Clemans was quick to praise her friend and training partner, Rose.
“I’m so proud of her,” Clemans said. “She is always such a pleasure to be around. She is proof that determination and diligence pay off!”
“Rose enjoyed the marathon so much that she's planning to run again next year, with the goal to improve her time to well under 5 hours,” Chip said. “She finished the last 10k really strong and told me she had a lot of energy left and she never hit ‘the wall’ during that race. I think she hadn't done enough long runs during her training to have a good sense of what pace she could run for such a long distance. So, she erred on the side of taking it easy during the marathon. With a full year to prepare and learn from Ruth, she has great potential to improve. I'm super proud of her and her discipline and positive attitude.”
| Date Taken: | 03.28.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 04.01.2019 16:21 |
| Story ID: | 316473 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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