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Default Marathon, 'bumble bee' instinct helps 100th ARW Airman honor past, present special op

Marathon, 'bumble bee' instinct helps 100th ARW Airman honor past, present special ops warriors

06-04-2013 02:19 AM

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Marathon, 'bumble bee' instinct helps 100th ARW Airman honor past, present special ops warriors


by: Karen Abeyasekere
100th Air Refueling Wing PAO
published: June 04, 2013

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RAF MILDENHALL, Scotland -- Lining up at the start of the Edinburgh marathon May 26, 2013, in Scotland, Tech. Sgt. Stacia Zachary was excited about the 26.2 mile journey on which she was about to embark. Every foot strike she was getting ready to take was to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

"All I wanted to do was focus on my 'bumble bee' when I got to a point where my body would say, 'I'm not feeling this any more,' and my mind would start considering turning back," said the 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs NCO in charge of internal operations. "But I wanted to find that 'bumble bee' that defies all reason to fly, yet still does - I wanted to find that person, who probably shouldn't be running, but is."

Team effort

Zachary was one of several Team Mildenhall members and spouses (the others were all from the 321st Special Tactics Squadron) who went to Edinburgh. Some ran the marathon, others chose the half-marathon May 25. She chose to do the run not just to prove to herself that she could, but for others; the technical sergeant completed every step to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

"It became important about three months ago, when I decided I needed to do it for a purpose. It was clear that my husband wouldn't be home and I wouldn't have his support," Zachary said. Her husband, Master Sgt. Christopher Zachary, a member of the 321st STS, is currently deployed.

Personal motivation

"It dawned on me that I could use this run to help other people out, and I decided to do it for a cause close to my heart, especially as it was around (the day after) my husband's birthday," the Long Beach Island, N.J., native said. "The people who serve in the special operations world are very vulnerable to not coming home, or to coming home scarred, so I wanted to run for them. The SOWF gives to the families and ensures that their children have what they need to carry on; if my running 26.2 miles, and putting my body through that, is beneficial to somebody else - that's what it's about."

The original idea to run the Edinburgh marathon as a group was first formulated over a 321st STS "Pink Team" spouses dinner in October.

As a U.S. service member, having the opportunity to run a marathon in Edinburgh, a city she loves, made the challenge even more important to Zachary.

Another of the spouses who ran the marathon, Becky LaRaia, from Rigby, Idaho, has been a friend of Zachary's for several years, as they and their husbands were previously stationed together at another base.

"Although running is primarily an individual sport, committing to training for a marathon is a huge undertaking," said LaRaia. "Whenever you have a task like that facing you, it's good to have the moral support of people around you. The best encouragement you can get is from people who are also undertaking the same task."

Pushing to the limit

As Zachary had previously run a half-marathon, as well as the Long Beach Island, N.J., 18-mile race before joining the military, she decided to push herself to run the full 26.2 miles.

"I'd always wanted to know if I could do a full marathon, and I knew I would have the support system I needed to keep me focused, so I wouldn't beg off at the last minute," she said.

Looking for a buzz

At about the 14-mile mark, Zachary spotted her 'bumble bees.'

"I saw a guy who had half of his left arm missing and it wasn't holding him back. Then a little further on I saw another guy running with his arm splinted - he'd obviously injured himself, but still ran the marathon. Those are the people who make me think, 'I don't really have a complaint that's loud enough to make me quit.'"

Along the way, she was able to enjoy some of Scotland's breath-taking scenery. There was a point where the runners went over a bridge and laid out in front of them was a lush landscape of sea, fog and islands in the distance, and on one side were rolling hills covered in yellow blossoms.

What a difference a mile makes

At Mile 20, Zachary was feeling good enough to take a photo of herself on her phone, ready to post to her social networking site for her friends to see after the race. However by Mile 21, that runner's high had worn off and the aches had set in.

"My knees were like, 'We've had enough! Go home!' Ironically, it wasn't hard to finish. I kept telling myself there's no turning back now. It would be a lot longer to turn back than to finish," she said.

More than that, the support from all her family, friends and sponsors made the idea of quitting a shameful one.

"Every single person believed in me and I couldn't dishonor that by turning back or stopping. I wouldn't have been able to face those people - even when I was lacking confidence, they weren't."

Inspiration

LaRaia was Zachary's inspiration in preparing for the marathon.

"She'd just had a kid and decided she was going to do it," Zachary said. "She was recovering from injuries, but was still logging the miles - that's a great role model. Becky was making it work, so why shouldn't it be the same for me?"

This was LaRaia's third marathon, having run the Air Force Marathon in 2006, and the Chicago Marathon in 2008. She's been running half-marathons ever since.

"I trained harder and more consistently for this race than any other, and although I'd forgotten how difficult the last six miles were, I was well prepared," LaRaia said. "Honestly, the race just provides the motivation for me to complete the months of training. I needed something to shock my body back into shape after having a baby last year, and training for a marathon was the answer."

When the going gets tough ...

Senior Master Sgt. Duane Sadler, 321st STS, from Lisbon, Ohio, said more people from their squadron signed up than actually ran.

"A few people found some excuse or another not to run it; oddly, the people who dropped out are the people who talked the rest of us into running it in the first place!" he said, jokingly adding, "Those of us who did end up running it just weren't smart enough to think of a clever excuse to get out of it - we had to do what we said we'd do.

"So those of us who ran the marathon stuck together and suffered through all the training and work that goes into it. Misery loves company!" he said.

Sadler's own reason to run the marathon was to do something challenging with a group of friends, and build some memories.

"I knew it wouldn't exactly be fun - I don't like running - but I figured that if we all did it together, it would at least be a fond memory to look back on. Someday... in the far-off future - right now, the memories are more traumatic than fond!" he said.

"I've run one marathon before, the Cincinatti Marathon in 2009. Again, I chose to run that marathon because some friends talked me into it - I gotta stop listening to my friends ... " joked Sadler.

Out of sight, not out of mind

Zachary's husband is beyond proud of his wife's achievements.

"This was her first marathon and not only did she do that, but she did it while I was deployed, she's working a full-time job and taking care of the house and two kids," Master Sgt. Zachary said. "It just goes to show you what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it.

"Stacia not only did this to prove it to herself, but she got online and raised (money) in support of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation by getting supporters to donate towards her race. I'm so proud of her, not only for being such a great wife, mother and Airman, but most of all for the way she honors the past, present and future men and women of special operations across the Department of Defense," said the master sergeant.

Zachary raised $2,000 for the SOWF.

The following 321st STS members and their spouses also participated in the Edinburgh half- and full marathon:
  • Karen Sadler (half)
  • Master Sgt. Bradley Mauzy (full)
  • Kelly Mauzy (half)
  • Tech. Sgt. Rob LaRaia (half)
All those from Team Mildenhall who ran the half- and full marathon completed their goals.

(Photo above)

From left, Tech. Sgt. Stacia Zachary, 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs internal information NCO in charge, from Long Beach Island, N.J.; Senior Master Sgt. Duane Sadler, 321st Special Tactics Squadron, from Lisbon, Ohio; Master Sgt. Bradley Mauzy, 321st STS, from Miami, Fla., and Becky LaRaia, spouse of Tech. Sgt. Rob LaRaia, 321st STS, from Rigby, Idaho, take a moment for a photo before starting the Edinburgh marathon May 26, 2013, in Scotland. The Team Mildenhall members all completed the marathon, and some of their spouses completed the Edinburgh half-marathon May 25. Zachary raised more than $2,000 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. (Courtesy photo)


Tags: Edinburgh marathon, Fitness, Marathon, RAF Mildenhall, News
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Marathon, 'bumble bee' instinct helps 100th ARW Airman honor past, present special ops warriors


by: Karen Abeyasekere
100th Air Refueling Wing PAO
published:

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RAF MILDENHALL, Scotland -- Lining up at the start of the Edinburgh marathon May 26, 2013, in Scotland, Tech. Sgt. Stacia Zachary was excited about the 26.2 mile journey on which she was about to embark. Every foot strike she was getting ready to take was to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

"All I wanted to do was focus on my 'bumble bee' when I got to a point where my body would say, 'I'm not feeling this any more,' and my mind would start considering turning back," said the 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs NCO in charge of internal operations. "But I wanted to find that 'bumble bee' that defies all reason to fly, yet still does - I wanted to find that person, who probably shouldn't be running, but is."

Team effort

Zachary was one of several Team Mildenhall members and spouses (the others were all from the 321st Special Tactics Squadron) who went to Edinburgh. Some ran the marathon, others chose the half-marathon May 25. She chose to do the run not just to prove to herself that she could, but for others; the technical sergeant completed every step to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

"It became important about three months ago, when I decided I needed to do it for a purpose. It was clear that my husband wouldn't be home and I wouldn't have his support," Zachary said. Her husband, Master Sgt. Christopher Zachary, a member of the 321st STS, is currently deployed.

Personal motivation

"It dawned on me that I could use this run to help other people out, and I decided to do it for a cause close to my heart, especially as it was around (the day after) my husband's birthday," the Long Beach Island, N.J., native said. "The people who serve in the special operations world are very vulnerable to not coming home, or to coming home scarred, so I wanted to run for them. The SOWF gives to the families and ensures that their children have what they need to carry on; if my running 26.2 miles, and putting my body through that, is beneficial to somebody else - that's what it's about."

The original idea to run the Edinburgh marathon as a group was first formulated over a 321st STS "Pink Team" spouses dinner in October.

As a U.S. service member, having the opportunity to run a marathon in Edinburgh, a city she loves, made the challenge even more important to Zachary.

Another of the spouses who ran the marathon, Becky LaRaia, from Rigby, Idaho, has been a friend of Zachary's for several years, as they and their husbands were previously stationed together at another base.

"Although running is primarily an individual sport, committing to training for a marathon is a huge undertaking," said LaRaia. "Whenever you have a task like that facing you, it's good to have the moral support of people around you. The best encouragement you can get is from people who are also undertaking the same task."

Pushing to the limit

As Zachary had previously run a half-marathon, as well as the Long Beach Island, N.J., 18-mile race before joining the military, she decided to push herself to run the full 26.2 miles.

"I'd always wanted to know if I could do a full marathon, and I knew I would have the support system I needed to keep me focused, so I wouldn't beg off at the last minute," she said.

Looking for a buzz

At about the 14-mile mark, Zachary spotted her 'bumble bees.'

"I saw a guy who had half of his left arm missing and it wasn't holding him back. Then a little further on I saw another guy running with his arm splinted - he'd obviously injured himself, but still ran the marathon. Those are the people who make me think, 'I don't really have a complaint that's loud enough to make me quit.'"

Along the way, she was able to enjoy some of Scotland's breath-taking scenery. There was a point where the runners went over a bridge and laid out in front of them was a lush landscape of sea, fog and islands in the distance, and on one side were rolling hills covered in yellow blossoms.

What a difference a mile makes

At Mile 20, Zachary was feeling good enough to take a photo of herself on her phone, ready to post to her social networking site for her friends to see after the race. However by Mile 21, that runner's high had worn off and the aches had set in.

"My knees were like, 'We've had enough! Go home!' Ironically, it wasn't hard to finish. I kept telling myself there's no turning back now. It would be a lot longer to turn back than to finish," she said.

More than that, the support from all her family, friends and sponsors made the idea of quitting a shameful one.

"Every single person believed in me and I couldn't dishonor that by turning back or stopping. I wouldn't have been able to face those people - even when I was lacking confidence, they weren't."

Inspiration

LaRaia was Zachary's inspiration in preparing for the marathon.

"She'd just had a kid and decided she was going to do it," Zachary said. "She was recovering from injuries, but was still logging the miles - that's a great role model. Becky was making it work, so why shouldn't it be the same for me?"

This was LaRaia's third marathon, having run the Air Force Marathon in 2006, and the Chicago Marathon in 2008. She's been running half-marathons ever since.

"I trained harder and more consistently for this race than any other, and although I'd forgotten how difficult the last six miles were, I was well prepared," LaRaia said. "Honestly, the race just provides the motivation for me to complete the months of training. I needed something to shock my body back into shape after having a baby last year, and training for a marathon was the answer."

When the going gets tough ...

Senior Master Sgt. Duane Sadler, 321st STS, from Lisbon, Ohio, said more people from their squadron signed up than actually ran.

"A few people found some excuse or another not to run it; oddly, the people who dropped out are the people who talked the rest of us into running it in the first place!" he said, jokingly adding, "Those of us who did end up running it just weren't smart enough to think of a clever excuse to get out of it - we had to do what we said we'd do.

"So those of us who ran the marathon stuck together and suffered through all the training and work that goes into it. Misery loves company!" he said.

Sadler's own reason to run the marathon was to do something challenging with a group of friends, and build some memories.

"I knew it wouldn't exactly be fun - I don't like running - but I figured that if we all did it together, it would at least be a fond memory to look back on. Someday... in the far-off future - right now, the memories are more traumatic than fond!" he said.

"I've run one marathon before, the Cincinatti Marathon in 2009. Again, I chose to run that marathon because some friends talked me into it - I gotta stop listening to my friends ... " joked Sadler.

Out of sight, not out of mind

Zachary's husband is beyond proud of his wife's achievements.

"This was her first marathon and not only did she do that, but she did it while I was deployed, she's working a full-time job and taking care of the house and two kids," Master Sgt. Zachary said. "It just goes to show you what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it.

"Stacia not only did this to prove it to herself, but she got online and raised (money) in support of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation by getting supporters to donate towards her race. I'm so proud of her, not only for being such a great wife, mother and Airman, but most of all for the way she honors the past, present and future men and women of special operations across the Department of Defense," said the master sergeant.

Zachary raised $2,000 for the SOWF.

The following 321st STS members and their spouses also participated in the Edinburgh half- and full marathon:
  • Karen Sadler (half)
  • Master Sgt. Bradley Mauzy (full)
  • Kelly Mauzy (half)
  • Tech. Sgt. Rob LaRaia (half)
All those from Team Mildenhall who ran the half- and full marathon completed their goals.

(Photo above)

From left, Tech. Sgt. Stacia Zachary, 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs internal information NCO in charge, from Long Beach Island, N.J.; Senior Master Sgt. Duane Sadler, 321st Special Tactics Squadron, from Lisbon, Ohio; Master Sgt. Bradley Mauzy, 321st STS, from Miami, Fla., and Becky LaRaia, spouse of Tech. Sgt. Rob LaRaia, 321st STS, from Rigby, Idaho, take a moment for a photo before starting the Edinburgh marathon May 26, 2013, in Scotland. The Team Mildenhall members all completed the marathon, and some of their spouses completed the Edinburgh half-marathon May 25. Zachary raised more than $2,000 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. (Courtesy photo)


Tags: Edinburgh marathon, Fitness, Marathon, RAF Mildenhall, News
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