In honor of Veteran’s Day, we have our first ever DitchTheUmbrella guest post! Sarah ran her first two marathons this October – the Chicago Marathon in mid-October and the USMC Marathon in Washington DC. She agreed to share her story with us.
I am still healing from the impact and reflecting on the experience. On 10.31.10 I ran the USMC Marathon in Washington DC. It was an idyllic fall day: electric blue sky, crisp air, a slight breeze, and falling colorful leaves. We ran around Arlington, the Potomac, Georgetown, the Monuments, Chrystal City, to the Pentagon. The finish was uphill to the Iwojima Memorial. After I crossed the finish line, a Marine put a medal around my neck and I was officially done. The relief was beyond words.
Fall has always been a time of excitement and movement to me. It is a pastiche of literal decay and practical beginnings- a time that mandates some sort of action. You can’t just let the leaves rot where they fall. That is what the Marathon was for me. It was about momentum towards a new goal and at the same time confronting what has been lost.
I ran this marathon in honor of my brother who served three tours in Iraq. I also ran with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors which aims to support families who have been impacted by a death in the military. So, as we ran, we remembered what we have lost and felt it every step.
But we also created something new: a tribute, a personal record, a new accomplishment, a sense of community. And that was my favorite part. I know I could not have done this without the love, support, and literal cheer of my friends and family.
My sister, Elis, ran the last three miles with me, yelling to the crowd, “This is my sister, Sarah! Cheer for her!” Her voice was piercing and pumped the life into me that I needed to keep going. That exchange of energy from the lively to the depleted, that kind of support when you need it the very most; that is what makes it worth it. I have never felt more exhausted and more gloriously alive in my life.
Ditch the Umbrella 
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