San Diego 50 Mile Trail Run

So, we've been taking a long break from the blogging world, but what better way to come back than to do a race recap of the San Diego 50-Miler!  Warning...there will be a ton of pictures!

About a month ago, I got an e-mail from Paul Jesse, the race director for Off Road Pursuits, telling me about the upcoming San Diego 50-mile trail run.  I sent a quick e-mail to my tri coach, Mike Plumb (from TriPower) and asked whether he thought it was a good idea to sign up.  I've run a few ultras in the past and I knew what to expect and he told me to go for it!  I went ahead and registered for the 19 January run.

Unfortunately I did not get in nearly the amount of training that I needed to, but I thought, "What the heck, I can do this!"  At 0315 on Saturday, I woke up, packed up my stuff and my friend Scott and I hit the road down to San Diego, about a 40-minute drive away.  It was cold and dark and I had opted for the early start.  The race actually started at 0630, but the race director was awesome and offered a 0530 start for anyone that was interested!  It was a great idea for anyone who might risk not making the 14-hour cutoff time (which happened to be me!).

The race crew did a phenomenal job of marking the course and stocking the aid stations every five miles.  I only got lost once!  Luckily that only added an extra half mile to the run!  The volunteers were FANTASTIC and their motivation and high spirits (as well as delicious treats) made the run possible.  But without a doubt, there's absolutely no way I would have finished without my friend Scott, who was there to meet me at every aid station and give me the motivation I needed to make it through to the end!

Early in the race at mile 10 I had to dump out the sand in my shoes...next time I'm getting some of those things that cover your shoes and keep the junk out!

Heading up to the 15-mile aid station (off to the far right is another runner, Paul.  We kept each other company periodically throughout the race.

The weather warmed up and it was time to strip off some extra layers!

Heading up to the 20-mile aid station and feeling great!

Miles 20-30 were by far the toughest terrain I had to cover.  It was nice to get back to the 30 mile aid station and head out to an "easier" part of the course!  Or so I thought...

This is me coming up to the 35-mile aid station...feeling mighty broken and downtrodden.  This is when my severe lack of training really hit me!  

A quick refuel and I was feeling much better!

Between miles 35 and 40 I had an opportunity to chat with another runner, John, which helped make the time go by a lot faster!

This would be the last aid station I'd get to see Scott before heading out, so I spent a lot of time getting a pep talk and eating!!!

The snacks were fantastic!  This aid station even had "sushi" made of rice crispy treats, fruit roll-ups, and gummies!

A mouthful of food!!!

The pep talk really motivated me and got a smile on my face - only 10 miles to go!

My "victory" pose!

Heading out on the last 10 mile stretch.  I knew it was going to get dark, so I picked up my long-sleeved shirt and my headlamp.

So happy to be closing in on the end of the race!!!

And it's all over!!!  I made it in the cutoff time (just barely), finishing in 13 hours and 39 minutes!  

Overall, the race was fantastic, from the crew to the race course to the volunteers to the near-perfect weather, I had a wonderful time.  The majority of the credit goes to Scott though, having someone there  at every aid station to motivate me made a huge difference.  There are very few people in this world that will spend an entire day supporting an ultra, and I'm so grateful that he was there to help me out.  Unfortunately, I was too tired at the end to get a picture with him!  

So, 48 hours post race, I'm feeling pretty good overall.  I did have to head to the ER last night because my right foot is really bothering me.  It started at mile 35 and it was a gradual onset, not because I lost my footing, so I was worried it might be something serious.  No obvious fracture on the x-rays, but they put me on some crutches for a few days and I'm just icing it up and resting.  

On another positive note, I only fell ONCE during the entire race.  For anyone that's followed us for very long, you know that I can be fairly clumsy.  I tripped and ate dirt right before the 10-mile aid station, but that was my one and only face plant!  Go me!  

Off Road Pursuits puts on some fantastic events and Paul Jesse is an awesome race director.  I will most definitely head back out on one of their races before I have to leave San Diego!

Elfin Forest

Not sure if I've written about Elfin Forest on this blog before or not, but it's truly a hidden treasure here in SoCal!  A few weeks ago, I ventured out on a beautiful Saturday morning to hike up the "Way Up Trail."  The weather was absolutely perfect and the views were fantastic.  

I love hiking because you get such a great workout, but you don't realize how tired you are because the scenery is so beautiful.  There were lots of folks out enjoying the perfect weather!  Not a ton to write about, but lots of pictures to show!

Where's your favorite hiking spot?

The Joys of Coaching

Ok, so let me start off with the fact that I'm not talking about joys I get out of coaching...I'm not the least bit qualified to coach anyone when it comes to triathlons!!!  However, what I am talking about is how ecstatic I am about having signed up with Mike Plumb from TriPower.  I was a bit hesitant at first to spend any money on a coach, because in theory I should be able to use all of the available resources on the internet to find great training schedules.  However, that rapidly became overwhelming.  

I went ahead and decided to try it out for a few months and see how it went.  It's only been about a month, but I can already tell that I love it!  Mike e-mails me my workout schedules on Sunday.  It includes everything I'm supposed to do each day of the week, to include the swim workouts.  I've never actually done a real swim workout.  I just go to the pool, hop in, and do laps until I'm tired.  Now I have guidelines for how to push myself in the water.

Additionally, I have unlimited e-mail contact with him and can ask him as many questions as I want.  He has us log into Beginner Triathlete to log our training on a daily basis.  This helps him tailor our weekly schedules.

So, I'm not sure I can effectively say what kind of difference this will have in my race performance, but I do know that I'm super excited to be training with a purpose.  To have someone with years and years of knowledge help me prepare to move up in race distance and to improve myself!  

Genetic Traits

We all know that certain traits are genetic...I believe that clumsiness is the gift that both Jen and I received from our mother!  Last week Jen set out to do an 18-miler and took a nasty fall at mile 9.  This week apparently it was my turn.  I went out for a lovely 8-mile run.  I wasn't feeling great when I woke up, so I didn't hit the road until 0830.  Luckily it was a gorgeous day out - perfect for a run down Pacific Coast Highway.  

It was supposed to be an easy run, so I just set a nice pace and trotted off.  On my way back, I had a brief (and painful) encounter with the sidewalk.  I was nearing home and apparently not paying very close attention to my footing, when out of nowhere I smashed into the concrete!  As it turns out, there was a bit of a lip on one of the sidewalk squares that I must have caught my toe on.  

This is what I looked like post fall prior to getting cleaned up.

Luckily it was on a road with traffic and the first truck that came upon me pulled over and this very nice couple got out.  Additionally, a man who was walking to the store heard me fall and rushed over to help.  He helped stop the bleeding on my head and the other man got me some water while his wife called Sean.  Then the gentlemen in the truck drove me the last half-mile home where we met Sean, who took me up to the Camp Pendleton hospital.  

In addition to my face, which took the brunt of the fall, I also got a nice scrape on both my left knee and shoulder.  Not sure what my hands were doing while I was falling, but they were definitely not there to catch me.  There's hardly a mark on either one of them!  

Once we got up to the hospital, it was a 2 hour wait and then we got to see the doctor.  He said he could use glue to close the cut above my eye, which was much more preferable to me than stitches!  

Much better post ER visit!  You can barely even see the glue!

Race Report: Run Like a Diva Half Marathon

Ahhhh, back from 10 days of vacation!  We travelled to Virginia, Maryland and New York, so it was quite a busy trip.  My mother-in-law was signed up to run the Run Like a Diva Half Marathon in Long Island on Sunday, 7 October....so I decided I should run it too!  

At first I was pretty nervous.  I haven't run more than 6.5 miles in the last 10 months.  But I thought, why not?  It might not be my best time, but I love all women's events and this seemed like a great opportunity to get in my first long run.  

So for the race recap: weather turned out to be PERFECT!  They had been calling for rain all week and I really don't like running in the rain when it's cold out.  The temps were a little cold for me - I think it was 54 degrees when we arrived at the race.  But the sun showed itself as we started the run and it was perfect running weather.  

The course was overall very flat.  We ran around Eisenhower Park and some museums which was cool.  There were tons of folks out cheering us along the route.  Aid stations were placed every 2 miles and were very well run.  It never got too crowded when trying to get water.  

Now for my favorite part - at mile 12 they had a station where they handed out pink feather boas and tiaras!  How much fun is that???  I loved it.  

Fixing my tiara for the photo-op!

At the finish line, we were presented our medals by some very nice looking firemen sans t-shirts ;-)

They had a ton of post race food to include the standard bagels and bananas, but also had flutes of champagne (or ginger ale for the non-drinkers like me) and delicious Luna bars.  

I ended up finishing in 1:55:10, which I was thrilled about!  I would absolutely run one of their events again!  What an awesome event that encourages women of all fitness levels to get out there and challenge themselves!!!  

Goal Update - Week 3

As usual, it's time for my weekly goal update!  This really helps me stay accountable to myself!  Again, you won't find perfection here, but you'll find a lot of HEART and motivation to keep pushing myself.  

(photo from idlehearts.com)

Exercise Goals
1) Run 25 miles a week - So, as I've mentioned the previous two weeks, this was a bit ambitious!  This week I got in 16.67 miles total.  I even hit the treadmill one day to work on speed!  I'm not good at pacing myself for sprint workouts, so that's where the treadmill comes in handy.

2) Swim at least three times a week - Well, I got in two swims this week, both in the 50m pool on base and did a mile each time.  I'm really thinking about looking for a swimming coach because I know I need work on my technique to improve. 

3) Bike to and from work at least once a week - This didn't happen, BUT...on Sunday I did a 32.81 mile ride!  That's the furthest I've ever ridden in one stretch.  Note to self - pack more than one gel and carry more water if it's hot out!  Oh yeah, and sunscreen would have been a brilliant idea!

4) 10 dead-hang pull-ups - As always, I've been faithful to the Recon Ron Pull-up Program.  This week it called for five sets - 9, 7, 6, 5, 5 - and I got all five days in.  I was pretty sore this week, so I ended up kipping more than I probably should have.  

Nutrition Goals
1) One caffeinated drink per day - Doing great here and feeling good!  There are some days where I don't have anything caffeinated and don't even need it.

2) One carbonated drink per week - Oops...I messed up on this one and had two this week.  I had a Diet Mt Dew and a Lo-Carb Monster.  That's okay though, at least it wasn't every day!

3) Keep a food journal - I am in love with MyFitnessPal.  It's so easy to use, even to add in recipes to ensure you get an accurate calorie breakdown.  It also helps me to make smarter choices throughout the day about food!  

Brick It!

For anyone that’s ever done a triathlon or any training for a multi-sport event, you are familiar with the concept of the “Brick Workout.”  The idea is to do a bike workout immediately followed by a run. Or a swim, followed by a ride.  This is awful because your legs literally feel like bricks (or sometimes Jell-O).  Although it is completely evil, it is a necessary evil if you want to improve your overall times.  It helps your body get used to the transition from bike to run and can also help you improve your transition time between events. 

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For anyone new to this, here’s the basic gist (taken from this site):

1. Work up to it. A brick is for those who have been training and can complete the run and bike distance planned in the brick.

2. Make sure the brick isn't scheduled too close to any planned races. Bricks are very good training workouts and are very hard on the body. There should not be any races planned within two weeks of a brick workout to allow plenty of recovery time.

3. Get all the gear needed ready. Fill water bottles. Get your running shoes set up for when you come off the bike and are switching to running. Place anything else needed for the run, such as energy gels, next to your shoes.

4. Wear clothes comfortable for both sports. One of the points of a brick is to practice transitions for triathlons or duathlons. Any switching of clothing costs time in a race. Making the routine as close to it as it will be on race day is extremely helpful.

5. Drink plenty of fluids. Since this workout usually takes longer than biking or running alone, it is very important to drink enough. Also, bricks are a great time to practice race-day nutrition if you are training for a longer-distance race, such as an ironman.

6. Focus on the transition from bike to run. Since most duathlons and triathlons require it anyway, keep your helmet on until the bike is racked, or put away. Then take off your helmet and bike shoes, if you didn't remove them while still on the bike. Get your running shoes on and get going. This is a great time to test how your feet will react to running without socks! It saves about 40 seconds of transition time.

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7. Force the run at first. It never feels good the first 100 yards or so. Most of the time it feels like your legs just won't work. The normal rhythm will come, but until then just force leg turnover and warm your legs up. You will most likely surprise yourself when you review your Garmin and find out you were actually running faster than you thought you were. 

While I haven’t found the pool here on base yet, haha, I do have my bike and indoor trainer here and plenty of area to run.  I’ve only forced myself to do this workout twice because it felt so awful both times!  I suppose there’s only one way to make it less horrible though – do it more often! 

What do you do to motivate yourself into completing a workout that you really, really do not feel like doing?

Making Time

In this world of “GO, GO, GO,” where multitasking is considered a critical skill and technology rules our lives, I should have all kinds of extra time right?  As it turns out, I’m pretty terrible at multitasking – in fact, I’m fairly sure it makes me totally INEFFECTIVE.  I operate on four separate networks out here in Afghanistan, and each e-mail account dings when a new message arrives.  Even if I’m in the middle of something, as soon as I hear that DING, I feel the need to immediately jump over to the other computer and find out what this new critical piece of information could be!  This ensures that I never completely finish a single task until well after 9pm.

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So, what am I trying to get at – this ineffective method to which I have a bad habit of approaching daily tasks has significantly affected my workouts in a very negative way.  Last night I found time to start my workout at 10:30pm…not ideal, but you take what you can get.  Walking everywhere is definitely a big change from being back home, so I count all those steps towards my workout.  If I’m feeling sleepy at work, I get down and do a set of push-ups.  Gets the blood flowing and wakes me up!

Regardless of how busy I am, I have to make time for me.  There are many reasons that I workout, but the two most important ones are as follows:

1.  Physical health – it’s important to me.

2. Sanity – working out clears my mind, it allows me to refocus and to have a clear head when I go into the next task.

I guess I felt like writing this to remind me that if I just focus and stay on task, finding time to exercise is not really that difficult and it’s worth every second!  

Picky Bars Review - Part 1

As you know, my sister is in Afghanistan right now, but she managed to find time in her busy schedule to review one of her FAVORITE products ever! Here's what she sent me:


It kind of reads like a sales pitch...but I really do believe all of this stuff! (I'm not sure I was supposed to include this disclaimer:)

Over the years I have tried so many pre/post workout snacks...but none have compared to how tasty and filling the Picky Bars are.  They are much smaller than a normal energy bar, but that's part of what is so great about them!  I can eat one 20 min before a run or a long bike ride and it's not overly filling.  It gives me the energy I need to make it through a long workout.  Additionally, as you can see from my picture below, it's great post-workout fuel to reenergize my body.  After a seven mile run, I definitely needed to refuel the tank!

When we flew over here to Afghanistan, I didn't want to carry a ton of extra stuff, but I knew that the food on the plane might not be vegetarian-friendly...I was right.  Luckily, I had packed a bunch of Picky Bars, which came in very handy!  They are small, so I could pack lots of them!

Picky Bars also taste awesome!  I love that they put a few chocolate chips in there!  So, if you haven't tried them - WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?  I promise that you will not be disappointed!


(Ok, so there you have Jessica's two cents. Mine is forthcoming as I recently received this awesome package in the mail courtesy of the fine folks at Picky Bars:

I'm a Picky Bar virgin, and a hater of most energy bars, so I promise to give you my honest perspective. But I'm feeling pretty confident about them after hearing Jessica's rave!)

Run Through It

Sometimes life gets overwhelming.  

Sometimes you just have a bad day.  

Sometimes you just need an escape.  

I needed that today.  It wasn’t one specific thing; it was the compilation of several days’ worth of frustration.  I found myself being short with others.  I could feel the tension in my shoulders.  I was both physically and mentally tired.  Then it hit me, I needed a RUN!

Due to the operational tempo of what I do out here in Afghanistan, it’s hard to disappear for a run mid-day.  I’ve tried running at night, but it’s still pretty chilly out here and I’m not a huge fan of running in the dark alone out here…doesn’t seem very smart.  But today I decided for the good of everyone around me and for my own sanity, that it was worth it to lace up my running shoes and hit the road.

Four miles later I was a totally new person!  I had my smile back, I had a little bit more energy, and I was my old self! 

It’s so nice to know that no matter how overwhelmed I get at times, the road and my sneakers will always be waiting for me.  They know that they provide a place of solitude, a moment of sanity, and peace of mind.  It may take me an hour, a day, a week, or a month to find my way back, but they will be patiently waiting with open arms.  

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Things I Like About Me - Part 2

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Well, it’s time for the “other half” of the blog to talk about Things I Like About Me (even though it's past the "link up" time frame).  While deployed it is very, very easy to get irritable because you’re working long hours, there are no days off, and you have to deal with the exact same people every single day.  And since Jen shared a quote with you, I will share with you a mantra that I use daily to help me keep perspective:

Today I am fortunate to have woken up.  I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am going to use my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.  I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others.  I am going to benefit others as much as I can.

Though I’m not 100% sure how that ties in to liking myself, I wanted to share it.  Here is my attempt at a list of things I like about myself:

1.  I am the most positive person I know.  I can find the good in anyone or anything and I refuse to let frustration get the best of me.
2.  I have an excellent grasp on the English language.  As a Latin major, I spent quite a bit of time learning basic grammar. (I’m really good at Scrabble.) 
3.  I can laugh at myself.  I never take myself too seriously.  When I make mistakes, I learn, laugh, and move on.
4.  I have the utmost faith in humanity. I believe that all people want to be good and that there is good in everyone.
5.  I am very organized.  I set timelines, I stick to them, and I am very reliable. 
6.   I am good at my job.  I understand the technicality of my career field, I take care of my Marines to the best of my ability, and I learn new things on a daily basis. 
7.  I play the piano.  It’s one of those skills that’s fun to have and I play when I need to relax.

So there you have it, an entirely positive post about me. I urge you to follow the example from Just.Be.Enough and share your thoughts about yourself. Thanks for reading mine. 

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Words to Live By

We may be identical twins, sharing a body type, hair & eye color, metabolism, ridiculous sized calf muscles, and currently a love for running, but that's where the similarities end. Don't get me wrong, we are probably more alike than different, but here's a list of things that come to mind:

1. Jessica is the studious one. I am the meathead.
2. I am a "fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants" kinda gal. Jessica has been planning each minute since we left the womb.
3. Jessica worries that everything won't be done perfectly. I rarely worry if nothing ever gets done.
4. I would rather run 3 miles as fast as possible. Jessica would rather run for 12 hours straight. 
5. Jessica is an great Marine Corps officer, willing to sacrifice (in many opinions) too much to ensure she accomplishes the mission. When I was a Marine, I used to skip out early and go surfing.

Ok, you get my drift, right? Well, Jessica is currently serving as a company commander for a Radio Battalion deployed in Afghanistan. She struggles to find time to devote to maintaining her personal relationships with those "left behind" while keeping her focus on the mission/Marines at hand. That stresses her out. She doesn't have time to run as much as she would like to. That stresses her out too. So recently she emailed me and our two best friends (yeah, we have that in common) with her new mantra:

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Knowing my sister as I do, I realize that this will be a struggle for her to live up to. Jessica is a perfectionist. But as we've gotten older, she's mellowed a bit and I'm so thrilled that she found this great mantra to guide her through the next few months, or years. I have no doubt that she has this posted either next to her rack or by her computer as a constant reminder to slow down and just trust. 

When I received the aforementioned email, the closest thing I had to a mantra was "Enjoy Being" as you read earlier here. I headed out on a run Wednesday morning and was feeling pretty sluggish. I decided right then and there to develop my own mantra, something to get me through those rough spots of a run when I want to walk. Here it is:

Run - because you should.

Don't complain - because you can. 

Let me break it down. "Run - because you should." Run can be replaced with workout, eat healthy, cross train, etc. Basically, we should make an effort to modify our behavior in positive ways that result in healthier beings. For instance - I should run because I want my daughter to grow up with a good example on how to be healthy and strong. And the "Don't complain - because you can." What I mean by this is something that's prevalent within the fitness community already. Be grateful that you have legs and muscles that allow you to carry your body over the pavement in a smooth stride. As a member of a military community, I frequently see amputees, and it's a stark reminder to quit whining when my legs are sore or get tired. Our running club's (Stroller Warriors) leader's son was recently diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). He is two and walks only with the help of a walker. But he gives 100% during his physical therapy and keeps such a positive attitude about his "magic shoes," that it makes me think twice before complaining to his mom about our current workout. So because I am ABLE to run, I really have no right to complain. It's a decision I made for myself. I've always been one of those people who sees my situation and says, "Well, it could be worse." Not everyone is like that. My husband couldn't be more opposite. Do what works for you. This mantra got me through 4 miles when I really didn't even want to be running. 

What words inspire you? 

Live From Afghanistan...

One Month Off…   

              

Greetings from the desert!  I wish I was able to stay more active in the blogosphere, but things are so busy out here and the Wi-Fi connection isn’t always very reliable.  Due to the current schedule that I follow, I haven’t really had time to squeeze in a daily run like I do when I’m back stateside.  Instead, I’ve taken to going to what we’ve nicknamed the “Prison Gym”.  Essentially we’ve got very resourceful Marines who have acquired some workout equipment and put it here in our compound.  We have a lot of free weights, several straight bars for bench/squat/etc, and some newly arrived cable machines! 

I’ve been doing mostly strength training, lifting weights between 5 and 6 times a week.  I don’t ever have a plan, but I have a workout partner who creates our schedule!  One of my goals when I got here was to be able to do 10 pull-ups.  When we first arrived I was unable to even eke out ONE…but now I’m up to SEVEN!  So, there are positives to weight training!

However, my running, which provides me peace of mind, solitude, and sanity, has sadly fallen to the wayside.  On Saturday, for the first time in almost a month, I got back out on the road.  We did a three-mile run with 2 min jog, 15-second sprint.  It was tough, but mostly because my cardio has gone out the window! 

It was a welcome feeling to be back in my Inov8’s and on the road.  Sometimes you just don’t know how much you need something until it’s missing from your life!

2012 Goals

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Ok, so most every other blogger got around to doing this post a couple weeks ago, but better late than never, right?   All the way from the deserts of Afghanistan, Jessica's goals are as follows:


1) Complete 10 pull-ups (without assistance) before returning to the States. - I am currently able to haul chin over the bar 4 times while kipping. Ideally I'd like to get 10 dead-hang pull ups, but if it takes kipping, I think I'll be ok with that.
2) Run a 6:30 mile. - I knocked out a 7:17 within the last couple months. 6:30 is absolutely feasible. However, short distance is not my forte, so this is definitely going to be a challenge!
3) Bench press her weight (about 135-145). - I recently maxed out at 95. And while I briefly considered cutting weight until I hit 105, maxing out and then eating like a fat kid in a donut shop, I'm not sure that's a healthy approach:) 


And from a much less exciting part of the world, straight out of eastern NC, here are Jennifer's goals:


1) Run a 1:45 half marathon. - As I've posted previously, I'm running the Quintiles Half Marathon in Wilmington, NC this March, so no time like the present to test yourself, right? If it doesn't happen then, I've left myself plenty of racing season to try again.
2) Find the perfect running shoe. - After reading Born to Run, I joined the cult of mid-foot strikers. While that has done wonders for my running, it has been chewing up my shoes:( I had to return my most recent pair to Saucony because it was causing holes to form where the leather toe protector meets the mesh part. Total bummer. Still rocking Saucony's but a different style for now. I've got some friends who have similarly giant feet (size 11) who are willing to let me test their shoes (Brooks, Merrill, etc.). Hoping it's not a fruitless search.
3) Incorporate speed work into my training. - For anyone who has been reading this, you're probably laughing since I tried to do this in the month of November, and failed miserably. But now I've got a race goal and a training plan, so if I can hit the track once a week (starting February), I'll consider it good. 


Do you have any goals that you haven't yet made public? Please share them with us!

Bigger Than Running

A few days ago, my sister sent me an email containing this post. She said, "I know this is a running blog, but this is really important to me and I'd like to share it with people." So here goes:

On 30 December I had the honor of attending a Dignified Transfer.  For those who are unfamiliar with what this is, let me explain.  When a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, or Airmen from any service is killed in action, the military places extreme reverence on the transportation of his/her body from the theater of operations to their home country.  Because we are currently fighting with a coalition force, this ceremony is conducted regardless of the nationality of the service member. 

Tonight we honored a Georgian soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice.  I have never met this man; in fact I did not even know his name.  But I joined approximately 100 other service members in honoring his service and sacrifice as his casket was loaded onto the C-130 that would fly him back to his loved ones. 

We lined up in two formations on either side of the plane’s ramp and participated in the most solemn event I have ever been a part of.  As the casket was carried onto the plane the commander gave the call to “Present Arms,” and everyone slowly rendered a final salute.  The members of his unit then boarded the plane to say their final goodbyes and the formation was dismissed.

The news spends a lot of time focusing on the “bad” parts of the war.  This is quite possibly the worst part of the war, but a part that cannot be forgotten.  I’m grateful that I’m located on a relatively safe base where I have access to the Internet, regular phone calls, hot showers, a comfortable bed, and three hot meals a day.  I’m grateful that I can run around the base without worry and go to the gym every day.  Many people who are over here in Afghanistan do not have these luxuries. 

To the man I saw being loaded onto the C-130 tonight, you will never be forgotten.  

Source (not from Jessica's current deployment)