Patriot’s Run: running to remember.

Ankur: It was a pleasure for me to run on Team Garmin for the 2010 Patriot Run. We ran that day ran to honor those who were brave and courageous in the face of adversity on September 11, 2001. My family and I give thanks to those men and women who keep our country safe and help those in need in times of crisis. I am fortunate to live in the best country in the world and work for the best company in that country, Garmin. My family and I are grateful and appreciative to be living in the USA and we give thanks daily for that fact.

Sunita: The course turned out to be pretty good — it was long enough that I didn’t feel like a hamster, but short enough that I could see everyone who was racing. By the time the race ended, I had made some new friends among runners and volunteers. It was great cheering on the Army troops with their packs on. A Major did the entire 9 hours and 11 minutes with his 35 lb. pack on. In the last half hour, all of the Major’s cadets were walking with him, and with a little encouragement from me they started singing cadence. The Marines followed suit.

Ryan: I didn't know what to expect when I arrived at the course. I was scheduled to run for 3 hours, but I wasn't sure how I'd fair in the warm afternoon sun.  Although as soon I started walking around the lot prior to the start, I quickly realized that this run would have much greater meaning than your typical 5K 'fun run'. Before I knew it, the run had started and I was on my way. At mile 6, I felt like I could run all day.  At mile 15, I felt like I could barely move another step. But the great part about the Patriot's Run is the fact that you're surrounded by people every step of the way. So I relied on their enthusiasm to get me to the three-hour mark. When my time was finally up, I crossed finish line with a little more than 17 miles under my belt . . . my farthest run to date. I quickly passed my 310XT and timing chip on to Peg and retreated to the Garmin booth for some shade and some rest/relaxation.

Peg: I was pretty pumped to see Ryan knock out 17 miles, a solid mile marker in his training for the KC Marathon on Oct. 16. After a quick hand-off of the baton (Forerunner 310XT), I set off for my own 2-hour jaunt. Running the second leg for Jake’s team was Ankur. We settled into an easy conversational pace and discussed everything from our families to how Gamin fitness devices have motivated us and enabled us to take on new challenges. The vibration alert on the 310XT gave me a gentle reminder at every mile and I’d occasionally glance at average pace to make sure I was going slow enough to carry on for two hours. Keeping tabs on pace while conversing with Ankur proved to be the right mix. I logged 11 pleasant miles, my longest run by far since my 26.2-mile victory lap at Boston Marathon in April.   

Paul: Last year I started off way too fast and wore myself out with around one and a half hours still left to run. This year I swore that would not happen again, and it didn’t thanks to the Forerunner 310XT. I set a goal of 9 to 10 minute miles. There were all types of people doing the event: walkers, joggers, racewalkers, marathoners, ultramarathoners, Marines, and Army guys in BDUs with full rucks. You would be feeling good passing people, only to be put in your place by a Marine doing 6:30 minute miles. I stayed on pace and completed 6 miles in my first hour, and then handed off to the next runner. Time to rehydrate, refuel, and wait for my next relay leg, which started at 8 and went to 9:11 p.m. The most amusing parts of the finale were watching the Army guys carry a 150 lb. log for the final lap and listening to the Marines calling cadence. At 9:11 everyone was cheering on the final runners and then there was a moment of silence held to remember those who lost their lives on 9/11 or soldiers lost later in the line of duty.

And a final note from Justin, who ran with us last year and was felled by sickness on race day this year. Fortunately, Sunita took on his part as she’s hitting her peak training for the Athens Marathon.
Justin: Congrats to all of you for participating in what sounds like another memorable and worthy event! The Patriot’s Run is such a special run (yes even for a Canadian), and one of the few opportunities to bring you closer to and honor the men and women putting themselves in harm’s way. With each step and bead of sweat taken, you were able to not only represent the Garmin family, yet also be a role model in your communities.

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