6 from Keesler run in Air Force Marathon

Published Sept. 17, 2009
By Susan Griggs
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Six members of Team Keesler are participating in Saturday's 13th annual Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Yekaterina Karpitskaya and Naomi Henigin were chosen to run as representatives of Air Education and Training Command.
Keesler's other runners are Joseph Wheeler, Mary Peterson, Kristin Reed and Glenn Brass.
Karpitskaya, 81st Surgical Operations Squadron, began running almost five years ago. Since then, she's done 17 full marathons, including one in Seattle June 27.
Karpitskaya, an orthopedic surgeon, is competing in the 26.2-mile full marathon under the AETC banner. She's included swimming and biking in her race preparations.
"I will do my best to represent AETC and my unit and hopefully beat my personal record of 3 1/2 hours and qualify for the Boston Marathon again," she said.
Henigin is 81st Training Wing commander's executive officer. She began running shortly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Since then, she's ran in four marathons, seven half marathons and numerous 5- and 10-kilometer races.
She represents AETC in the 10-K race and has been preparing for the event by doing sprint workouts along with exercises geared toward developing fast-twitch muscles.
"I'm honored to have been selected by AETC to run this year," said Henigin, who's been in the Air Force for six years. "I want to do our command proud by training hard and running my best race ever."
Wheeler, first sergeant for the 81st Inpatient Operations and Aerospace Medical Squadrons, is celebrating his 35th birthday five days early by running his first full marathon.
Three years ago, Wheeler was a 260-pound smoker. Since he began running about two years ago, he's run several 5- and 10-kilometer races and finished three half-marathons. He plans to run in the Disney Marathon in January and a half-marathon in New Orleans in February.
To prepare for the marathon, Wheeler found an online program and tailored it to his needs.
"I usually run three to four weekdays and one day of the weekend," he explained. "The weekday runs range from 4 to 7 miles and the weekend runs started out at 10 miles and climaxed at 21. With the heat, my partner and I start running about 4 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on down Fridays and Saturdays. I've gotten to the point where I say, 'It's only 10 miles today,' which still sounds strange coming out of my mouth.
"Training is difficult when you're married, a first sergeant, and have two little girls 4 and 2 years old," he admitted. "I try not to let training get in the way of family life which is pretty hard when your whole body is sore and it's time for dance class and recitals."
Next year, Wheeler wants to focus on triathlons.
"I'd love to complete an Ironman before I turn 40 -- that's a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile ride and 26.2 mile run -- I might need to learn how to swim first."
Reed is a registered nurse at Keesler Medical Center where she works on the fifth floor surgical inpatient ward. She joined the Air Force in May 2008 and attended commissioned officer training at Maxwell AFB, Ala., before arriving at Keesler 14 months ago.
The Air Force Marathon will be Reed's first full marathon.
"I started long-distance running in 2007," Reed remarked. "I ran several 5-Ks -- one for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, two for Habitat For Humanity and a few more. My first half-marathon was the Marine Corps Historic Half in Fredericksburg, Va., in May '08."
To prepare for Saturday's event, Reed has been running four days a week for the past four months.
"I've been running three short runs and one long one per week, increasing in distance each week. The first week I ran 3 miles, 5 miles, 3 miles and 11 miles, and I worked my way up to 5 miles, 8 miles, 5 miles and 21 miles."
Reed insists anyone can run a marathon if you train for it.
"It takes a long time to work up to running long distances, but if you're thinking about it, go for it. And don't get discouraged -- everyone had to start sometime."
Peterson, 81st MSGS, is also a nurse at Keesler Medical Center. She's been in the Air Force 1½ years, and Keesler is her first assignment.
"I was a multi-sport athlete in high school playing softball, tennis and volleyball and was even offered a college scholarship for tennis, but I never considered myself a 'runner,' so to speak," she pointed out. "I started training while in the Air Force with wishes to exceed our 1 1/2-mile minimum for the physical fitness test. This began in the first quarter of this year."
Peterson is currently training with the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society's Team in Training which raises funds towards blood cancer research.
"They provide you with all the tools you need such as coaches, mentors and assistance with fundraising," she noted. "All you need to do is bring your running shoes and a positive attitude."
Peterson considers the Air Force Marathon as another step in her training.
"My full marathon takes place in January, running through the Walt Disney World Parks," she said. "I'm also raising close to $4,000 to benefit LLS and run for the cure, one mile at a time. My training motto is, 'Just get me to the starting line and I'll finish the hard part.'"
Brass, 41, 81st Medical Support Squadron superintendent, was 1,234th overall, 978th male finisher and 169th in the men's 40-44 category in last year's Air Force Marathon, his first marathon experience.
Brass, who's been at Keesler for 2½ of his 20 years in the Air Force, has run multiple 5- and 10-K races. He's been using a training schedule he downloaded from the Internet to help him prepare for his second marathon.