The Joggin’ for Frogmen Race – A Salute to Those Who’ve Served

I had the good fortune of running in the Joggin’ for Frogmen race, a race held in honor of 31 fallen American Warriors.  The race was the first annual, and held one week before the first anniversary of the August 6th, 2011 Chinook helicopter crash in Afghanistan, which took the lives of 31 of our American Warriors from various branches of our military.  The race was held on the beautiful campus of San Diego State University.  Men, women and children came out to the support the cause!

The Joggin’ for Frogmen 5k teamed up with the BOOT CAMPAIGN (www.bootcampaign.com) to raise money for the Navy SEAL Foundation and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. The BOOT CAMPAIGN profits, race registration profits, and donations will go to these foundations for them to fulfill their own missions in helping military families.

The thing that struck me during this race is the role running plays in promoting community development.  Finding a cause or something you are passionate about can help develop your fitness goals.  Many people attending today were personally vested in the event as they or someone they love has served in the US Armed Forces.  Surrounding yourself with a group of passionate people at an event like this can go a long way toward prompting health and wellness.  In addition to running the 3.3 mile run, attendees had the opportunity to see the Leap Frogs jump from a plane and parachute into the field to join race participants, one of the highlights of the morning.

After I caught my breath from a hilly run, I headed over to meet Bestselling author Sean Parnell, who was talking to race participants and signing copies of his book, Platoon Outlaw.  Hundreds of people lined up to meet him and he took time with each one of them.  I walked away with a signed copy of his book, dedicated to a friend of my husband and I, who served overseas.

I had a few moments to talk to the race coordinator as well as second place overall women’s finisher Jen Skakiw.  I asked Jennifer her advice for runner’s training for a 5K run and she shared that an essential part of race preparation is to incorporate speed training into your routine.  A 5K for people looking to perform well is a very faced-paced race.  Out of the gate you are running at nearly a full-speed pace and by the start of mile two you are running all out.  In some way running a 5K almost feels harder to me than a half marathon, as from the start it moves quickly.  Warming up is important because of this, so aim to get in a few minutes of running before the start of the race.  Jennifer also recommends working in hill training as you prepare.  The Joggin’ for Frogmen race course was rather hilly.  I was suddenly glad for the hills I’ve been training on.

This event was a great opportunity to bring out community and support an important cause.  For those looking to incorporate running into your fitness routine, consider finding a race that supports something you care about.  You’ll be more likely to get others involved as a result, train hard and enjoy the event!