Six to represent Fort Leonard Wood at Army Ten-Miler

By Mr. Matt Decker (Leonard Wood)September 11, 2014

Six to represent Fort Leonard Wood at Army Ten-Miler
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Six to represent Fort Leonard Wood at Army Ten-Miler
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Six to represent Fort Leonard Wood at Army Ten-Miler
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Six to represent Fort Leonard Wood at Army Ten-Miler
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Six to represent Fort Leonard Wood at Army Ten-Miler
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Six to represent Fort Leonard Wood at Army Ten-Miler
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The six runners who will represent Fort Leonard Wood at this year's Army Ten-Miler trained hard to make the team and will continue to train for the next 31 days to compete in the Active-Duty Mixed category Oct. 12 in Washington, D.C.

Lt. Col. Jackie Chen, Capts. Robert Morris, Joanna Neekonov and Elijah McMahan, 2nd Lt. Pablo Romero and Pvt. 1st Class Elliot Whitehead will make up the Fort Leonard Wood team. To qualify for the race, runners had to compete in two local time trails, hosted by Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation on July 26 and Aug. 23.

"The time trials went well. There were 31 service members who tried out over the course of the two trials," said Danny Howell, the FMWR sports specialist who conducted the trials and helps coordinate the race each year.

For some, like Chen, a doctor with the Medical Department Activity, returning to Washington, D.C., is almost like returning home. Chen, 52, said she is excited to be representing Fort Leonard Wood in what will be her 17th -- and final -- appearance in the Army Ten-Miler.

"It's a reunion," Chen said. "I'm sort of surprised I made the team, considering my age."

Chen said her goal is to run the race in one hour, 10 minutes, and she's sticks to a disciplined regimen to stay in shape.

"I run every day, try to eat a healthy diet and get enough rest," she said.

Chen's workout stresses the same three principles as the Army Performance Triad, which focuses on healthy activity, nutrition and sleep, and is used by several team members, including Romero, Whitehead and Morris.

"I do utilize the Army Performance Triad in my training," said Romero, a student in the Military Police Basic Officer Leader Course. "Without it, I don't think my body would be as efficient as it is today."

This is the first Army Ten-Miler for Romero, who has participated in events such as the annual Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range, but never run competitively. He hopes to place in the top 100 finishers.

"This is my first experience in the Army Ten-Miler, so I am a little unsure what to expect. I definitely look forward to putting forth my best effort, and overall just learning from what that weekend has to offer, along with meeting new people from all over the world," Romero said.

Whitehead said the Army initiative is key to his performance both on the running course and as a Soldier in the 2nd Battalion-10th Infantry Regiment.

"I make sure to eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables and foods that support exercise. Sleep is must for running, but also for peak performance on my daily mission at work," said Whitehead, who hopes to run the Ten-Miler course in under 60 minutes.

This will also be the first Army Ten-Miler race for Whitehead, who had never run competitively before trying out for team at the time trails.

"I am truly honored to represent Fort Leonard Wood," he said. "I feel it is a blessing from God. I had never run 10 miles before, so to run it for the first time and make the team is an amazing feeling."

Morris, the 463rd Military Police Company commander, said he incorporates the Army Performance Triad principles into his workout plan, which includes a minimum of a daily 5-mile run.

"Perhaps the most important principle that I utilize is nutrition," Morris said. "A healthy and balanced diet is critical in order to be a successful runner."

Morris, who ran long-distance track events in high school, and ran on the varsity cross country team for State University of New York at Brockport, is also making his debut at the Army Ten-Miler. He has set a personal goal of completing the race in 58 minutes.

"The opportunity to represent Fort Leonard Wood at the Army 10 Miler is a great privilege. This is also an exciting experience, since the teams are composed of some of the most elite runners from across all major Army installations," he said. "I am looking forward to being able to compete against some of the top runners from across the Army."

For McMahan, Company C, 554th Engineer Battalion, running in the Army Ten-Miler is a second chance to complete a long-sought goal.

"This is the second time I have qualified for (an Army Ten-Miler) team, but the first time I will be able to attend the race," said McMahan, a veteran marathoner and high-school track athlete who first qualified for the Army Ten Miler Team at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

"I'm very excited to represent not only Fort Leonard Wood, but also the Army. This race has been a bucket-list race for me since I commissioned," he said, adding that he hopes to run the race in under 65 minutes.

Neekonov, Company B, 701st Military Police Battalion, is also a veteran long-distance runner who ran track in high school and competed on the Nordic ski team from 2007-2009 at West Point.

"It's skiing, but we did a lot of running to train -- I ran my first marathon with that team," she said.

For a runner more accustomed to marathons, half marathons and even ultra-marathons (beyond 26 miles), the Army Ten-Miler presents a more fast-paced challenge.

"This event will be a new tempo for me," she said. "I am really excited about it. This is such a unique opportunity that I've been blessed with and I'd really like to make the most of it and bring pride to the people I serve with."

The team still has some work ahead of it, according to Howell, who noted that, although weather was a factor during the time trials, runners were not as fast as in previous years.

"The conditions were not favorable," Howell said. "The temperature for both time trials (which were held at 6 a.m.) was above 70 degrees, and the humidity was above 80 percent. We usually have one to three men run in under 60 minutes, and women typically run under 70 minutes. We had no one break the 60-minute mark for men or the 70-minute mark for women. Our team will train hard and have a good showing in D.C."