AAFES employees tackle half marathon together

By Tamika MatthewsJune 4, 2009

AAFES employees tackle half marathon together
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- There are plenty of reasons people choose to run marathons. Some see it as a test of mental endurance. Others focus on the athletic merit of running.

Stacy McDonald, a Starbucks supervisor at the South Post Community Center, recently finished the Marine Corps Half Marathon in Fredericksburg for a very different reason.

Her father, who has been in the Army for more than 20 years, simply signed her up. "He runs all the time, and when he entered, he told me he signed me up, too," she said.

McDonald\'s surprise entry into the race prompted fellow supervisor Rebecca Finney to join the ranks as well. "Once she got involved, I wanted to do it, too," Finney said.

Neither of the two considers herself a runner, though Finney served a brief stint in the Army, where running is practically second nature.

Finney had been a gymnast for 10 years, and McDonald does muay thai boxing and karate. Finney said the two began training in January for the May 17 race with a combination of long-distance running and sprints, along with cross training in swimming, biking and step machines.

Her goal was to come in with a time under two hours. McDonald, however, just wanted to finish. "I'd run a race a few months earlier and it would have been great to beat my old time, but really, I just wanted to get through this one," she said.

And finish she did, with an official time of 2:36:05.

Finney came in just over her target with a time of 2:01:33. "And I'm still mad about it!" she exclaimed. "I know, I know - it's just a minute, but I can't help it."

Having one another as training partners really helped make the difference for both ladies. "In the beginning, I was out of shape and it took so much to get me going," Finney said. "It's easy to sit on the couch, but Stacy kept me accountable for my training." McDonald agreed. "You're not totally dependent on someone, but at some level, you are," she said.

Finney's next challenge comes in August with a sprint triathlon in Luray, Va., a race using shorter distances than the typical full-length triathlon. McDonald, who keeps busy with school and her other athletic ventures, said another race isn't in the cards for her right now.

"I did the two [races] I wanted this year," she said. "I'd probably do more if I had the time." Finney, who is also an Army spouse, said it's important to debunk some of the stereotypes that hang over military wives.

"There's a stigma about Army wives, that all we do is push around strollers, or that we're barflies who hit the town while our men are away," she said. "I hope this reminds people there's something in the middle."