'Devil' Soldier runs for readiness

By Sgt. Dasol ChoiApril 14, 2017

'Devil' Soldier runs for readiness
CAMP HOVEY, South Korea - Capt. Brandon Carius, a physician assistant from 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, and a native of Madison, Connecticut, demonstrated his fight-tonight readi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

CAMP HOVEY, South Korea ¬- A Soldier within the 1st Infantry Division's "Devil" brigade took a challenge to demonstrate his fight-tonight readiness by running approximately 42 miles from Camp Hovey through Camp Casey in Dongducheon, to Yongsan, Seoul, South Korea, on April 8.

"As odd as it sounds, I personally love running because it is meditative. It helps me clear my head," said Capt. Brandon Carius, a physician assistant from 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div. "But for this run specifically, it was another way to challenge myself physically."

To Carius, who has previously participated in a several marathon events such as twenty regular marathons and nine ultra marathons that included two 100-milers, three 50-milers, and one 100-kilometer run, running 42 miles was feasible.

"Simultaneously, I also like to challenge myself to run distances, and when I thought about the distance between Camp Hovey and Yongsan, it honestly just seemed natural," the Madison, Connecticut native said.

To maintain physical readiness and prepare for the 42-mile intercity run in South Korea, Carius had continued to run by himself on regular workdays.

"I normally do four runs per week, generally with three of them being 8 to 10 miles and the other one being 14 to 20 miles," said Carius. "A few weeks ago, I did the Seoul Marathon in a time of 3:17:29, which I think definitely helped me prepare as well."

Before he took off running towards Seoul on Saturday, Carius's legs were taxed as he had taken an Army physical fitness test on Monday and done a twelve-mile-ruck march on Wednesday. However, he tried to keep a steady pace while running.

The 42-mile run took 6 hours and 51 minutes for Carius to complete.

"Of course, at the end, my body felt drained, but then I got to eat and bounced back," said Carius.

To Carius, not only did running challenge him physically, but also it allowed him to capture sceneries on the routes as he made steps towards Seoul.

"Running allows me to explore areas in a totally different way and see things from a completely different perspective," Carius said. "Getting out and on a run is the best way to explore a new area for me. It was awesome to see all the culture and activities of the local people as I ran along their trails."

"Doctor (Major) David Anderson, the brigade surgeon, and Doctor (Major) Joey Kamerath, a professional filler system provider from 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st ABCT, were my support crew. I couldn't have done it without them," Carius added.