Fort Campbell, KY -- Most Soldiers run three times a week because their first sergeant orders them too, some Soldiers do it to stay within standards, and some do it to socialize and to be one with nature.
The latter would most accurately describe Capt. Michael Rose, commander of B Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), who ran the 100-kilometer race and won first place in the Lone Star 100 on February 8, 2020. The race is a 100-mile, 100-kilometer, and a 100-kilometer relay across the Franklin Mountains in El Paso, Texas. The Lone Star 100 begins at an altitude of 5,000 feet and climbs to an altitude of 7,192 feet at its peak. The track starts within the low desert on a runnable trail to steep climbs and switchbacks along the north side of the mountain all the way to its peak and back down.
"Running is a part of who I am so I saw [this race] as an opportunity for a challenge," said Rose. "I think it's pretty cool to say that you are able to run a 100K at your own desire and get after it; It made me feel good when I came to the halfway point and I had just taken first place in my first 100K."
Winning this spur of the moment race provided a level of accomplishment that most runners encounter when they hit the road whether they've trained for a run or not.
"I just signed up for the race on Wednesday and ran it on Saturday," said Rose.
Rose didn't particularly train for the race, but considering the fact that he's a three-time winner of the Best Ranger Competition, has run ultra-marathons, and runs a minimum of 55 miles a week you could say he's been training for a race like this for a long time.
"He sets the example, he actually exceeds the example," said Trevor Munn, first sergeant of B Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). "It's almost impossible to keep up with him, but that just motivates me to push myself harder and run further."
Rose inspires Soldiers all around; the Soldiers he leads and the Soldiers who so happen to read the rap sheet of all his accomplishments, he inspires everyone to be better and believes anyone can reach their goals.
"Consistency is king. Getting out there and going super hard for a month is never going to beat the guy that's day-in and day-out giving his [best] effort every single day," said Rose. "If you make smart [running] a part of your daily and weekly routine, running five, four, six times a week, push yourself and focus on the small things you'll get past those mental barriers of running."
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