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Team Dover Airman pushes her limits one step at a time

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman William Johnson
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Running a half marathon is no easy feat. Training and preparations include weight training, proper nutrition and hydration and most important of all, a lot of running.

Airman 1st Class Jessica Rodriguez, 436th Operations Support Squadron air traffic control apprentice, was the only Airman from Team Dover selected to compete on the Air Mobility Command team and run in the 19th Air Force Half Marathon Sept. 19, 2015, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

"My story with distance running starts back in high school," said Rodriguez. "I ran cross-country my senior year and during that season I ran three-mile races which was pretty simple. But I did a 10K for one of the bigger races and that just started my love for distance running."

After high school, Rodriguez set her eyes on a bigger goal and completed her first half marathon in December 2014 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

"The course was completely flat and it was really cold," said Rodriguez. "But it was really rewarding because running 13 miles is very hard. There comes a point, like around 10 miles in to the race, where your legs just start giving up."

Since then, Rodriquez has completed three more half marathons with her last one being the Heritage Half Marathon at Dover AFB in April 2015, where she finished with a time of 1:55:00.

As a trainee in the air traffic control tower, Rodriquez works in a high stress environment where nearly 65 percent of trainees drop-out or do not complete training. She credits being able to handle the high stresses of training to her distance running.

"My running helps me a lot with air traffic," said Rodriguez. "Even when it's hard, I know I can still keep going. When I have hard or stressful days, I can still keep pushing because I know physically going out and running a lot of miles requires a lot of mental of physical strength. So when I'm at my job, I know I can do it."

Her hard work on- and off-duty has not gone unnoticed either. Lt. Col. Aaron Oelrich, 436th Operations Support Squadron commander, said he believes even though Rodriguez is a young Airman who is still in training, she is a leader amongst her co-workers.

"I think Airman Rodriguez is fantastic," said Oelrich. "This is just incumbent upon all of us to say, 'you know what, it doesn't matter if you're a lieutenant colonel, a general officer or an airman first class, you can lead and you can stand up and take charge of your peers,' and Airman Rodriguez has done that time and time again."

After 16 weeks of training, Rodriquez drove to Ohio to take part in one of the biggest races of her life. Even as an experienced runner, she had some doubts about the race.

"I was a little nervous because of the weather, it is a lot different in Ohio than it is here in Dover," said Rodriguez. "The course is also hilly and obviously by looking around Dover it is pretty flat."

On race day, the wind was blowing and the sky was cloudy, but after 1:55:42, Rodriguez crossed the finish line. She said the most difficult part of the race was finishing on a hill. But there was plenty of support to push her through to the finish.

"There were a lot of people along the course that were cheering us on," said Rodriguez. "Even if you start to slow down, people behind you will usually see it and they motivate you to push through. I had a guy tap me on the shoulder and say 'you got this!'"

Rodriguez finished 510th of more than 6,000 athletes and 13th in her age group. She said this race, like all the others, is a personal growth moment.

"It's always a learning experience with every half marathon I run," said Rodriguez. "Every time I run a half marathon I always learn that I'm so much more capable than I ever imagined. Even though it's always just 13.1 miles, it's still a challenge and I'm pushing myself past what I think I can do. So in the end it's all about knowing you are more capable than you ever think you are."

Rodriguez has now completed five half marathons and said much of her running career stems from a huge support network.

"My family has been really supportive throughout my whole journey in the Air Force and with my running," said Rodriguez, "They help to keep me motivated so I have to give a lot of props to my family."

After high school, Rodriguez took her running to another level when she signed up for her first half marathon, she again wants to take it to the next level. 

"I've decided to up my game," said Rodriguez. "I'm going to sign up and run a full marathon within the next six months."