Mitchell Gottlieb
Major milestone: Marine Corps Marathon finisher
What is the secret to your success? Make a plan and stick to it.
What is the biggest obstacle to reaching your goals and how do you get over it? At 55 years old, it was a challenging age to pick up running and decide to run a marathon. Running in the Marine Corps Marathon helped to inspire me on my runs and having my wife push me out the door Monday mornings really helped as well.
What is the most rewarding part of training and the race? Finishing was very rewarding. Running in snow and rain and the look on people's faces as you run by in shorts with a big smile always pumped me up. Race day was an emotional day. It was 9 days before my 56th birthday. The Marine Corps Marathon honors all Marines who have served to defend our great nation. During the race we ran through Washington, DC and Arlington, Virginia. Running past monuments and buildings with such history was uplifting. Running through a sea of photos of our fallen soldiers lost in too many senseless wars was heart wrenching. Marines lined much of the course and I tried to shake hands and thank as many as I could.
It was special to have my family cheering me on from multiple locations along the course. They have supported me for the last six months of training. They motivated me on days when I did not want to run, They worried about me when my long runs ran too long and always tried to get me to stretch.
The most amazing part of the the race was the final .2 miles. Running up the Marine Corps War Memorial hill with cheering crowds and finally passing the finish line. My medal was presented to me by a Marine and finished off with a salute. I was not sure if I should return the salute but did my best after running 26.2 miles. It was a day I will never forget. I'm already looking forward to another marathon.