JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Two officers assigned to Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph will join eight other Airmen, including five from JBSA-Lackland, on the Air Education and Training Command team at this year's Air Force Marathon.
Lt. Col. Robert Vietas, 12th Flying Training Wing chief of inspections and instructor pilot, and Capt. Adam Vannoy, Air Force Materiel Command program manager, will run in the half marathon at the annual event Sept. 21 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. They and other team members were chosen based on their credentials from previous races.
Vietas said his selection as captain of the AETC team - which he joked was based on his age - has allowed him "to know some outstanding athletes and Air Force professionals in the San Antonio area.
"I'm blown away by the dedication that they have shown," he said. "All of these Airmen are holding down full-time jobs with families, deployments and the lot - all while training."
Vannoy, who said he was "not much of a runner until October 2011," said it "means an incredible amount being selected for this team.
"I am competitive and enjoy teamwork," he said. "This opportunity is unique in that we are running for ourselves and each other. Being a part of something larger than myself will push me more knowing my team is on the line."
Vietas said this year's Air Force Marathon - which consists of 10K, half marathon and full-marathon events - will be his second half marathon.
"The first one was the Angkor Wat Half Marathon in Cambodia, which I recommend to anyone," he said. "I've run one full, the Philadelphia Marathon, back in 1999 and it wasn't pretty. I'm hoping to redeem myself someday - maybe the San Antonio in November."
Vietas called his wife "the real runner in the family."
"She has run three marathons and I've always had a difficult time hanging with her," he said. "She beat me in the Philadelphia Marathon and I'll never live that down."
Vannoy's first half marathon was the San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in November 2011; he has also run in the Austin Livestrong Marathon and two half marathons in Dallas and Austin.
"I moved to Randolph in June 2011 and had never run more than 6 miles at any given time," he said. "In an effort to meet people I joined the Air Force Personnel Center running club, which then motivated me to participate in the Rock 'n' Roll run. I built upon that momentum and have since competed in over 20 races to include runs, mud runs, triathlons and bike races."
Vietas and Vannoy have their own individual regimens to prepare them for the event.
"I am preparing for the half marathon by running three times per week - one run at my goal pace, one long run at a slower pace and one run that includes hills or sprints," Vietas said. "On the off days I'm throwing in weight training or crossfit-type activities."
Vannoy said his normal routine, which he is using to prepare for the half marathon, includes "mixing various distance runs with interval training.
"I run several times a week, saving longer runs for weekends," he said. "I personally enjoy running outside with an up-tempo music playlist."
The Randolph participants are also running with the AETC team once or twice a week for a group run.
Vannoy said he'd like to run the half marathon in under one hour, 30 minutes.
"My best time thus far is one hour, 37 minutes," he said. "This is a big improvement from my first half marathon finish of one hour, 52 minutes."
Vietas said his goal at the event is to "finish training and the half marathon without injury - and of course win the major command trophy for AETC."