Marathon training: Am I ready? Published Aug. 3, 2006 By Staff Sgt. Becky LaRaia Pope Honor Guard POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- With a little more than month left until the big run, I will reach my peak in training in late August and taper off by race day. This month I will focus on adding miles and both hill and speed work. Between now and then, some preparations need to be made to ensure I have a spot at the race. These preparations include getting permissive temporary duty authorized, registering with the Air Force Marathon office and planning my trip to Dayton, Ohio. Permissive temporary duty can be requested to participate or train in sports, recreation and talent events officially conducted or sponsored by elements of the Air Force, inter-Service organizations, DoD, according to Air Force Instruction 36-3003, Military Leave Program. Participation in regional, national and international sports events can also be authorized with special approval. Individuals can send their request to the Air Force Sports Office at ty.reyes@agency. afsv.af.mil. The request should include name, rank, social security number, home unit and station, competition information and specifics, and the travel days for the event. Unit commanders must also approve the permissive travel, which allows members to leave the local area and travel at their own expense for a designated number of days. Runners must register for the marathon before Sept. 8. Registration for all four events can be completed online at www.usafmarathon.com. Besides the marathon, Wright Patterson also hosts a half-marathon, a four-person relay and a 5K fun run that day. Registration for the marathon is $57 if registered before Sept. 8 and $65 after. Once registered, the marathon office will help with discounted hotel information in Dayton. Once in Dayton, my husband and I will prepare for the race by driving the course, which is 26.2 miles around historical sections of Wright Patterson AFB. The course goes by the National Museum of the Air Force, the Air Force institute of technology, the Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, around the Wright Patterson flight line and by the Wright Brothers Memorial. A map of the course can be viewed at www.usafmarathon.com. The big question is am I ready? Physically, I think the answer is yes, or I will be very soon. The real test will be whether I'm mentally ready.