Saturday morning we got up early and while Nessa showered I whipped up some breakfast burritos...we left about 6:45 am enroute to the Marine Corps reruit depot in San Diego. While driving down the freeway at about 80mph (standard california speed) I pulled up alongside a san diego city police officer. As we drove past him, he proceeded to get behind me and ride my ass for about a 1/2 mile. He then pulls up alongside of me and screams out his window "65 not 85!" At this point, I am lost because I was going the same speed as him...ANYWAY. As we exited the freeway, and got close to the depot, I could already sense the motivation in my body. It was rumbling. This was my first trip back to the depot in a few years. Althoug it is not the depot where I was "born" it was still the depot. The place was packed. Marathon runners, triathletes, Marines, spectators, high school track teams! You name it, and they were there. I had no idea the turnout was going to be so enormous! So we parked and met up with Mr. W and Cindy! It was good to put faces to names and meet Nessa's friends! They were both cool. Tim informed me that he had gotten out of he Corps in 1984. Yes that's 21 years before I got out but still as they say, "once a marine always a marine."
We walked around and got our gift bags and dog tags and such when we spotted the pull up bar. Some recruiters were offering us civilians the challenge of either men doing 20 dead hang pullups or women doing the flex arm hang for 70 seconds. If this was completed, the lucky person received a free "pain is weakness leaving the body" t-shirt. Nessa convinced me to "win" her a t-shirt which I thought would be no difficult task since 20 pullups is my norm. 19 3/4 pull ups later, I felt that perhaps I had lost my edge. All eyes were on me and, I didn't meet the standard. I did not get down on myself, I just mentally prepped for the race. At 8:45, as the individual males entered the chute...there was a drill instructor barking out orders and prompting the crowd! I didn't feel the need to respond at all. Finally, we took off. It was so crowded, I must have chopped my steps for about an eighth of a mile. The first mile was a bit boring but I managed to keep a decent pace...then we got to the obstacles!!!! I then immediately thought It was 1998 and I was back in boot camp. I attacked every obstacle like a killer! I even made time to elbow the shit out of the dummies used for bayonnet training that everybody else seemed to run by. I was fairly quiet the whole race, until I saw a few marines that I recognized that are now drill instructors! Also the sound of motivating cadence blared over the P.A. System and that's when I knew I wouldn't slow down or stop running! I did however manage to see a few guys that looked like they were dying! I thought to myself silently, "you are not a warrior" anyway my overall time was 26:02. Mr. W came in @ 25:25. Great job by the way! Afterwards Tim and I sat in the shade and talked about the corps, current and past pay rates, the race, and waited patiently for the girls...they showed up around the 30-31 minute mark. They looked a little flustered but still of sound mind and body! So off to our cars we went so Mr. W and Cindy could change and Nessa could get her ATM card to pick up a tanktop. At some point, I felt compelled to make my way back to the pull up bars and win her a T-shirt! The line was long and Nessa even held my spot while I caught up with a few of the drill instructors that I had recognized. Once I got back and it was my turn, I mounted the bar and attacked it with vigor and determination! (the twenty pull-ups came easy as I thought they should have the first time and Nessa got her t-shirt. Overall the day was great. After the race Nessa and I walked to the command museum which is where the pics are from. I have lived in a 2-man tent on numerous deployments. Brought back a few memories I must say. Can't wait until next year!

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