What a weekend for the Marine Corps Marathon’s 50^th race!

Nick rented an RV for Camp Rosslyn for the first time since the pandemic, and his kids Nicole and Louis stayed over with him and joined us for the traditional pre-race lunch at Filomena’s in Georgetown. Bill, Cathy, and Reza were the Iqraa reps among 10 Marathon Charity Cooperation runners—including MCM Ambassador Nick—in a field of 35,000 MCM runners. 

How’d we do?

• Bill said he felt “like hell” afterward but genuinely appreciated completing his first marathon. Bill’s girls took pride in dad’s feat and crushed some Camp Rosslyn pizza.
• Cathy, our veteran, finished in the top 12 percent of her age group. Simply amazing!
• Reza, another first-timer, ran a 4:15, making it look effortless, according to Doug–and still had the presence to give Doug’s cramped calves a massage after the race.  
• In broader MCC news, we have two centurions, as Nick—running every step with Doug–completed his 102d marathon, and Prasad—pacing with Sundar—finished his 100^th and hosted a party at Avenel afterward!
• And MCC runners Chris (limited training due to health), Raja (ageless wonder), and Samir (diligent with training) ran solo marathon efforts that demonstrated typical marathon tenacity through the finish line.

One of my favorite sayings is Nick’s gem: “Every marathon finish is a victory!”

Hey…and keep an eye out for Peter on Nov 29, when he runs the National Capital Region marathon. Send pix, Peter!

Friends, that victory comes with the bittersweet realization that another MCC training year is complete. But there’s a bit more to go in the Iqraa year.

• Several of us are still out here trying to make a difference by raising funds for a brighter Palestine. Be one of ‘em!
• This year we’ve raised more than $29,000; I’m confident we’ll surpass $30,000. But it’s important to smash it because every $1000 is tuition for roughly one more scholarship.
  • Will we help 30 Palestinians or 35? Can we help 40 students complete a university education? Let’s GOOO!!
• And when we’re finished, our annual holiday party will kick off with dinner at Mama Ayesha on Dec 13. Put it on your calendar!

Now, here’s a sample post-race outreach letter to spark ideas—and an opportunity to share the story of my own race last month…

Dear Iqraa friends,

I’m happy to provide an after-action report from my Sept 28 Sprint distance triathlon in Rock Hall MD that’s almost entirely positive. Rock Hall is a 2-hour drive but the farmland and Bay country of the Eastern shore are idyllic.

The Waterman’s triathlon starts with an open-water swim in the little harbor at Rock Hall, with water temperatures a cool but pleasant 73F. Most athletes wore tri suits like mine, unifying a biking short with a durable tank top that zips in the front.

• At the start, some 300 plus athletes leapt from the pier into the Bay, two by two, and swam past a couple of big yellow buoys and to the exit pier 750 meters away, clambered up a ladder and ran head down (the mole-sighted athletes without glasses who have to focus on every footfall) along a wooden pier, across a street, and into the grassy transition area.
  • Including a mild jelly fish burn—not as hot as wasabi—the swim was my reveille.  
• I pulled on my shoes, Iqraa shirt, and biking helmet and trotted my bike out of the transition area to the “bike mount” line. From there, it was a 15-mile near-sprint through town, into the farmland to the north along Tolchester Rd, and around a rectangular course back into town.
  • The early forecast that weekend was for rain, so I brought my slower but more stable hybrid Trek, and found myself passed with regularity by legitimate racing bikes. Some mild discomfort in my hamstring, from sitting on it; shifted in my seat periodically.
• The 5K run was a slog, as the bike leg always leaves me feeling stiff, with an unrequited desire to loosen back up. I’d planned to do a 4:1 (run:walk) minute ratio, but in the excitement of the race decided to run until I felt any pain in my hamstring.

Those are the facts of the race, but I registered a range of feelings from one leg to the next, and there’s a lot of time to process emotion. First thoughts were of apprehension: the water temperature and whether I might aggravate my hamstring.

•  The swim was exhilarating, and brought out the edge that competitors want: how hard could I push myself? I hadn’t felt this eagerness in a long time.
  • We’ve all engaged in a pursuit we consider our forté, yet with reservations about our physical and emotional limitations. It’s thrilling to feel the confidence to go for it.   
• The bike highlighted the inadequacy of my hybrid compared to racing bikes… but effort’s not bound to any platform. Pushing hard feels good whether you’re riding a donkey or a racehorse.
  • The emotion accompanying this bike effort, the longest leg—was increasingly a venting: a healthy expulsion of frustration and anger. Rather than stewing in thoughts about the politicization of our government and the silence of many—and criminalization by this Administration—toward those who highlight the equality of Palestinians, every turn of the wheel became a blow against injustice. If only it were so easy!
• The run raised a new more practical frustration: the inability to shake that bike-induced woodenness in my legs and find freedom in an unfettered stride.
• This is the runner’s high, not endorphins.
  • It soon became a battle of emotional attrition: on one hand, anticipation of relief as the meters grind down—though the long straightaway before the final turn toward the finish line created a demoralizing illusion of endlessness—on the other, fatigue is mounting.
  • This struggle was an appropriate metaphor for seeking equality for Palestinians, centered on the right and the ability to become educated. Education inevitably brings forward progress…except in an environment choked by oppression.
  • In the twilight throes of a run for a brighter Palestine (our slogan), grappling with the desire for exit and relief can feel shameful: the Palestinians we support have no exit other than true equality. Despite its universality in theory, equality is not given freely.

And now my race is done but our struggle for equality through education is not.

As you know, Iqraa partners with United Palestinian Appeal, which oversees and implements the funds we raise for education. UPA is a 501(c)3 charitable organization founded in 1978 that’s earned the maximum 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.

•  To provide educational opportunities to Palestinians who can’t or don’t want to leave their homes in Palestine and Jordan, you can contribute at my Iqraa page or write a check payable to United Palestinian Appeal (UPA) with Iqraa/Kirk in the Memo line. Please send it to me or to UPA at 1330 New Hampshire Ave NW (Suite 104), Washington DC 20036.

Thank you to all who’ve contributed…I appreciate you and I’m very grateful for your support of this cause!

Last week/this week. Last Saturday at Camp Rosslyn, Bill, Cathy, Reza, and I ran or walked 3 miles along the MCM course. Next up are the Winter Runs, which Nick usually sends an email for on Thu/Fri each week.  

My greatest wish for this group is to see you all again regularly, Running for a brighter Palestine!