Photo By Spc. Adam Turner | San Francisco, Calif. native Maj. Loren B. Jerlow, brigade aviation officer, 1st...... read more read more
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By Pfc. Phillip Adam Turner
1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division
FORT HOOD, Texas - Running, particularly marathon running, has historically been looked upon as a selfish sport; running against the clock, no team effort, just you versus your mind, 26.2 miles of muscle burning, body churning, pounding of the pavement.
However, many marathon runners, half-marathoners, and 10k runners, are finding more reasons to run than exercise and self improvement alone. Many are earning money for charities based on the number of miles they run during an event.
For Maj. Loren B. Jerlow, brigade aviation officer, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, running has been a staple of his existence from a very early age. Born in San Francisco, Jerlow (35) has been running for fun since he attended Marshall Elementary School, in West Minster, Calif.
"My elementary school had a contest called the 'Roadrunner's Club,' where you would get a little badge for every lap you did around the school," said Jerlow. "Somehow that appealed to me and I decided to collect as many of those Roadrunner badges as I could. So, I would run non-stop during recess and I ended up collecting more than anyone at the school."
Although Jerlow's first running affair was a successful one, and he still had affection towards the activity, running would take a back seat to others throughout his adolescent years.
"As I got older I got involved in, JROTC, BMX riding, martial arts and I really took my biking to the next level once I became a cadet at West Point. I earned a spot on the school's race team. Eventually, I found out that running is more conducive to my time management... so that's why I started running again," Jerlow said.
Jerlow categorizes runners into four different groups; the exerciser, socializer, warrior, and the purist. He sees himself as a purist with a deep affection and love for running.
"It's all about getting out there and running," he said. "I literally enjoy the sun and birds, just being alone with nature; it is a beautiful thing to see the Earth come to life and wake up with the sun. It's just an all around exhilaration for running.
Even with all of these things Jerlow enjoys about running, he has found even more motivation to keep him moving. Jerlow who will be participating in the Rock'n'roll San Antonio Marathon, Nov.16, 2008, has hooked up with 'Active.com', to have people sponsor his run, by pledging a dollar a mile to the Fort Hood, Texas, Fisher House - Band of Angels.
"A lot of people run for charities such as [Breast Caner research, Leukemia research, and AIDS research]. I am not saying these aren't worthy causes; I just wanted to run for a cause that was close to me that I was passionate about. I wanted a reason to run, a way to give back and I've found that," said Jerlow.
Band of Angels is a beneficiary of the Fisher House at Fort Hood, which provides a place for Soldiers to be with their families and live temporarily during their time recovering from illnesses, and/or injury. Many of the Soldiers who are benefiting from this charitable program are veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I just want people to know that our Soldiers are fighting this war and even though they're back in America, a lot of them are fighting to survive, and get better. I just think these Soldiers, and their families need our love, gratitude and support," he said. "They say the wounded Soldiers are the forgotten Soldiers, and we can't let people forget about their battles, everyone needs to know it continues... almost indefinitely."
One of the reasons, besides the fact he is an officer in the United States Army that Jerlow feels as strongly about this cause as he does is seeing the impact first hand. Jerlow has watched friends and colleagues deal with the struggles of moving on after returning home injured.
"I have a friend who was in a plane crash in Afghanistan; he broke his back and his face, he was my 'back-seater' in Korea. I was there for his last flight in the Army... he could have transitioned out of the Army medically, but he asked to stay. He has two kids and a wife, he still plays golf... but he struggles everyday, just to walk, to stand-up... It's the people like that, that are inspiring to me. They remind me that I can't take my running for granted. I find myself running now because there's a chance I might not be able to the next time I come back," Jerlow said.
Putting his face on the cause has not been the intent for Jerlow. He says emphatically that if it were up to him he would remain anonymous. However, he knows the apprehensions people would have giving their hard earned money to some person they have never seen, or knew was legit.
"This is a worthy cause... it is worth making a tax deductible contribution to ensure these brave men and women are getting the care and support that they need to make full recoveries. I don't want the money... I just want to run for them. Knowing that they may never have that chance again is what drives me, and I know finishing these races, and getting these contributions for the Fisher House is helping them reach their goals, and get the support and the care that they need to finish their race," said Jerlow.
| Date Taken: | 09.23.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 09.23.2008 11:20 |
| Story ID: | 24041 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 195 |
| Downloads: | 174 |
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