122nd Fighter Wing Airman runs the Boston Marathon

Photo By Staff Sgt. Rita Jimenez | U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jacob A. Doctor, 122nd Fighter Wing Logistics Readiness Squadron quality assurance manager, Indiana Air National Guard, poses for a portrait April 21, 2022, at the Indiana Air National Guard base, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Doctor finished the Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts, with a time of 02:54:13. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Rita Jimenez)  

FORT WAYNE, IN, UNITED STATES

04.22.2022

Story by Staff Sgt. Rita Jimenez 

122nd Fighter Wing

FORT WAYNE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ind. – Testing ones physical and mental limits can at times provide a sense of great fulfillment. For one Airman with the Indiana Air National Guard, the greatest fulfillment yet came from running the Boston Marathon.

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jacob A. Doctor, 122nd Fighter Wing Logistics Readiness Squadron quality assurance manager, ran the Boston Marathon on April 18, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Doctor, a 2005 graduate of Bishop Luers High School and 2009 graduate of Indiana Purdue University, both in Fort Wayne, has dedicated 21 years of his life to running.

“I ran track starting in eighth grade at Saint Joseph School in Monroeville, Indiana,” said Doctor. “I then ran both track and cross country all four years at Bishop Luers High School here in Fort Wayne.”

Doctor, a 17 year veteran serving with the Indiana Air National Guard, plans to apply for the Air National Guard Marathon Team. The ANG Marathon Team competes in the Air and Space Challenge, a part of the Air Force Marathon. He hopes to run in the Air Force Marathon at Wright Paterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio this year.

Doctor has run a total of three full marathons. In 2019, he ran the Fort4Fitness Marathon in Fort Wayne with a time of 02:57:49. In 2021, he ran the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in Indianapolis, Indiana with a time of 02:48:44, and now the Boston Marathon in 2022 with a time of 02:54:13.

“The Fort4Fitness Marathon really was a disaster for me," said Doctor. “I was hoping to bounce back with the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio in the spring of 2020, but it was turned to virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The temps that day were on the warm side for a marathon. Starting temps were already into the 60s and the sun wasn't even up yet. But mainly, I went into it over confident with a poor race strategy and training that just was not sufficient for what I was undertaking. Thankfully, the learning curve with marathon running is very sharp and I was able to make all of the necessary corrections.”

Doctor, age 35, was diagnosed with COVID-19 in early January of 2022. He had to contend with that while getting his legs ready for the Boston Marathon’s notoriously hilly 26.2 mile course.

During his 20 weeks of training for the Boston Marathon, Doctor added hills and body squats to his normal training routine which includes strength training, core work and injury prevention exercises.

”My normal training routine consists of two phases,” said Doctor. “The first phase typically lasts one and a half to two months and consists of easy miles, with weekly mileage being increased every other week. Towards the end of phase one, I add strides (mini sprints) a few times a week to get my legs accustomed to the act of moving faster. In phase two, my training is specifically geared toward the distance of my goal race.”

Doctor runs because it is part of who he is; it is part of what describes him. He is a runner and running is what he trains for.

“More than anything, I think people struggle with building and committing to a training plan,” said Doctor. “Before you start doing anything, take a moment and give an honest look at how much time you have to commit to training. The more time you can give yourself to train, the easier it is going to be to make adjustments.”

• Date Taken: 04.22.2022
• Date Posted: 04.29.2022 17:01
• Story ID: 419042
• Location: FORT WAYNE, IN, US
• Hometown: FORT WAYNE, IN, US