Courtesy Photo | Sgt. 1st Class Tim Vandervlugt, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the...... read more read more
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - It would be easy to stop and wonder at the accolades achieved by Sgt. 1st Class Tim Vandervlugt, a non-commissioned officer of the personnel section for the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, 77th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command; an All-American in track his senior year in college, a pivotal member of a National Guard marathon team who clinched national championship honors four times, and a collection of his own trophies, medals, and plaques.
Vandervlugt's recent claim to fame was earning a notable distinction while deployed at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
Vandervlugt has won 18 individual 5K and 10K base races since he arrived with his battalion in November of last year. He’s consistently faced younger, potentially faster competition, and he has still left them in his wake.
His achievements are all the more appealing because Vandervlugt is firmly inside middle age. At 46, many often gaze down the barrel of midlife and examine an array of old hobbies and sideline activities that once exemplified the power of youth and the possibilities of the future.
Vandervlugt, though, does not spend a lot of time dwelling on his past: He’s too busy running and working toward the future.
For Vandervlugt running is not just a hobby: It is a way of life.
“I’ve taken two days off [from running] in the past year,” Vandervlugt said.
He secured his best time of 34 minutes, during a 10K race April 30 on JBB.
Vandervlugt’s success, though, does not hinge wholly on winning races, he said.
“I get more out of running to the best of my ability,” Vandervlugt said. “Sometimes it is better to run a good race and lose. It is [more] important to race well.”
Setting goals, he said, in a race is crucial, but that doesn’t necessarily mean certain victory.
“When I set my personal best in the 1500 [meter run], for example, I came in third,” he said.
Every race presents its own unique challenges. Yet, Vandervlugt said he often focuses on the beginning of a race.
“Because I don’t know who will show up, who will run well,” he said.
Despite clinching victory in every race he’s run on JBB, Vandervlugt said he has faced some strong competition at times.
“You always look for an edge. Even when you’re 18, you’re looking for an edge in a race.”
Vandervlugt said he carries no magic formula to fight the onset of age. He watched his overall speed as a runner decrease, and at the same time, his running strength has remained steady.
“My body gave up speed,” he said. “But I have just as much strength.”
Vandervulgt runs every day, and he is happy he was able to find a way to continue his passion for running, even while deployed to Iraq.
“It’s been fun,” he said.
And what will he do when his unit redeploys back to Oregon? The answer is simple: He will run.
| Date Taken: | 07.08.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 07.17.2011 01:22 |
| Story ID: | 73849 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 301 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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