WASHINGTON 鈥� The 43rd Marine Corps Marathon will be the first marathon that 30-year-old Kevin Rodriguez, an active duty Marine, will run in his life. It鈥檒l also be the Corpus Christi, Texas, native鈥檚 first trip to the nation鈥檚 capital.
But amid all that excitement, one could probably forgive him if he doesn鈥檛 run quite as well as he had originally hoped, since training for the race has fallen somewhat on his list of priorities. Rodriguez is stationed at Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina, and Hurricane Florence made landfall only about 50 miles south of his home in the nearby city of Jacksonville.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to stay with it,鈥� he admitted. 鈥淩ight now [his wife] Susanna is a lot more committed than I am.鈥�
Susanna Rodriguez used to be an active duty Marine, too. In fact, that鈥檚 how the two met; and it鈥檚 why they chose to run this race together.
鈥淲e met as young Marines, and after that we continued to be friends throughout the Marine Corps,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 had a big, big role in our lives as a family.鈥�
Susanna retired from active duty about 1 1/2 years ago so she could be at home to help raise their three children.
鈥淎t one point when we were in Okinawa, Japan, we would drive home from work and I鈥檇 be upstairs giving the kids a bath, she鈥檇 be downstairs doing the dishes, cleaning up the house, getting ready for work the next day. After that, we鈥檇 swap out.”
Kevin said parenting, work as active duty military, trying to take college classes and general home life was a balancing act in which Kevin felt they weren’t spending as much time with the kids as they both would have hoped.
鈥淧ressure makes diamonds, and we grow through adversity. The Marine Corps really put a lot of pressure on us, but at the same time we were able to respond the best we could and we made the best of what we had. The Marine Corps really made us grow a lot, and we grow a lot more appreciation for the things that we have.鈥�
In fact, Kevin admits that even beyond planting the seeds for his family, 鈥渋t鈥檚 really given me a lot of opportunities, and it鈥檚 opened up a lot of doors for things that wouldn鈥檛 have been available,鈥� things, he said, he has greater appreciation for.
But at the same time, having a spouse who was also in the military means being with someone who understands what he鈥檚 going through at work. And having been at home with their kids, he understands why she鈥檚 ready for a break when he gets home.
鈥淪o long as I give mama bear that time for her to go to the gym or for her to go run, she鈥檚 happy,鈥� he joked. 鈥淪o, I try to give that to her.鈥�
It鈥檚 time Kevin hasn鈥檛 had much of lately. After the storm hit, he took leave so he could make the repairs he needed at his house, which suffered some water damage but escaped the worst.
鈥淟ooking back at the hurricane, you realize your priorities really, really shift in a state of emergency,鈥� Kevin said. 鈥淣ow that we have our house all square, for the most part 鈥� we鈥檙e very, very fortunate. There鈥檚 a lot of families out there who, man, they got flooded. You see all their belongings out on the curb. Fortunately we didn鈥檛 have to take anything out to the curb. There鈥檚 no reason for us to complain.”
Kevin has been lending a hand to others still picking up the pieces.
“Luckily, I have the skills to do some of those odd jobs like roofing and fencing and stuff like that,” he said in September. “Some people around the area just need a couple of panels put up, so a little money here, a little money there, it really helps out 鈥� it鈥檚 just backbreaking work.鈥�
But the storm has shown him again how to appreciate what he has, much like deployments to the Middle East and orders to Japan have shown him in the past. He鈥檒l never take a warm shower for granted again, for instance. His love of the Marines, his wife, and his life in general are why Kevin is running, and why Susanna is going to run with him 鈥� if not past him 鈥� in this race.
About a month before the race, Kevin confided that amid all the hurricane cleanup happening around him, 鈥淚 kind of fell off the training regimen. I鈥檓 hoping to hop back on with a month out.鈥�
The buildup to the race was one more way the Marine Corps was going to bring him closer to his wife. Now he鈥檚 hoping he鈥檒l be able to stay close to her on the course.
