Colonel takes fitness to the extreme

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman J.G. Buzanowski
  • Air Force Print News

Run a marathon? No problem.

Swim around Manhattan Island? Been there, done that.

Run a 135-mile race from Death Valley to Mount Whitney -- on lava-hot roads -- without stopping to eat a proper meal or get a decent night’s sleep? Now that’s a challenge.

Or at least that’s what Col. Norman Albert thought. He finished the run in a little under 43 hours.

But in his day job, the colonel doesn’t run much. He’s the deputy director of an organization that oversees satellite communication systems at the National Reconnaissance Office in Chantilly, Va. The NRO, like the Department of Homeland Security, is one of the 15 agencies of the U.S. intelligence community.

But the colonel has a penchant for testing his endurance.

Colonel Albert’s love for tests of endurance began when he was at Penn State University. After he was cut from the swim team, he answered back by breaking the Guinness World Record -- twice -- for treading water. His first time was 52 hours, and a year later he went 64 hours without stopping.

He then tried to swim the English Channel, but halfway across began to experience hypothermia and didn’t finish. But, he bounced back and was the first person to swim around Terminal Island, off Long Beach, Calif. He also swam the 26 miles from San Pedro, Calif., to Catalina Island -- twice. Then he went to Hawaii and was the first person to swim from Lanai to Maui -- an 11-hour trip.

While stationed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, then-2nd Lt. Albert’s supervisor opened him up to the world of distance running.

“My boss was a marathon runner and dragged me along with him one day,” the colonel said. “He knew I enjoyed long-distance swimming, so we began training and my very first running race was a full 26-mile marathon.”

It was on one particular feat of endurance where he met his future bride, Laura.

“I was running the Catalina Marathon in California,” Colonel Albert said. “About mile 13, I saw her and said to myself, ‘Oh, I’m, going to keep up with her.’ We got to talking and we finished the race together.”

Not content with regular races, his wife introduced him to ultramarathons, which typically range from 50 to 100 miles. That’s when he switched to the long races.

“People who have run a lot of marathons find them to be a lot more rewarding,” the colonel said.

In July Colonel Albert bested his most recent endurance challenge. He completed the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon -- a non-stop race that began in Death Valley, Calif. -- 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point on the continent. Then he finished 8,800 feet above sea level at the trailhead for Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states.

He finished the race 29th out of 81 starters in 42 hours, 46 minutes.

“The biggest challenge was the heat,” Colonel Albert said. “It was 124 degrees out there and the blacktop could be up to 200 degrees. So we’d run on the white lines of the road.”

In that kind of heat, everything melts, the colonel said.

“We even iced my ibuprofen gels to keep them from becoming mushy goo,” he said.

The colonel had a support team of seven people. They worked in three-person shifts and would drive two miles ahead of him along the course. When he reached their van, they’d have fresh supplies, work quickly on blisters and give him a fresh shirt out of the ice chest. Then, he was back on the course.

However, a few hours after the race, Colonel Albert wasn’t done. He then started up the trail to the top of the mountain -- another 22 miles roundtrip that ended just shy of 14,500 feet above sea level.

“I figured, why go all that way and then not climb the mountain?” he said.

Despite being recently diagnosed with osteoporosis in his arms, Colonel Albert said he continues to look for new endurance challenges. In fact, it’s these feats of stamina that help him remain optimistic about everything in his life.

“The key to distance running is maintaining a positive attitude,” he said. “That's translated into my day-to-day life because I know maintaining a positive attitude is how I’ll get through any challenge at work.”

So he refuses to be deterred by his current condition. In fact, he’s already set his sights on his next major challenge -- a personal triathlon in California.

“Something I want to do in the future is swim around Terminal Island, bike from San Pedro to Lone Pine and then hike to the top of Mount Whitney and walk the John Muir trail. It’s going to be about 450 miles,” Colonel Albert said. “It’s a challenge that keeps me motivated to keep training and setting goals.”

But Colonel Albert is no longer just running, biking and swimming for himself. He also seeks donations for Azalea Charities, which raises money for wounded servicemembers. For example, people or companies can pledge a certain dollar amount for every mile he completes in a race.

“I’ve always gotten a lot of satisfaction out of running and swimming long distance, but raising money has added more meaning to what I do,” he said.

The colonel said, “It certainly gives me more incentive to overcome any adversity between me and the finish line.”

The colonel feels fortunate to be able to test his physical and mental limits, while still helping troops coming home.

“What could be better than that?” he said.