Every year, the Navy puts together a cross country team consisting of seven females and six males to compete in the Armed Forces Cross Country Championship.

Last year's All-Navy female team was comprised of only officers. This year Jim Felty, the All-Navy coach for the cross country team, changed things up with the selection of an enlisted Sailor -- Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alana Langdon, a native of Shelton, Washington.

Langdon was selected to be a part of the team after submitting an All-Navy sports package and impressing the selectors of the team with her running times in races she competed in during her time in Guam. She ran the Rock and Run for Our Heroes 5K, and the Guam Island Perimeter Run in five hours, placing first in both.

For some people, entering a foot race isn't on their mind before they learn how to read. For Langdon, that was not the case.

"I started running a long time before I joined the Navy," said Langdon. "I ran and won my first race at about the age of four. The kids I was running against were anywhere from my age to about 11 years old."

Being assigned to submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40), homeported in Guam, it could be a little difficult going from running in tropical climate to running in freezing temperatures.

"It's going to be challenging for me running in the middle of winter in February," said Langdon. "I have been training in almost 90-degree temperatures here in Guam, and I am going to run a race where it could be 30 degrees or even colder. Also, just coming off of a deployment, I haven't had as much training time as some of the other athletes I am competing against."

Langdon is part of the media team aboard Frank Cable, were she tells the Navy's story using photography, print stories, video, and graphics.

Being able to travel and take part in something she loves to do is more than enough for Langdon.

"For me, running is not about winning and taking home medals," said Langdon. "I try not to take running too seriously; it's just something I enjoy to do. If you start taking the competition too serious, it can become more of a job than a passion."

Last year the Army cross country team took home the overall championship, although a Navy runner was first to finish in the women's race. This year Langdon is hoping to not only place first, but also help lead her team to victory over the other military branches.

"My plan for the race is just to go out there and do my best," said Langdon. "All I can really do is just go out there, have fun, and represent my command with pride and dignity."

The Armed Forces Cross Country Championship is scheduled to take place at Rivers Edge Golf Course, in Bend, Oregon, Feb. 4.

Frank Cable is forward deployed to the island of Guam, and conducts maintenance and support of submarines and surface vessels in the 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations.

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