States 27 and 28 South and North Carolina

After I the most active September in History, I didn't rest for long. After I had signed up for all the races in September, I had intended to ease off a little and recover both physically and financially. However, I discovered that I had a bunch of Old Continental Miles that were going to expire at the end of the year. It was a use them or lose them kind of deal. When I choose vacation at the beginning of the year, I had taken the last month of October, and had a eye on the Myrtle Beach marathon on Oct 21st. At the time there wasn't a good race to pair it with and I made the initial plans for September. figuring that I would end up not taking that week. When I figured out that I had to use the miles, I begin looking at Myrtle beach again. It was a Great race from the reviews I had read and from several people I had talked to about it. It was voted "Best Half Marathon" on the East Coast by Runners Magazine, or so they claimed.  While looking for a suitable matching race (one on the following weekend, within driving distance of Myrtle Beach) I found the "Run for Victory" race in Randleman North Carolina.  Since it was on Saturday the 27th, it fit Perfectly into my schedule, and I registered for both races. I got a flight into Raleigh North Carolina, and planned on driving to Myrtle Beach. I planned on staying a couple of days in SC and then going to North Carolina before doing the run in Randelman. At first I thought about staying at the Outer Bank Islands, but after reading up on NC, I booked a couple nights in Asheville NC. I wanted to see some fall colors and Asheville was supposed to be one of the HOT SPOTS to do so.

I have been blessed with Great Choices all this year. The races I have picked to participate in have all been Outstanding Decisions. I was hoping to keep the streak alive. If Myrtle Beach lived up to its billing, and "Run for Victory" was anything over mediocre, then I expected to have a Good Trip. I wasn't disappointed at all.

State 27 South Carolina

 

The start of this trip was a little hectic, maybe even stressful. After I had made my plans, my girl friend decided to come with me. She couldn't get off the whole week, so she went to South Carolina with me and I was to drop her off Tuesday and spend the remainder of the week there by myself. She wasn't able to get the same flight out as me, and had to get one that was 2 hours earlier than mine. She had a plane change in Charleston and my flight was nonstop, so we arrived at the same time. When I set the alarm the night before leaving, I got the time right but dint actually tun it on. We over slept and had to make a normally hour plus drive in about 35 minutes. I dropped her off and parked the car, and she caught her flight with no time to spare.  Luckily she had checked in via the Internet and got to the gate just as they called her boarding group. It all worked out. The only bad thing was that in the confusion of getting out of the apartment I forgot my Hoodie jacket, and had to get one in Myrtle Beach. It was cold enough to need one at night. 

 

Once we got to Myrtle Beach went about as well as could be expected. The weather was perfect.and we had a nice room in one of the ocean side resorts. I have to add that Myrtle Beach has to be the miniature golf capital of the world. There were courses everywhere. I lost count, we must have seen at least 50 of them.

 

The Myrtle Beach mini Marathon was a good race. It was a medium sized one, I think a little over a 1000 runners. The course was nice, we started at a big shopping mall and ran a point to point run down to the beach and finished on the "Boardwalk". There was only a very short stretch of Boardwalk and most of it was a concrete hike and bike path. There were quite a few spectators out and it had the feel of a BIG TIME race. There was a Beer Garden at the finish, and they gave out HUGE finishers Medals. They were surfboards that were about 8 inches long, and also doubled as Refrigerator Magnets, and just happened to have a Bottle Opener on them. They were nice medals, but it is so big, I am going to have to make special arrangements on my medal board. It is easily 3 times bigger than any other medal I have to date.

 

State 28 North Carolina

 

When I selected the "Run for Victory" race, it was an after thought. I only did it because it fit in with South Carolina. It is a somewhat new race, this was the 5 year that they had it, and it didn't pop up on the race calendar until late. I am really glad I found it. This race turned out being a truly Awesome experience. In terms of Meaningfulness it is right up there with the Breast Cancer run I did in Florida. It was very Humbling, and was a Great life Lesson. Not only that there people among us with staggering problems, but infinite Goodness as well. The Pettys and Victory Junction are a Heartfelt Feel Good Story, that everyone needs to hear. Once again, I was only going to get in a run in North Carolina, and ended up getting so much more. This is a run everyone should do, even if their not doing all 50 states. Even if you are not a Half Marathoner, they have a 5k which I am sure is equally powerful in the experience you will encounter. This is another Race that Validates my reasons for the whole 13.1 in 50 idea. This was a Wonderful Chapter in my Journey, and something I would never have experienced if I were not a runner.

 

Run for Victory is put on by the Petty family. Kyle Petty, son of the NASCAR legend Richard Petty. had a son (Adam) who passed away from some illness. In memory of Adam, Kyle and his wife built a summer camp (Victory Junction) for children who suffer from diseases and injuries. The camp is free of charge and is a very worthy cause. When I signed up, I was given a personal web site in order to raise contributions for Victory Junction. After reading about it, I decided it was something I would like to help with and I took on the challenge of raising money for it. Any one who got at least 500.00 dollars, was named a Top Fundraiser and was invited to a Special Pasta Diner in Petty's Garage. That's where the Petty's stored and worked on all their cars.  I was able to collect 660.00, and got to attend to the dinner. Several of the Top Fundraisers were Physically Challenged, yet they refused to let it affect them. It was very inspiring.

 

While there, I was hoping to get to meet either Richard or Kyle. While neither was at the dinner, Richard was at the start of the race  the next morning. I got to meet him and he signed my bib, and a little plastic piggy bank that was in my race packet. He was very down to Earth and very sincere. Totally Cool There was about 140 runners in both the half and the 5k, and Richard took time to sign things, pose for pictures, and took time to speak to everyone. I expected the signature on my bib to fade while I ran, but it held up with no problems at all.

 

The race itself, was very well organized and very participant friendly. It was my kind of race. It was very small, there were only 61 finishers. The course was 1 loop through the back roads around Victory Junction, and very Hilly. They did say Challenging, and they weren't kidding. Along the way the the tress were Ablaze with Autumn colors. It was breath taking, almost as much as the hills were. Especially the Matterhorn at mile 10. It was a very small quite race. Most of it I ran by myself. The course was marked well, and there were volunteer to to make sure you took the correct turns, but for the most part, there was just me and the run. I only remember 2 spectators who weren't volunteers. hey were an elderly couple sitting in lawn chairs in their drive way as I ran by. To be fair it was over cast, windy, and appeared like it could begin a down pour at any moment (which never materialized). But like I have said before, I do not mind little or no crowd support. I enjoyed the colors and serenity, and was in awe of the wonderful things that were taking place because of the race.

 

After the run, the post race food was Chili and Corn bread, and was some really good stuff. Normally I reserve my highest rating for a run, to those who have post race beer. Run for Victory didn't have beer, but I feel compelled to give them a waver and assign them the coveted 5 star rating anyway.

 

As much praised as I have heaped upon this race, I know that I can not really do it justice. It is something you simply must experience for your self to completely appreciate the wonderful things that they are accomplishing there at Victory Junction. I still have 22 more states to go to finish 13.1 in 50,  but this one is at the top of my list to repeat, and I can only hope that any of my remaining state can come close to or equal North Carolina

 



September 2012 States 24, 25 ,26 and 2 triathlons

September is a busy month this year. I signed up for the Hy-Vee 5150 Championship on Labor day weekend, a Long sprint tri at Possum Kingdom lake , and 3 state Half marathons for the last two weekends. Quad Cities half Marathon in Moline Illinois, Sept 23rd...Fort4Fit in Ft Wayne Indiana the 29th and Brooksie Way half marathon in Rochester Michigan Sept 30th

After qualifying for the Hy-Vee race in New Orleans in June, I arranged to be off, registered for the race, hired a coach, and began training in earnest so as not to completely suck at the US Championships. I hit it pretty hard for the 8 weeks before Labor day weekend. I decided to rent a bicycle for 40.00 instead of pay close to 400.00 to ship mine to Iowa and back. Even though I had gotten approval to be off, at the last minute I was told I would have to work and there was quite a controversy over that. I did go to Iowa, had a great experience, took a little over 40 minutes off the final time I had in New Orleans, and still was last in my age group. I expected that so it wasn't a big deal. I did however NOT come in the very last, and I was happy about that.

Two weeks after Hy-Vee I continued my September trip. I went to PK lake where my Mom lives and did the Trifecta triathlon. Knowing I was going to be running 3 half marathons in the following 2 weekends I decided to only do the sprint instead of the Olympic distance. Then I found out the sprint was 500 meter swim/17 miles bike/5 mile run. That is a Long Sprint, I might as well have did the Oly, which I probably will do next year. The Trifecta race was a Great event. It was the first time they put it on, but they did real well with it. There were only about 200 total racers in both the sprint and Olympic, but that will change. It is a beautiful course. It is kind of out in the middle of nowhere, but once word gets around, I'm sure they will get a lot more participants in the coming years.

After Trifecta, I began the three halves in two weekends. I flew into Detroit Mi, and drove to Illinois.

State 24 Illinois (or maybe Iowa)

The first race was in Moline Illinois, Quad Cities. Even though it starts in Illinois, we crossed the bridge over the Mississippi River and ran through Bettendorf and Davenport Iowa, before returning to Moline. So this race could actually be counted as Illinois or Iowa. I will have to see which one I will use it as. It was a great race and I highly recommend it. It was a fairly large race, was well managed, great crowd support, and great after party. Couldn't ask for more.The SWAG was Top Notch with a long sleeve tech shirt, nice finisher medal and a great pair of running gloves in the goodie bag. The race day weather was optimal. The forecast said 37-63 degrees, but I think it was a little warmer than that. No wind and a perfectly cloudless blue sky, made for an awesome run. About half the run was along the Mississippi Rivers. and another section was through the Rock Island Arsenal, which was a Govt facility normally closed to the public.

I had not been able to break 3 hours since before I had the stress fracture. With the ideal conditions, I felt I had a good chance to do so at Quad Cities. I discussed it with my coach, and she advised me to take it a little easy, and save something for the back-to-back weekend that coming up next. Her strategy was to go easy the first 19 miles and then turn it on for the last 5k. I had a Good run and ended up finishing at 2:46, which was considerably better than I hoped. I didn''t even feel as though I went that hard.

After Quad Cities, I went and visited the Mississippi River Aquarium and Museum in Dubuque Ia and the Field of Dreams  baseball field in Dyersville Ia. Kind of cool. I have been staying with a friend who lives in Janesville Wisconsin, and am heading to Ft Wayne Indiana on Friday for the race there on Saturday. After the race I have to immediately head to Michigan to run Sunday and then head back to Houston Sunday evening.

State 25 Indiana

Indiana was the half way point of this whole thing. I had email the race director, and asked if I could have bib number 25. I have been saving all the bib numbers, but I especially wanted to save numbers 25 and 50 (which ever state that may be). In the email to the RD i expressed my desire to to possibly frame the 25 and 50 bibs along with the medals I have been collecting.. A few weeks before the race, I received a reply saying that they could indeed give me the #25 bib, which was Great news. When I got to packet pickup, it turns out they made a special gesture for me. The bibs started at 1000 and went up from there, so 25 was the only bib less then 4 numbers long. They also made an extra bib and personalized it with "1/2WAY2GOAL". A Very Cool thing, not only was it a Nice Touch with the special acknowledgement. but I didn't have to worry about wrecking the bib as I usually do with every other bib during a run.

The run itself was  another Great race. The mostly Flat course was nice, but a little plain. We started outside the minor league baseball field, ran through Ft Wayne, around a pretty Golf Course and back to the Stadium where we entered it and ran along the outfield warning track and then turned down the First base line toward Home Plate. Running through the Stadium was fun. The race was very well supported, the weather was perfect and I had a Great time at Fort4Fitness. There were plenty of spectators out supporting and there was a festival atmosphere. The last aid station had a beer shot table...Naturally, I couldn't resist.

I didn't run as well in this race, but I did come in under 3 hours, at 2:56:04. There was several reasons for this. I was on vacation, and as such was more in Vacation mode than I was training mode. I went and spent a few days with my friend Mike who lives in Wisconsin, and that state is not not known for its healthy eating. I didn't go overboard, but I did partake. I also went and took a tour of a local brewery that had been in operation since 1845 (before Wisconsin was a State) I sampled several of their quality beers. My goal was to try and run all 3 races under 3 hours and toward the end of Fort4Fitness I saw that I was ahead of pace, so I eased off a little to save a little for Michigan, and the big hills that were due the next day.

After the race was over, I was a little over whelmed by the fact that I was half way through 13.1 in 50. When I first started, I would not have believed I would be so far along this fast. In just over 3 years, I have ran 327.5 miles in 25 states.

 

State 26 Michigan

I didn't have long to luxuriate in the glow of finishing state 25. State 26, Michigan, was the next day. I drove from Ft Wayne to Rochester Michigan right after finishing Fort4Fotness. It was about a 3 1/2 hour drive, that turned into about 5 because I had to keep stopping to stretch my legs. Driving through Indiana and Michigan, the fall colors were just starting to emerge. There were isolated pockets of vibrant color but not a lot of good Kodak moments. I was again a few weeks early for the color change.

 

There was race morning pickup but I wanted to get it the evening before. I got to the packet pickup and was able to get everything, and while I was there I talked to a man who had been on the TV show, the "Biggest Loser". He was promoting a book he wrote on weight loss and his new career of  Motivational Speaker, Mentor and Life Coach. He asked me if I was running the Brooksie Way race and I told him about my trip and about 13.1 in 50. He wanted to know if he could interview me following the race, and get my story. I was more than happy to.

 

Race morning came along and when I woke up, running 13 miles was not high on the list of things I wanted to do. My legs were a little stiff, but not to bad. The issues I was having was that I just didn't feel good. I had partook in my usual pre race meal of sushi the night before and my stomach was doing barrel rolls and I was slightly light headed. (Note to self....Refrain from ordering the Spicy Sushi in a Thai restaurant the night before a race) Those Thai places can really bring the HEAT. I had somewhat of a metal taste in my mouth but ate my race breakfast of a banana, granola bar and half a quart of Gatorade. (Pretty much standard stuff). I also take another granola bar and the remainder of the quart of Gatorade for 30 minutes before the start of the race. However at the race I just couldn't bring myself to eat or drink either of them. I was sitting in one of the big tents waiting for the start of the race and feeling like there were about a million things I would rather be doing. It was time to go warm up and I was trying to convince myself not to. I commenced to give myself one of my pep talks. I have  to do that on occasion. In this case it went something like this....GET UP, SHUT UP, SUCK IT UP, and "Let's Gitter Done", it's GO Time.

Once I got out and began warming up, I started to feel a little better. The race started and there was am immediate aid station, which I was able to drink some water and get going. I knew the course was slightly down dill the first 5 miles , and then would begin climbing after that. Still with the idea that I would like to get in under 3 hours I started running at what I thought was an easy pace, preparing myself for the hills late in the course. To my surprise however, I was running really well. I made it to mile 9 well ahead of the pace from Quad Cities where I ran 2:46.At this point I was not only looking to break 3 hours but beat the previous days time as well. The big hills came around Miles 10, and that slowed me down some, but I finished strong with a time of 2:51:04. 5 minutes off the the time at Fort4Fitness. This race was one of those moments that define why athletes do what they do. At the start of the race, I was wondering if I was even going to finish. I ended up turning in a strong performance and will be able in the future to look back on this as a time when I overcame a tough situation and Excelled.

Pete Thomas, the "Biggest Loser" guy was at the finish line and him and his film crew interviewed me for about 10-15 minutes after the race.

Brooksie Way was a Nice Race, the course was a quite and peaceful run through the neighborhoods and along a hike/bike trail. There were isolated spectators, and the support was fantastic. There were more aid stations than I could count, less than a mile between them. I cant say how the after party was, because I had to get going so as to get checked out of my room and head for the airport to catch my flight back home.

 

All three of these races were Great events. I have NOTHING Bad to say about any of them. If you need any of these states, you cant go wrong with these races. 

 

 



State 23 Kansas

Kansas was a last minute snap decision. I had took the week of August 6-10 off because I had signed up for the Rivercities Triathlon on the 5th and figured it would be a good week to take vacation. My choices are limited and it fit in so I took it. Back in March, when I registered for Rivercities, I looked for a race close to Shreveport, but at the time there wasn't any. As time went on I didn't have firm plans for the week other than the Rivercities Race. In the recent past, all of my trips have been to do destination races, something about the fact that when I am the only one voting, I ALWAYS win by a Landslide. Well there was this rumor going around that some people take trips that have NOTHING to with running or triathlons, they just do stuff like laze around, shop, and sight see. SO...myself and a friend had planned to go to New Orleans and hang out on Bourbon St for a few days after Rivercities. Right before August, those plans fell through, and I was left with a whole week of vacations and needing to find something to do with it. Naturally, I thought about doing a State and found a ace in Marion Kansas. It was the Saturday after Rivercities, so I would have Saturday and Sunday to return home. My Mom lives about half way between Marion and Houston, so it was a great reason to go and visit her. I talked to my coach about adding that race, and she said that any plan that made Mom happy, was probably a good one. I told her I was only doing it to make my Mom happy, with no consideration of myself. It turned out the name of the race was "Run 4 Your Momma", which clinched it. I signed up and the trip was on.

The race itself was a very "Plain Vanilla " event. It was very small (packet pickup was only on race morning). The course started at a very small lake (in Texas, it would have been called a pond), and then traveled down dirt roads in to town, and back to the lake with a final loop around the water. For the most part, I seem to have Great Luck with the weather, and that was so for this trip. High temperatures had been in the 100's for weeks. On that Saturday the race started at 6:30 and it was lows 60's at the beginning, and only a high of 80 for the whole day. There was breakfast food for the after race party, but I can never eat that soon after running that far. When I finished, they were out of medals and they said they would mail me one. I was talking to one of the women in charge and told her I really wanted one to go on my board for all 50 states. If I didn't get one, I would be forced to petition Washington DC to expel Kansas from the Union so I could still say I ran all the states and got a medal for it. She laughed and said she would see what she could do. they had a 5k as well as the Half Marathon, and while all the Half finishers got a medal, only the 5k'ers who won their age group got one. They had several age groups who either had no participants or no one claimed  the medal. She gave me the one for the Male 50-59 age group. So not only did I finish the half marathon, I was also the "Unofficial Winner" of the 5k Men's 50-59 age group. My first podium. Kind of !!!!

New Orleans 5150

Last year, I registered to do the New Orleans 70.3 which was to be held in April. Due to the problems I had with the stress fracture in my foot, i wasn't able to do it. I was able to to switch to the New Orleans 5150 on June 24th, which was the weekend after my trip to Idaho/Wyoming. I knew I wasn't going to have a strong race, but did it any way. Once again, I was just looking to finish. My brother-in-law Brian, who lives in Ocean Springs Ms, also came and did it.
The race itself was tough. Its HOT and Windy. We were catching the front end of a Tropical Storm that was moving into Florida, and it was a stiff breeze blowing all day. The streets on the bike course were in bad shape, and the run course was completely in the sun.
I did finish but it was an over 4 hour effort. The good news about it, was that there weren't a lot of participants. Each race of the 5150 series gives slots to the US Championship race held in Des Moines Iowa. The top 15 in each age group is given one of the Championship slots. There were only 13 in my age group, so every one got a slot. I was Surprised, Shocked, and a Little Over Whelmed. I never expected to be in the US Championships at anything.
I was back and forth about it, trying to decide if I should go and do the race or not. It would be fairly expensive to fly to Iowa for the Labor Day weekend, and quite obviously, I am no where near the  level of performance of the other racers. (I'm going to get Smoked, as Usual, but by a Much Faster group of Guys).
I did decide to go, after all I am going to compete in the US CHAMPIONSHIPS, and that is a DAMN COOL thing. Even though Brian also got a spot, I do not believe he is going to do it. Looks like I am going at it alone. I have said before at my age and ability, there are not a lot of opportunities to do something as Note Worthy as this. I am not going to let this chance slip by.

States 21 and 22 Idaho and Wyoming

State 21 Idaho What an amazing trip this was from start to finish. It could not have gone better. I flew into Spokane Washington on Saturday June 9th and ran in The St Joes River half marathon on Sunday the 10th, in St Maries Idaho. The temperature in Houston when I left was low in the 80's and I had been having trouble training in the heat. I had been hoping that it would be at least a little cooler in Idaho but didn't expect much improvement. A few days before I left I checked the forecast and was Thrilled to see that the expected high temperature fro race day was in the 60's. When I arrived on Saturday the radio reports were calling for early morning showers which never materialized, and it was a perfect day to run. NO wind, No rain, just overcast and cool.

On a comical note....I was at the Rental car counter in Spokane, and the woman asked for my credit card and driver's licence. After I gave them to her, she asked how many passengers would be in the car. I replied "One....Me". Then she asked "Who will be the driver?" Huhhhh....once again, Me !! Thinking back, what I should have done was begin arguing with myself in several different voices, about who's turn it was. However then I probably wouldn't have got the car

My Hotel was only a block from the starting line which was a good thing, because 10 minutes before the start, I discovered I had left my water bottle in the room. I had to run up and get it and got back just in time to here 5-4-3-2-1 BANG and the race started.
St Maries is a small quiet town in remote Idaho. Not a lot going on there. I really enjoyed myself, despite  the fact that there was nothing particularly outstanding about the race. It was very small, and there were no spectators except for the aid station volunteers. There was no expo or an after part to speak of and they didn't have post race beer. It was a nice out and back run through the little used roads of rural Idaho. the roads varied from the highway to asphalt to gravel to dirt (turned mud by the previous day's rains). The scenery was nice, but paled in comparison to what I saw later in the week. Nothing fancy, no bells or whistles, but a Great run, if this is the kind of experience you enjoy, which I did.

The day after the race I drove down to Syringa Id. and went White water rafting on the Lochsa river. A complete blast. The 60 degrees on race day went to high 80's for the rafting and was a perfect day. We covered 20 miles of the Lochsa and encountered 32 named rapids, 22 of which were class IV. Everyone in the raft had a Great time and no one went into the water until the next to last rapid. Named the "Terminator" the raft went totally vertical and everyone went into the water and ended up swimming. It was a near tragedy as I thought I lost my camera which I had on a lanyard. When I got back in the raft the lanyard had snapped and the camera gone. I was upset, not because of the camera which was about 10 years old, but because of the memory cards which had all the pictures from all my half marathon runs on it. At the time I just wanted my card. at the take out the guide found it lodged in the bottom of the raft and all was good. The camera still worked and the card was fine. The next mooring the camera stopped working and I had to replace it, but I request to recover the card had been answered. A minor miracle. Our guide Mikey had to drink a beer from his bootie for having to swim. Pretty nasty, but at least it was beer and not something disgusting. Drinking from the bootie was bad enough.
While in Syringa I stayed at the River Dance Lodge. I was by myself , so I didn't need one of their cabins which sleeps 6, so they put me in a "Glamping Tent". Pretty cool, it was the most upscale tent you ever saw. The tent was mounted on a wooden deck and had a queen size bed and wood burning stove inside. It was right beside a little stream which provided the most sleep educing gurgling. The stream was also fed from  snow melt, and was ice cold, which made it the perfect beer cooler. The lodge served meals if you wanted, and the food was excellent. You didn't get to order what you wanted, just ate what they were serving. The only thing I found strange was the dessert on the first night. They had Ice Cream flats, but instead of Root Beer or Soda, they used Guinness Beer. I like ice cream, and I like beer, but the combining of the two really didn't work for me. However, I still highly recommend the River Dance Lodge if you are ever near the area.
After the time in Syringa, I moved on down state to Victor Idaho, and stayed in the Teton Mountain Ranch there. Another really great place to stay. They had a hear of about 200 elk which were not far from cabin. It was very peaceful to listen to the bugles of the elk as it got dark out. While at the ranch, I took a day long horse back ride with the owner. we rode up through the Teton Mountains and got up to around 8000 ft. There was still snow on the ground where we were. We made it up to the second highest peak in that part of the range. The highest one was still blocked by snow on the ground..
I took the horse ride on Thursday and then on Friday, I drove about 2 hours to Arco Idaho. I was in the Navy and served on the USS Hawkbill SSN 666, a Nuclear Powered Sturgeon Class Fast Attack submarine. The boat was decommissioned in 2000, and the sail was set to Arco where it is on display. So I went to see it there making it's final surface there in the Idaho dessert. It brought back a lot of memories.

States 22 Wyoming
Saturday the 16th I ran in Jackson Hole half marathon in Jackson Hole Wyoming. An absolute Gorgeous race. The "Run the Bluegrass " in Kentucky bills itself as America's prettiest half marathon, and it was beautiful, but Jackson Hole is some strong competition for Lexington Ky. They both are stunning, but in different ways. Jackson Hole was another small race, not many spectators, or a big after race party, just mind blowing scenery and a Great course to run along. They did attempt to have a full marathon, but canceled it due to only having 18 participants. The half marathon had busses to take you to the start in Teton village and you ran back to the Finish near one of the Ski Lodges. For those who wanted to do the full marathon anyway, they showed up at the finish line and had to run from there to the start line in time to do the half marathon back. There was no timing so full marathoners were on the honor system to keep their time and make sure they ran the entire course going out.

State 20 Kentucky "Run the Bluegrass" March 31st 2012...Lexington Ky

After Cowtown and the run in Georgia, I went back to the Dr and he put me back in the walking boot for 4 weeks, that would be until April 3rd. At the time he said that he was disappointed that it had not improved more than it had. If it was not a lot better after this session in the boot, we may have to think about surgery. Once again I was not allowed to go to work with the boot on , so I was off for a month. After 2 week. it did not seem like there was much improvement, maybe a little but not a lot. I went back to talk to the Dr to see what my options were. If surgery was going to be necessary, then I wanted to go ahead and do it then , so I could begin the recovery period of 4-8 weeks, rather than wait a waste the time till the 4 week period was up.He told me that if surgery was required it couldn't be done until April any way because he was closing his clinic and going Spring break with his family. He had me go and do an MRI on it and and scheduled me to return at the end of the following week to discuss my options. I was frustrated, I didn't want to just sit around for that amount of time. If the surgery was going to be required then I wanted to get it over and use the time off for recovery. I decided to get a second opinion, and the new Dr told me that he didn't feel surgery was going to be required. In fact, he showed me where the stress fracture was not the problem. It had indeed been fractured, but when he mashed it during assessment, it was not painful. He said there was some inflammation and that wearing the Orthopedic inserts should fix the problem over time. He didn't think that removing the boot and beginning to walk would pose any threat to cause any further damage. I found that taking the boot off actually made it feel better.

I had a little over a week left on the 4 week time off from work and decided to get out of my apartment and go do something. I found the race in Kentucky that was tailor made for my situation. It was highly recommended in the reviews of it. It had a 4 hour time limit, so I knew I could walk the entire thing if necessary. It was on Saturday which meant I would have Sunday and Monday to drive back after the Race. Finally it was close to my friend Eddie who lives in Cadiz Kentucky, so I could get in a visit as well. I was scheduled to see Dr Baxter on Thursday, but I already knew what he was probably going to say. I canceled that Thursday appointment and told them I would come in on the 3rd as originally scheduled and I was off.

I left early Wednesday morning, and headed toward Memphis Tn. I have a friend who lives there and figured that would be a Great first stop. I had been in Memphis on my trip to Arkansas and Tennessee, and wanted to go back. I wasn't able to get in contact with my friend, and ended up staying in a room very close to Beale street in Memphis. I had a Blast in Memphis. I ate at arguably the Greatest Fried Chicken establishment in the known world, and partook in the Memphis Live Music scene.

Thursday, I drove to Cadiz and stayed with Eddie and his family and Friday I moved on to Lexington to do the race on Saturday.

The "Run the Bluegrass" was exactly what I needed. It was a medium size race that was very well organized. We started at the Horse Track in Lexington and ran a big loop through the surrounding horse farms. Friday and Sunday were both fairly warm and muggy, but the weather on race day was Optimal. Overcast and cool, rain showers were predicted, but never materialized. A Special Gift from Mother Nature. The race is billed as "One of America's Prettiest Half Marathons" and with good reason. It was the most scenic course I think I have ran on. The dogwood trees were all in bloom and made the peaceful early morning run very tranquil and totally Therapeutic. Other than the aid station volunteers, there were no spectators to cheer you on. If you have been following my stories, you know that is fine with me. It was a fabulous run on a fabulous course and there is very little that I would have changed about it. It was pretty hilly, and I did have some issues with my foot. I found it painful to run uphill, plus I was untrained. I hadn't been running at all, and began by walking up hills and running down them, rather than try to keep run/walk schedule in minutes. I was doing well until about the middle of the race when I foot started getting tight, so I stopped running at all and just walked a while. Eventually it felt better and I again started to run the downhills, and very short stretches that were level. I was close to finishing under 3 1/2 hours, but barely missed it at 3:31;48. This race reinforced the reason why I want to do the 13.1 in 50. It was a Magic Elixor that re energized my desire to continue this 50 state quest.
I would give it a 5 star rating except that there was no beer at the finish line. That is the only disparaging thing I have to say. It was the very minimum deduction, as I was able to find beer at a little store next to my room, so all was good. There are SO Many good things to say about this race. There was a massage tent at the end and they were still operating after I left, which is saying quite a bit. Most finish line don't stay up as long as "Run the Bluegrass" did.

There was a bonus on this trip, as the NCAA Final Four was going on. Lexington is the home of the University of Kentucky, and UK was playing Louisville, which was one of their big rivals. After the race I watched the game in one of the local Sports Bars and enjoyed the excitement of the Wildcat crowd. The next day there were reports of crowd violence, fire being set and cars turned over, but I didn't see any of that. The whole trip was nothing but the Best Case Scenarios.

State 19 Georgia (and Cowtown #4)

Back in November I had changed my insurance to Blue Cross of Texas, and it went into effect January 15th, the same day as the race in Louisiana. Shortly after that I decided to go see a Foot Dr about the problems I had been having with my foot. I did, and found out that I didn't have Plantar fasciitis, but had a stress fracture instead. The Dr told me I had two options. The first was to be put in a walking cast with a boot for 8 weeks, which would allow it to heal. Or the second was to receive cortisone injections which would mask the pain I was having and allow me to continue training. I was signed up to do the New Orleans 70.3 in April, and being in the cast would end that. He told me that stress fractures were difficult to predict how long they would take to heal. I get the first injection that day and went back the next week. Everyone I had talked to about it said that the best thing was to do the cast and get it healed. The injections would only prolong the problem and cause more problems over time. When I went back to the Dr the next week, I told him I wanted to get it fixed and discussed the cast/boot options with him. At the time it wasn't painful, and I felt like I could go out and run right then. This was about a month before the Cowtown race in Ft Worth.

I have been doing the Cowtown 5 year challenge, and this was to be the 4th year. I really wanted to continue the challenge. If you do all 5 consecutive years, the Finisher Medals form a big star. If you miss a year, you can't make it up. (There is a option to buy one, but the medal says "Contributor" instead of "Finisher" to me that seems like it would cheapen the accomplishment) Being an athlete with less than elite ability, I don't get many opportunities at noteworthy accomplishments. This was one within my grasp, and I want to finish it. So...we agreed that I would wear the cast/boot for 2 weeks and then remove it, giving me 10 days before the Cowtown event. Afterwards. he said it may be improved and not need to be re-cast, or if it did need to we would put one back on for 4 weeks.

I managed to get that week off from work so I could stay and visit my Mom who lives about an 2 hours Northwest of Ft Worth. Since I had the whole week off and wouldn't be staying the whole time with my Mom, I looked for another race the following weekend. It would have to be one with a generous time limit, a fairly easy course, and within driving distance. I found one in Albany Georgia that meet my demands. It had a 7 hour time limit, and was on Saturday, so I would have all day Sunday to drive back to Houston. I decided to enter the race and make Georgia my next state.

I went to work with the cast on and was told that I wasn't allowed there with it on. I was going to have to stay home until the cast was removed. When it was removed, my foot felt good, and the Dr told me to take it easy on it. Not to go out and run a long distance right away, but gradually break it back in. I returned to work, and of the next 10 days, I was only off for 1 of them. I went to Ft Worth with my foot still tender and I decided I would walk the entire thing. There was a 4.5 hour limit for the half, and I knew I could do it in that that amount of time.

Normally, on race day, I will wear the shirt from my previous race. Not this time, however. While picking up my packet at the expo on Saturday, I found a running shirt that pretty much spelled out my thoughts for that week. On the front it had the word "FAITH" and on the back "Fight the Good Fight...Finish the Race...Keep the Faith....2 Timothy 4:7". I bought it and wore it in both events.

Race day in Ft Worth was nice. It started a little cold but warmed up by the end. Totally in contrast to the weather of the 3 previous years. (All had been Frigid and Windy). from the start of the race I tried to run and see how my foot would feel, but only made it less than half a mile before it begin to be uncomfortable. I walked the rest of the way, with the exception of the last .1 of a mile. I jogged in from the 13 mile marker. I wasn't sure how long it would take me, but I was a little disappointed when it was nearly 4 hours. (around 3:50) Despite the fact I took it easy my foot was still painful at the finish and remained so for several days.

Several times I questioned my decision to go do Georgia, but I assured myself with the fact it was a 7 hour time limit. I could take a leisurely stroll and would even have time to stop for lunch and beers if I wanted. It wouldn't be a true run, but it would still be a state. I keep thinking that if/when all 50 are done, there will be at least a few completed under less than Normal circumstances. on Tuesday I left my Moms and drove to Shreveport La for the night, then to my sister's in Ocean Springs Ms for 2 nights, and finally to Albany Georgia on Friday. Listening to the news toward the end of the week, Indiana and Alabama had been brutalized by tornadoes. When I got to Albany, the weather forecast was not good. The storm that had battered Indiana and Alabama, was due to move through the area during the time of the race. the worst part was expected toward the end, around noon. The post race party, an all day Mardi Gras festival had been postponed till the following weekend, and the race officials were going to meet at 6am the next morning to make decide if they were even going to have the race at all. Also, while the Full marathon would have a 7 hour time limit they were going to impose a 3.5 for the half.

What to do? If I walked I probably wound not make the 3.5 limit, and if I ran some would I risk further injury of my foot. Then again, would they even run it in the Storm Conditions. I decided it made no sense to drive all the way to Georgia, and walk the race and not get an Official Finish. I would run what I could and if it got real bad I would stop. I didn't want to blow it up, but as long as I was here I would endeavor to get a finish.

The race went off, but not as scheduled, as there was about a 20 minute delay. We started under torrential rain and gusting wind. the rain came in sheets, it would lighten up for a while, then we would get pounded again. Had this been a meaningless local race around Houston, I would not have thought twice about packing it in, and waiting for another day. I started out thinking I would run 2 minutes and walk 3. My foot was doing good and I increased to 3/3, still no problem. I increased again to 5/5 and held that till around mile 7 when I started feeling the familiar sensation in my foot. I knew I was far enough ahead of pace that I could walk the rest of the way and make the 3.5 hours. It was about this time that the local tornado sirens went off. There were loudspeakers and a Booming voice stated "A Tornado Threat is in Effect for the Albany Area...Everyone take Shelter Immediately" That scared the Hell out of me. I looked around, thinking I was going to see a funnel coming right at me, and was expecting to be sucked up and deposited somewhere in Kansas (Damn those Flying Monkeys). Unsure of what to do, I figured I would just follow everyone else, but they just kept running, so I did too. I firmly believe it added some speed to my pace. Then I was wondering, if I get picked up and deposited closer to the finish line, would there be a DQ for not running the whole way? Something to think about. After Ft Worth. I had forgot to recharge my Garmin. I didn't realize this fact until I was ready to leave for the race. I put it on the charger and manged to get it up to 20% before I had to leave. It died at around mile 12, shortly before the Tornado Alarms went off again, but at that point it had ceased to matter. I knew I was going to Cross the Line, and despite everything, I did. Bad Foot...Terrible Weather....Tornado Dodging...soaked to the bone the entire time...and my Garmin going out

And yet YES !!!! I HAD a GOOD TIME. Now that it is over, I enjoyed myself. I can say I did something only a few others would do.

Over all the race was good. Barring the weather, which they had no control over, there was nothing bad about it. The course was entirely through residential areas and there was nothing scenic about it. The after party sounds like it would have been Great, but it was cancelled. The one shining point was the amount of support they had. Since it was through residential ares there were a lot of people out in their yards and on their porches. Surprisingly a lot, considering the weather. Im sure there would have been a lot more had it been nice out. The spectators were very vocal and supportive. They weren't just clapping when you went by, they were yelling and screaming and making a lot of noise. A lot of the businesses had welcome runners on their storefront marquees. It was fairly small, and while I would recommend it if you need to do Georgia, it is not in my list of Ones I want to repeat

State 18 Louisiana

What a great trip (Mostly), but the race itself was a 5 star event, and Highly recommended. The Inaugural Louisiana Marathon was Jan 15th, the same day as the Houston Marathon. I signed up for it because I was looking for a race option other then Houston. The Houston race has gotten really big and you must go though the lottery process to enter it. Houston has raised their prices up way high and they have shown disdain for the local runners. Therefore,I don't want to participate. Luckily,I found the Louisiana Marathon. It was not only another state off my list, it was an outstanding event, and most likely will be my January race in the future. First time races be one of two things. Either their very good, as they would go way out to make a great Impression, or their unorganized, unprepared and just an over all catastrophe. (can any one say.....Rock and Roll San Antonio) It was the first option as they put on a spectacular event. A week before the race, I got an email saying they had created the Crewe of 1812 which consists of all the runners who participated in this, their first year. If they ever begin to sell out and start requiring the lottery system, then the Crewe of 1812 has guaranteed entry for life. In fact I already got an Early Bird offer to sign up next year, only 35.00..I am in, and going back to Baton Rouge next year.

The trip started out a little shaky. I wasn't sure if I was going to have to work the Saturday before or not. I was going to have to be in Baton Rouge by 7 pm for packet pickup and if I had to work, would not have been able to do that. I managed to find a back up plan, in that a friend who was going too, said she would pick up my packet for me, if needed. Well, it turns out I didn't have to work and managed to get to baton Rouge without difficulty. It worked out well for me, as it was on MLK weekend. I always have Monday off of that weekend and was able to stay in Baton Rouge Sunday night and drive back home on Monday.

The BCS Championship game for college football was played the Monday before the Race. It was LSU (Baton Rouge's hometown team) vs Alabama. I was hoping that the LSU Tigers would win and that the party would still be Raging in Baton Rouge for the weekend of the Race. They didn't...(Damn the luck). Furthermore, the New Orleans Saints played their playoff game in San Francisco and lost. So much for a Big Party. Thankfully, however the marathon experience was not dampened by the disappointments of the football games.

Packet pick up was in one of the casinos located by the I-10 bridge over the Mississippi River, the Belle of Baton Rouge. Since I was there I decided to take a turn around the Crap table, and only made it through one roll. The shooter got HOT and reeled off a number of points, 20 minutes later he was done, I was 93.00 up and out of there. That paid for my meals while in the city and most of my Gas to get there. Nice Little surprise.

Race day brought in absolutely perfect weather for running. Clear and cold at the start and it warmed up nicely for the after race party. The course was very scenic, we started out downtown and wound through the LSU campus and several old and distinguished neighborhoods. There were not a lot of spectators, but the ones out were very supportive. Several of the LSU sorority's and fraternities were out in full force and were quite vocal. I lost count of the number of "Unofficial" Aid stations along the way, set up by people who just wanted to be of service.

As much as I liked the race, I did have some personal difficulty. The Plantar fasciitis in my feet woke up about mile 10 and I had a painful run the last couple of miles. It hurt if I ran, it hurt if I walked, so I continued running. I started out the day with a goal of under 3 hours. I had just bought a new Garmin, and according to it, I hit the exact halfway mark (6.55 miles) at 1:22. I was 8 minutes ahead of a 3 hour pace. About mile 10, I had a new experience in organized marathon running. There was a train track we had to cross, and myself and the other runners around me had to stop for a what seemed like the Longest train ever. There were quite a few of us who got caught by the train. We were all stretching and wondering if we could get credit on our Final Times for the stoppage. Even with the delay, and the pain in my feet I was able to finish at 2:58:44. A successful race, at least in my humble opinion.

The after race party was one of the best I have been to. They were celebrating the Louisiana culture and there was some fantastic Cajun food. All my favorites any way.I had Seafood Gumbo, duck gumbo, Red beans and Rice, and Jambalaya. There was a lot more there but that is what I got. It was all really. They also had the Best Beer Tent Ever!!! There a number of beers offered but I took the Southern Pecan Ale. I have had it before and it is a really micro brew from somewhere in that region. Despite the pain in my feet, I managed to make to the beer tent 4 times.

This is going to be one a Popular race very soon. Within the next few years, I will be taking Full Advantage of my Guaranteed entry status. Of that, I am sure. Definitely put this one on your list. If you are doing all 50, then you cant go wrong with Louisiana Marathon in Baton Rouge.