Seeing the USA 26.2 Miles at a Time

The year-long running streak is done!! I've run 17 marathons or ultra marathons, in 17 different states, in 365 days, completing a 2403.6 mile journey.  It hasn't been easy.  But it has been an incredible adventure, and it's allowed me to travel to many locations in the USA that I might not otherwise have gone.  And I'll be honest, I'm glad it's over.  I love to run, but knowing that the streak is complete is a huge relief.  I'm not done running though, it's just that the pressure to keep the streak going no longer exists.  I will continue to pursue running in new states, with a goal of eventually running a marathon or ultra in all 50 states, some day, some year, well into the future.  And that's OK.  It certainly gives me something to look forward to for many years to come.

How did this begin?  Well over a year ago, I decided to switch gears and do some ultra running, trying to go long, and not always fast.  As part of that, I learned to not only run longer, but also learned that I tended to recover fairly quickly.  As part of the shift to ultra running, I also began to think of going for a state streak at the same time.  You see, I'm a member of the Marathon Maniacs club, achieving 5 stars (out of 10) in 2010.  Ideally, I wanted to advance to the next 6-star level, which would require 16 events in 16 different states within a 365 day period.  I thought this might be something worth trying since this was my only real chance to do it.  And with that, I mapped out a race strategy that would take me to not only new places, in different states, but also would be a significant personal challenge.  And so the quest began.  I knew it would be difficult, but in retrospect, it was a very enjoyable ride.

Over the least year, I've run just about every type of event that exists.  I've run a trail that was ranked 4 out of 5 in difficulty, I've run multi-hour 8 and 24 hour events, I've run a very tiny marathon that only had 35 runners, I've run back to back marathons, I've run in freezing cold and in blistering hot temperatures, I've run up mountains, down them, and have run huge mega events with thousands of runners. I've run with good friends, run by myself, have run at all times of day, and even walked a 50k. And through that, I also had one race that was cancelled 2/3 of the way through and it didn't count.  It's been a year full of rich experiences that I'll never forget.  It's been a year that really makes me who I am.  Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, New York, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wisconin, South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota.

Some of you may say, what's the point?  If you look through the race list, (see the table below), many of these events were not at race effort.  Simply, for me, because of the schedule, they couldn't be.  This was more about enjoying the journey, and not necessarily the destination (personal records).  And I will say, I have NO regrets!  I had so much fun throughout the year-long streak, experienced so many things, with nothing but smiles as I think back about each event.  It hasn't been easy, but it's definitely been one of the most rewarding things I've done for myself.  And I can also say, I am injury free.

Sequence	Race	State	Date	Distance	Time
17	Grandma's Marathon	MN	6/16/2012	26.2	4:14:29
16	Marathon to Marathon	IA	6/9/2012	26.2	4:46:30
15	Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon	SD	6/3/2012	26.2	4:11:30
14*	Green Bay Marathon	WI	5/20/2012	26.2	4:28:23
13#	Colorado Marathon	CO	5/6/2012	26.2	3:54:25
12	Wilderness Park Trail Marathon	NE	3/17/2012	26.2	4:35:53
11	Little Rock Marathon	AR	3/4/2012	26.2	4:09:32
10	First Light Marathon	AL	1/8/2012	26.2	4:22:46
9	Mississippi Blues Marathon	MS	1/7/2012	26.2	4:15:05
8#	Run for the Ranch Marathon	MO	12/18/2011	26.2	3:49:47
7	Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon	GA	11/12/2011	26.2	4:06:27
6	Marshall University Marathon	WV	11/6/2011	26.2	4:10:14
5^	Pumpkin Holler 50k	OK	10/15/2011	50k	10:17:00
4	Wineglass Marathon	NY	10/2/2011	26.2	4:05:18
3	North Coast 24 Hour Run	OH	9/17/2011	83.41	24:00:00
2	Howl at the Moon 8 Hour Run	IL	8/13/2011	41.98	8:00:00
1	Psyco Psummer 50k Trail Run	KS	7/9/2011	50k	7:33:17

* - Not officially counted since the race was cancelled at 2 hours and 35 minutes but I finished anyhow. 
# - True race attempt.
^ - Walked. 

I did it.  2400 miles.  My year-long marathon streak is done with 17 states. It's just running.  But it's also a collection of memories that are priceless to me, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

And that's the cool thing about running, we can all have different goals.  Some just want to finish.  Some want a personal record.  Some want quantity over quality.  And some want to win.  Whatever your goal, make it yours, own it, and work for it. 

What's next for me?  After after a little bit of rest, I get back on the horse.  I've got more races planned, in new states.  I've got a lot of places to go that I've never been to before, and I look forward to seeing the rest of the USA, 26.2 miles at a time!  I've done 20 states total, so I have a few more to go, ;)  However, I also want to focus on quality for awhile, and see what my true racing potential might be.  As long as I continue to enjoy it, I'll keep moving forward, striving to be better than I was, but never as good as I hope to be!

Grandma's Marathon

This was a great race, one that would complete my year-long marathon streak.  I was really looking forward to it since I've never been to Duluth, MN.  It was a long drive to get there, about 9 hours, but the drive wasn't that bad and I got to see a lot of new scenery. 

Grandma's Marathon is in it's 36th year, and from my quick glance, they know how to organize a mega event.  Thousands of runners, and really, it covers an entire weekend.  I arrived at the packet pickup, which was crowded beyond belief, then met up with another runner friend to have dinner.  After turning in early, I slept well, with the help of Ambien of course.

I woke up at 4 am, and quickly got ready to head to the convention center to grab a train to the starting line.  There was only one train, and it sounded more fun than riding a school bus.  The train did not disappoint.  It was a scenic slow ride, with plenty of time to relax and enjoy the view.

The humidity was a little high, race start temp around 60 with a dewpoint about the same. Overall, the race was very beautiful, it's run along the shoreline of Lake Superior, with very gentle rolling hills (not really noticeable though), and awesome views of the lake.  The miles ticked off easily, although I was nearly soaked a few miles in.  The sun was also beating down, but an occasional breeze off the lake sure helped.  Thankfully, the clouds rolled in by the mid point though and that helped a lot. 

Given my crazy racing schedule, I knew I couldn't run the entire race.  By about mile 17, I started to do walk breaks every half mile, and then every third mile.  I just needed a finish today to complete the streak.  I wasn't feeling very well around mile 19, think I drank too much water, but recovered well for the finish in 4:14:29. 

Overall, this was a really nice race, with great spectators, and pleasant scenery.  I would recommend this one to anyone!  After the race, I enjoyed a celebratory beer, then headed to the car for a long drive home. 

Victory!! It was a great feeling knowing my marathon state streak was complete. 

Marathon to Marathon

Wow, this race sucked. Well, not the race, but the weather.  The race is a small town race just a couple hours away from home, starting in Storm Lake, IA, running to the tiny town of Marathon, running through the Iowa countryside along country roads next to farms and corn fields.  It's a fairly well organized event, it's just that the weather this year sucked.  The course itself doesn't offer much if any shade, and temperatures this year were excessively warm and humid, even with a 6 am start.  I ran a very decent half in 2 hours even, but then the sun just baked the life right out of me after that.  Plus, the last 10 miles were with the wind at my back, which offered no real cooling potential, and it just became incredibly hard to run.  To make matters worse, my stomach was getting nauseous with each passing step past mile 15.  By mile 20, my "running" was officially done and I literally walked the rest of the way, sucking on ice chips hoping I wouldn't throw up.  I didn't feel overly bad since the weather was also affecting everyone else around me the same way.  Temperatures by mid morning for those last 6 miles were in the 80s, with no relief in sight.  As I crossed the finish line and sat down, I promptly threw up, but then I felt so much better.  It was my second worst race ever, but that's OK.  They can't all be sunshine and roses, and it is one step closer to completing my marathon state streak. Moving forward.

Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon

Quick Summary:  Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon, 24th marathon/ultra, 19th state, 4:11:30. 88/347 overall, 10/31 age M40-44 division, 68/244 gender division.

All the Details:  As part of my ongoing state streak (trying for 16 states in 365 days), I decided to run the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon, which happened to fall on my 19th wedding anniversary.  As luck would have it (I did not plan this), it would also be my 19th marathon state, and that sounded kind of fun, and it also was a chance to have a mini family vacation weekend in the Black Hills.  Score!

After completing the cancelled Green Bay Marathon 2 weeks ago, I've had a little bit of foot pain in the top of my left foot.  This is a good spot for a stress fracture, and it bothered me a bit.  So the past week, I opted for an extreme taper, I took 4 days of complete rest, along with a healthy dose of Aleve.  By race day, the foot felt pretty good.

We enjoyed the sights of the Black Hills leading up to the race, driving through the Badlands, stopping at Wall Drug, and visiting Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial.  In other words, doing all the fun touristy stuff that you're supposed to do up there.  By Saturday evening, I was tired and hit the bed early about 830 pm, (with the help of an Ambien), and was up early around 430 am on race morning.

The race actually starts way up in the hills at Rockford, SD, so we had to catch a bus to ride there.  I was on the first bus by 545 am and enjoyed a sunrise ride through the woods.  We arrived plenty early at the race start, with a pleasant surprise, the bus brakes were almost on fire.  Oops.  After waiting in the cool air for about an hour (it was about 55), the race started at 8 am.  If I had one suggestion for this race, it would be a 7 am start since the sun rises very early this time of year.  We run a mile through Rochford, then onto the Mickelson Trail where we stayed for the remainder of the course with a finish in downtown Deadwood.  The first half of the run is up the mountain, and then back down the second half. 1250' of ascent and 2070' of descent, starting around 5500'.  The elevation worried me a bit, I'll be honest.

And I should say, I intended to do a run/walk from the very beginning on this course, mainly because of the elevation change, running at altitude, the tender foot, because I have done several races over the last few months, and also because I have 2 more marathons coming up in the next two weeks.  These last 3 races are not about speed, but about endurance, being able to complete each one healthy.  Yes, I fully intended to NOT do a PR effort.  Gasp!   And so it went, I would run for a half or three quarters of a mile, then walk for a half a minute, and repeat, which worked perfectly.  I never felt like I was in oxygen debt, and just thoroughly enjoyed the morning.  It was a beautiful sunny day, and the surrounding black hills beauty was breathtaking.  There was a mixture of sun and shade from the trees, a gentle breeze, I was running next to a pleasant mountain stream, over wooden bridges, and overall, I would say this was the most peaceful, scenic, pleasant marathon I've ever run.  The course is an old rail trail that was converted to a hiking/biking recreation trail.  Aid stations were every mile or two, and they had water, PowerAde, oranges, bagels, bananas, and MnMs.  The MnMs were my favorite snack.  Awesome!

Reaching the summit just shy of mile 14, it was downhill the rest of the way, and occasionally steep. A cloud deck had developed, which helped a lot, but the second half had quite a bit more shade from trees as well.   I had a couple of sub9 miles for mile 15 and 16 with no walk breaks and was just having a great time.  But, I also decided to dial it back and save the legs and went back to a run/walk until the end, with a finish of 4:11:30.  First half in 2:06 and the second half in 2:05.  Finish temperature was about 75 degrees.  My wife and daughter were at the finishing line cheering me on.  Priceless!  It was perhaps my most fun marathon I've ever done!

In the end, this was my 24th marathon/ultra, in my 19th marathon state.  I still love running.  I'm not fast.  And this event was never about pushing the pace for a PR, it was about enjoying the journey and not the destination.  I got to run in a stunningly beautiful place, had an awesome time, and wonderful mini family vacation, and I have no regrets!  It was a spectacular weekend all around, spending it doing something I love with the people that mean the most to me.   Time was irrelevant.

After the race, we did have a 9 hour drive home, but ideally, it wasn't that bad. That has just become my normal over the previous few months (long drives home after races). I did stop for a shower at truck stop in Rapid City.  But then, I would drive for awhile, stop to stretch, use the bathroom, hydrate, eat, and just keep moving.  It's really wasn't that bad. 

Pace, Elevation, and Heart Rate

Finish line pic! 

Green Bay Marathon

Quick summary, the race was cancelled 2 hours and 35 minutes into the event because of extreme heat, but I still finished anyhow in 4:28.

Long drawn out version, This is the race that wasn't meant to be I guess. A few months ago, I decided to do a marathon state streak. As part of that, I also decided to do a marathon on my 42nd birthday. I liked the idea of running 42.2km as a present to myself and it would give me credit for another state to help complete my streak. And so my journey toward the Green Bay Marathon began. This was not a PR race for me, but merely another race in a string of states and a chance to have some fun on my BD.

Two weeks ago, I ran the Colorado Marathon. Recovery went well and I was feeling very good this past week. Legs were back to normal. However, the weather forecast was looking very warm, downright hot. I didn't mind really, I was running for fun with no pressure for a goal time. A couple of days before the race, the RD offered marathoners the option to drop to the half, no questions asked, at the mile 12 half/full split because of the expected heat. That was not an option for me, I needed the full finish to get credit for the streak.

The race is centered around Lambeau Field in Green Bay, home of the Packers. I flew into Milwaukee, toured the MillerCoors Brewery then headed 2 hours north to Green Bay. The race expo was really nice, very well supported. Free pasta dinner and specially brewed 26.2 craft beer just for the race, all on the Lambeau stadium concourse. I turned in early, was asleep by 9 pm (I take an Ambien before all my races now). I slept very soundly and by morning I was refreshed and ready to run!

I arrived at the start line very early. It was already 68 degrees at 6 am, forecast to rise into the mid 80s before noon. Slow down, hydrate, and just have fun! The first several miles were very easy. I was sweating a lot, working hard, but it still felt great. We passed the local NWS office at mile 8, which was a pleasant surprise. (That is my employer). Local residents were out in droves and cheering us total random strangers on. It was just a ton of fun! Many folks who lived along the course also had set out their sprinklers so it was fun to run through as many as I could. It really was a beautiful morning and there was quite a bit of shade and it felt great to be celebrating my birthday in such a fun way.

At mile 12, the course splits with half marathoners heading back to the stadium. I honestly was feeling great. Yes, it was getting very warm. But personally, I was doing well. It's at this point that we lose the shade though, and running into a breeze. The breeze felt good though and cooled me off, but the sun was really starting to slow me down, temps were In the lower 80s at this time. Time to start taking walk breaks.  I hit mile 13 right at 2 hours.

By mile 14, I had settled into a very easy jog, with an occasional walk and was not having any problems. I was drinking water and Gatorade at every aid station, and they also had ice which was wonderful. And yet, even though it was hot, I was feeling Ok! The ice really made a difference for me. I would grab a full cup and just munch on ice chips until the next aid station, which were about 1 mile apart at this point. I stopped to pee at mile 17 and continued on.

At mile 18, everyone was told the race had been black flagged, that it had been cancelled and asked us all to stop. Honestly, to me, that seemed ridiculous, I felt fine. Really! We were back in the shade, the breeze was at my back, and I just made the personal decision at that moment that I would finish this race. I intended to complete 42.2 km no matter what. But what did it mean? No one really knew. Many of us continued on anyhow talking amongst ourselves. I did see one runner down on the trail around mile 19, and police were already there responding.

At mile 20, they were announcing over speakers that the race was cancelled and to stop, hydrate, and wait for a bus to drive us back to the finish line. However, no one ever said we had to leave the course. Again, while I was walking more and more, I was determined to finish. I still felt relatively fine. The ice helped a lot. Having cold ice in my mouth made it seem not so hot. I grabbed a wet towel from the aid station and sponged off. I was walking more and more, but I assumed they would keep the course open, and they did. If not, I would just find my way back to the stadium anyhow, I could see it in the distance. Police were still directing traffic on the course and not preventing us from continuing, and volunteers stayed at the water stations (thank you so much!). A few other folks had brought coolers of ice out along the last few miles and were handing it out too. Plus, I had money and could have stopped to buy something if I needed it. And that's how the last 6 miles went. One foot in front of the other, moving ever closer to the finish line, jogging for a bit, walking, eating ice, hitting every sprinkler that was out, and just celebrating life.

By mile 24, the temp was in the upper 80s. I knew that if I ran at all, I was probably putting my safety in jeopardy. I was monitoring my heart rate with my Garmin and was watching my rates closely. Any running and it would spike. So no running in those last two miles, I just walked it in. It didn't really matter how long it took, no official times would be posted, and I wanted to complete my journey.

And so ended my race that wasn't meant to be. I walked across the finish line in 4:28, got my medal and sat down. After about 15 minutes of rest, I was feeling pretty nauseous and my arms and legs started to tingle. That last mile in the sun really took its toll. I sipped some water, tried to get a root beer but they were out. The thought of regular beer, brats, or anything else just turned my stomach. I headed for my car, which was only a block away. After sitting in the air conditioning for a few minutes, I felt much better. And within 30 minutes, I was ready to eat and drink. And after I got back to Milwaukee and cleaned up, I enjoyed a fabulous birthday dinner and raised a couple of beers to my experience.

The race was cancelled 2 hours and 35 minutes into the run. At that point, the top 5 men had finished, and medical support was overwhelmed with mostly half marathoners going down. All of the med tents were full, 20 people were transported to area hospitals, and the directors made the decision to cancel the race. I feel bad for the people that succumbed to the heat, and in the end, it was probably the right decision to make, otherwise, somebody probably would have died. For me personally, yes, while the heat slowed me down, I think I played it smart. I knew what I had to do. There was no pressure to reach a specific time. And once the race was cancelled, I intended to finish if it took all day. At any point if I felt in jeopardy, I would have stopped and taken the shuttle back to the stadium.

Because the race was cancelled, no official results will be posted. I'm a bit disappointed. I know I completed the race and I'm healthy, but I guess it doesn't really count for the streak. I have a medal and my Garmin splits but no official result. And yes, it still feels a little hollow. I know it's just running and there are so many more important things in life than this silly race. Thankfully this was not a major goal race for me. We can't control the weather. And hopefully, there were no serious injuries in Green Bay and those that went down recover quick.

Another race jogged and logged, but well, not really.  Time to forget this race and move forward!

Colorado Marathon

Short version, I ran the Colorado Marathon today, shooting for a PR.  It's a 1200' net descent down the Poudre Canyon northwest of Fort Collins, CO.  Was on pace for PR through mile 22, but my quads were fried by then and I had to give it up.  Finished in 3:54:25, a full 11 minutes off my PR.  I took a gamble and rolled the dice and I lost.  Se la vi, nothing ventured, nothing gained.  I tried, gave it my best, and it wasn't meant to be.  But I still had a lot of fun!  It was my 22nd marathon/ultra in my 17th state, and I'm grateful to be able to continue to do it. 

Longer Version,  This marathon was supposed to be another in a string of races that I'm trying to do in a 365 day period. But, over the previous 8 weeks, I've discovered my speed again through planned speedwork, and my paces were back to my PR marathon paces of 15 months ago, so I thought it was worth a shot. 

The race is the most expensive race I've done ($125). Headed 8 hours out to Colorado and enjoyed seeing some of the sights around Fort Collins the day before the Marathon (primarily, the Anheiser Busch Brewery, the New Belgium Brewery, and the Odell Brewery, hey had to carb load a little).  Slept well the night before, and got up at 300 am, to catch a bus at 430 am. They bus you up the mountain into the Poudre Canyon to 6200 feet on coach buses, then you run back down the mountain into Fort Collins.  The first 15 miles were in the Canyon along the river, then 6 miles out in the open/flats, then 5 miles on a bike path into town.  The first part of the marathon is in the mountains and absolutely gorgeous.  Towering cliffs, trees, and the Poudre River, with no spectators, with a mostly closed road. A little slice of nirvana.  It was the most scenic and peaceful portion of a race I've ever done.

Before the race, I downloaded all of the results from the last few years in my age group and did a little spreadsheet analysis, determining that most runners positive split this course.  I planned on a 1:47/1:55 split, based on my fitness, which was an 8:10 pace for the first half, dropping down to an 8:45 pace for the second half. My PR pace is 8:28, or 3:43 from January 2011.  Gravity in the canyon really allows you to run faster than you think, it's a steep downhill, but it also can trash your quads pretty easily.  I thought I was ready.  I ran hill repeats for my long runs here at home.  I did the Stair Master several sessions for several weeks prior.  I felt like I could really do this.

Race start temp was about 39 at 615 am, with a light wind.  As we hammered down the mountain, it warmed into the lower 50s with a nice breeze about 15 mph.  I was on pace for a PR through the 15 miles in the canyon holding onto my planned pace, even though my quads were starting to hurt.  The road was also severely cambered, which really hurt at times. As I hit the flats, I gradually slipped my pace as expected, but my legs were already in trouble.  By mile 22, I couldn't hold it anymore and I couldn't get my quads to consistently fire.  I was still at PR average pace (8:30'sh), but my quads were burning with every step.  The mountain had won and I couldn't run for long stretches without a lot of pain.  I decided to let my PR go, I just couldn't hold it for 4 more miles, and once I made that decision, I dropped my pace considerably to save my legs as much as I could and just tried to pass time.  I walked quite a bit (gasp).   No use in pushing it now, and just had to shuffle to finish line.  It didn't really matter what my time was at this point, I just wanted the finish to get credit for another state.

Here are my splits...

Mile	Lap Pace	Run Pace	Avg HR
1	0:08:16		164
2	0:08:06	0:08:11	155
3	0:08:08	0:08:10	159
4	0:08:24	0:08:13	157
5	0:08:14	0:08:14	156
6	0:08:05	0:08:12	155
7	0:08:10	0:08:12	154
8	0:08:08	0:08:11	151
9	0:08:03	0:08:10	151
10	0:08:07	0:08:10	152
11	0:08:04	0:08:10	152
12	0:08:24	0:08:11	154
13	0:08:09	0:08:11	153
14	0:08:09	0:08:10	152
15	0:08:18	0:08:11	153
16	0:08:45	0:08:13	150
17	0:08:58	0:08:16	149
18	0:08:42	0:08:17	152
19	0:09:27	0:08:21	148
20	0:09:37	0:08:25	144
21	0:09:36	0:08:28	145
22*	0:10:09	0:08:33	145
23	0:09:49	0:08:36	145
24	0:10:50	0:08:42	140
25	0:10:35	0:08:46	140
26	0:10:30	0:08:50	141

* Decided to let the PR go and just finish.

Post Race Analysis: Like I said, I took shot, rolled the dice, but lost.  It was a gamble, but one I definitely wanted to take.  Running at elevation really didn't seem to affect me too much, as the significant 1200' negative descent seemed to counteract that.  I never really spiked my heart rate, or felt out of breath or in oxygen debt.   My downfall was that my legs were just not prepared enough for the lengthy and steep downhill. I overestimated my ability.   Perhaps if I had started a little slower, it might have worked. Or not, who knows.  But, my spreadsheet analysis suggested, for my fitness, based on previous results in my age group, an 8 minute positive split seemed reasonable and I was in PR shape based on paces over the previous 8 weeks.  I'm not disappointed though!  It was a beautiful day for a run.  I completed another marathon, in another state, and added another in my ongoing year long streak.  I'm not injured, just have very sore legs, no blisters, no chafing, and overall, I'm pleased.  Not a PR, but I certainly made another memory that will last a lifetime with a good running friend.

Moving forward. I have a few more races over the next few weeks to complete my year long streak in the middle of June.  No PR attempts coming up, but just running for the pure joy of it.  And then maybe another PR attempt this fall or winter.