Iowa & South Dakota Double 6/12/10 & 6/13/10

What a wild weekend this was. Our plan was to fly into Omaha, NE and drive to Storm Lake Iowa for the first race. Everything was on schedule until we had to do an air return back to Houston for mechanical issues. By the time we got back to Houston, swapped aircraft, and headed back out we were about 3 hours behind. Once we arrived into Omaha we picked up our car and started our 3 hour drive to Storm Lake. The drive was easy and all country side. As far as you can see in all directions were nothing but farms full of corn fields. Once we arrived in Storm Lake we went ahead and picked up the packet and had a pasta dinner which supported the local schools.

Over the last week Iowa, South Dakota, & Nebraska had been getting alot of rain and thunderstorms. Saturday morning before the race was no different. The race was scheduled to start at 6am but was delayed 1 1/2 hours due to the storms which bought lots of rain and lightning. This was a small race and the race director did an excellant job keeping everyone informed and he was very concerned and worked very hard to make the race happen for the 50 Staters. Finally once the storms moved through we were able to start the race. The course was just like the drive out there was nothing but corn fields and pig farms. The rain stayed away for most of the race and we even had a brief moment where the sun peaked through the clouds. The support at the aid stations was great just not alot of fan support. Wendy was with me so she was meeting me every couple of miles. Overall this was a great race and I am glad we were able to get it done and able to cross Iowa off the list.

After we were done in Iowa we headed out for a 3 hour drive to South Dakota. We were spending the night in Souix Falls but the race was about 35 miles south in a town called Viborg. Again the drive was easy and nothing but corn fields. When morning arrived we woke up to the same kind of weather, raining with alot of thunder and lightning. It felt like groundhogs day and I was hoping it was going to pass quickly. The race was scheduled to start at 6am so we left the hotel around 4:15am and as we were driving we could tell that the weather was staying north of us for the most part and that was good. When we arrived at the race we could tell it had been raining alot and from the sounds of it for the past several days. When I checked in to get my race bib we were told they had to modify the course because half of the marathon course was under water. They had us run the 1/2 marathon course twice so it turned into a double loop course. Most of the course was on dirt roads and due to all the rain it was very muddy. Most of it wasn't to bad but then it started raining again and it really made things fun. By the end of the race our legs were covered in mud. Overall this was a great race and alot of the Marathon Maniacs that ran Iowa the day before were here for this one as well. I even did something at this race that I have never done before. On the second loop I saw the same group of people that were cheering and having a liquid (beer) breakfast when I passed them on the first loop. I was starting to hurt a bit and they offered up a beer and I decided what the heck so I stopped and drank a quick beer, told them my story and I was on my way again. They thought that was great and now I have something to talk about. This is the best part of this adventure, just relaxing, meeting different people, seeing parts of this country that most people don't see, and really enjoying the runs.

Overall this was a great weekend and another double in the books. After doing 18 marathons in the past 8 months I am going to take 2 months off and enjoy some time with my granddaughter. I will pick things back up in the middle of August in Alaska. Until then hope everyone is doing well and is enjoying whatever they are doing.

Wisconsin (Madison Marathon) 5/30/10

You just have to love summer time marathons...(not!). This was one hot race. At the start of the race it was already in the 60's with high humidity. The forecast was for temps to reach the mid 80's with feel like temps in the 90's with the humidity by race end. This was one time the weather forecast was correct. Most marathons have gone to a color coding system to tell runners what current conditions are like and the status of the race. It usually goes from green (great conditions), yellow (less than ideal), red (dangerous conditions), black (race cancelled). This race started in the yellow which wasn't a good sign.

The first half of the race wasn't bad, rolling hills with lots of shade. By the time we were done with the shade the sun was high above and baking down on us. Runners were slowing down fast (including me) and it was really getting miserable. As the race progressed I started hearing more and more sirens (reminded me of Chicago 2007) and several runners on the side of the road down from the heat. At the 4 hour mark the race went to red conditions and the runners were instructed to slow down and for some even to walk. The official time clock was stopped for awards purposes but the race was still supported which was good because I still had 2 miles to go. I remember looking at some of the runners at mile 25's water stop and many looked like zombies. You could tell that some have never run in conditions like these and luckily I have and I knew to slow down several miles ago. I knew my time was going to suffer but at that point I really didn't care, I just wanted to finish this race in one piece and look forward to my next one.

Overall the course was really good and the people of Madison were fantastic. Many were on the streets supporting the runners with encouragement, and using there garden hoses to spray the runners down. There were many others that also had coolers filled with ice and handing it out to us. They all knew that the conditions were tough and they were doing whatever they could to help us out. It is great to see a community come together like that. In the end I was able to finish, definitely not with the time I set out at the beginning for but that's the way it goes. It's another state down and now I can focus on another double next month. Hopefully the weather conditions will be better but it is summer so I am not counting on it.

Delaware (Delaware Marathon) 5/16/10

This marathon had some good things about it and a few bad things. It was a double loop course which for the most part was good. You start out by the Riverfront which is a nice area along the river which has several restaurants and other things to do. You then leave that area and they took the course by the train station and through downtown. This is the part of the course they could of done something different with. The area by the train station was not very good to say the least. After leaving downtown the course was fantastic and very scenic. There were a few hills but nothing that bad and beings it was a double loop you knew what to expect the second time around. The weather stayed cloudy for most of the race except the last hour. The sun finally came out and the temps started getting into the mid 60's. There were alot of 50 State club members and Marathon Maniacs there so that was fun meeting some new people. Next week I am off, it's my birthday so I am going to take a weekend off and relax. The following weekend I will be in Madison, Wisconsin which will close out May with 4 States completed. Until then hope all is well and I will update on how Wisconsin turns out.

Minnesota (Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon) 5/8/10

This by far has been one of my favorite marathons to date. It was another small race with only 196 finishers but had more to offer than any large one that I have done. The organization was first class and everyone involved with the race was so friendly. There was no pre-race packet pick-up just walk up before the race get your number and then get on the bus for the ride to the start. The bus ride was just like Boston with the yellow school buses and once we arrived to the start we had access to the school gym to get ready and stay warm. The weather was perfect for a marathon, start was 35 and the finish was 45. The course was amazing, it was on an asphalt trail that took us through some of the most beautiful farms, lakes, and country side I have seen. It was very flat which was nice after the one in Tacoma last weekend. As with all small races there was very little crowd support but when there was you would of thought there was 100's of them the way they cheered. All the runners were extremely friendly and very supportive. The post race party at the finish was great, there was plenty of food (pizza, oh yea) drinks, and fruit. This race was put on by a local running club and they thought of everything. If you are looking for a small race that is truely an amazing run this one has to be on your list.

Washington (Tacoma City Marathon) 5/2/10

This was a Marathon Maniacs reunion marathon and it was great to see and meet so many maniacs at the race. The temperature was great for a marathon but it did get a little windy. The course was challenging with lots of hills but very scenic. This was the 1st of 4 marathons this month so I wanted to take it easy especially with all the hills. I decided to go out with the 4 hour group and finished 7 minutes in front of them. I was very happy with the run and was able to shave a few seconds off my average. Washington is such a beautiful State and if you have a chance to get in a run up there I highly recommend it, just be prepared for the hills. Next up is a trail run in St. Cloud, Minnesota which is about an 1 1/2 hours west of Minneapolis. It is a small race and promises to be flat and very scenic. I will keep everyone posted on how it goes.

2nd Double: Kansas (Olathe Marathon) 4/10/10 & Missouri (St. Louis Marathon) 4/11/10

Here we go with the second double of the year. Wendy and I flew into St. Louis on Friday and went to the expo to pick up my packet before driving over to Kansas. We were able to get everything done fairly quickly and was on the road for our 4 hour drive over to Olathe. It was an easy drive on I70 and was mostly farm land. Once we arrived in Olathe we checked into our hotel and headed straight over to this expo. It was much smaller than St. Louis but then again there was about 13,000 less runners.

Saturday morning arrived and we headed out to the start area which was at the Garmin Headquarters. This made it nice because there was enough parking for everyone there. The weather was cool but forcasted to warm up with some wind. The race started right at 7am and I was on my way. The first 6 miles of the course was boring and took us around the Great Plains Mall. Once we left that area it really turned out to be a great course. At mile 12 we split off from the half marathoners and started a 13 mile out and back. This was the best section of the course. It was on a asphault bike path with plenty of trees and shade. The course had some rolling hills but overall it was fairly flat. I finished about 11 minutes ahead of my weekend goal which gave me a little cushion for St. Louis. After a short stay at the finish area we headed out to get cleaned up so we can start the 4 hour drive back to St. Louis.

Sunday morning arrived and overall I felt pretty good. The weather was a few degrees warmer than yesterday and the forecast showed it would be warming up quickly once the sun came up. The race started shortly after 7am and day 2 was on its way. The course took us towards the Gateway Arch, past Busch Stadium where the St. Louis Cardinals play, through the Budweiser brewery before heading back towards town. After running through downtown for a few miles the half marathoners split off and we continued to Forest Park. Once through the park we headed north for a couple miles before heading back to the city. The course really show cased St. Louis but it was very hilly. The hills never seemed to stop and they were long. Overall it was a great run and I am glad I had that cushion from the day before. Overall I finished 2 minutes ahead of my goal for the weekend and I left feeling good with very few issues.

I now have 16 states completed and I am off for a couple of weeks. Time to rest up a little before I start a busy May. I have 4 scheduled, Washington, Minnesota, Delaware, then Wisconsin. I will keep everyone updated on how these go.

Maryland (Lower Potomac River Marathon) 3/14/10

What an adventure this one was just to get to. Working for an airline has its advantages but when you are trying to fly the first weekend of spring break it can be very difficult. I needed to fly to Washington DC but every flight was over sold. We started looking at any city even close and they were all full. We even looked at going to other cities on the west coast and then fly back to DC but all were full. We even looked at flights to Canada but no go. Even though the flights were full I decided I was still going to try. After getting bumped from a couple of flights I was getting very discouraged. Wendy finally found a flight to Knoxville, TN that had a couple seats available only because there were a few mis-connects. I ran over to the other terminal and was able to get on the flight. After getting to Knoxville I was able to get on another flight to Cleveland, OH and then another to DC. It took me almost 14 hours to get there but I made it.

Once in DC I drove over to Piney Point, MD to check out the course. The course is very scenic and most of it is where the Potomac River dumps into the Chesapeake Bay. There had been alot of rain the last few days and while driving the course I came up to an area of the road that was completely under water from the river being so high. A little concerned I decided to go back to the expo and talk to the race director to see what we were going to do if it was still like that in the morning. She did not seem concerned and said it will be low tide in the morning, I guess this is not uncommon for that area.

The morning of the race was cool and sure enough all the water had receded. This was a great run especially the first 13 miles. It was one of the smallest races I have done with only 119 finishers. The start and finish was at the Paul Hall Center, Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship. We were able to use the facility both before and after the race. We had shower facilities and they even prepared and full pasta meal after the race. If you are looking for a small race with little to no fan support then this race is for you.

Arkansas (Little Rock Marathon) 3/7/10

This was a 50 State marathon club reunion race. Being new to the club I was able to meet alot of club members at the meeting the night before the marathon. There were alot of new members at the meeting and it was really neat to see the ones that completed their tour recieve there awards.

This race is one of the few marathons that allows an early start for people that need the extra time to complete the marathon. The course is challanging especially when the half marathoners split off for their finish and the fulls continue on. There are plenty of rolling hills in the first half and the second half has long hills that don't seem to stop for several miles. Once you get through those hills there is a stretch of flats but just when you think you are done with all the hills they throw in a good overpass in the last mile. If there is one thing that the Little Rock marathon is known for besides some of the hills and that is the size of the medal. This is by far the biggest medal I have seen and it was almost easier to run the marathon then it was to hang this thing around your neck after running a marathon. Alot of people run this just for the medal. This turned out to be a great race and one I would recommend especially if it is your first marathon and you think you need extra time to complete it.

Florida (26.2 with Donna The National Breast Cancer Marathon) 2/21/10

This turned out to be a really good race. The course wasn't a PR course but it was well put on and it was for a great cause. The weather at the start of the race was cool but it warmed up quickly once the sun came up. It was very inspirational running with cancer survivors and people running for loved ones who have or lost their battle to cancer. The crowd support was good and all the volunteers were very friendly and very appreciative of the runners. Both the full and half marathoners were able to run on the beach for a couple of miles and that was alot of fun. Wendy did the half marathon which was her 3rd and that was great seeing her complete another one. Overall it was a great weekend and one state closer to my goal.

South Carolina (Myrtle Beach Marathon) 2/13/10

I was really looking forward to this race and due to time restrictions for the flights out I decided to fly into Charlotte, NC and drive about 4 hours into Myrtle Beach. When I arrived I checked into the hotel and went directly to the expo to pick up my packet. Once again Mother Nature was thinking about throwing a curve ball and they were calling for snow. As most people in the south know we don't deal with snow very well. While at the expo we were told that the race had been pushed back a half hour and there were rumors it may go further. The race officials were going to meet through out the evening to decide what they were going to do. Once back at the hotel it started snowing pretty good and I started hearing rumors that the officials were considering cancelling the race, something none of the runners wanted to hear. The next update was not going to be until 10pm so I decided to stay up and wait for there decision. Sure enough shortly after 10 while watching the Olympics and news flash appeared across the bottom of the screen stating that both the marathon and half marathon have been cancelled by city officials. Needless to say I was very upset and so were alot of other runners. As runners we will run in any kind of weather but the city officials were concerned about the safety of the volunteers that had to set up the course in the middle of the night. Looks like I was coming home without being able to log South Carolina in the books and I will have to wait until next week when I go to Jacksonville, FL to run in the National Breast Cancer Marathon.

Georgia (Museum of Aviation) 1/16/10

This was a double loop course on Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, GA. The weather again was not looking good, calling for rain and cold. Pre race activities were in the museum of Aviation hanger which was nice to stay out of the cold and rain. The rain stopped for the start of the race and stayed away for all of the first loop. At the start of the second loop the sky's opened up again and it rained pretty heavy for all of the second loop. The course was flat except for a hill at mile 10 and then you hit the same hill again at mile 23. There was very little fan support beings it was on an Air Force Base except for the people working the aid stations and they did a great job. This was another good small marathon just wished we had better weather.

1st Double: Mississippi (Mississippi Blues Marathon) 1/9/10 & Alabama (First Light Marathon) 1/10/10

Soon after the holiday season was over it was time to get back to work and hit the road. I decided to attempt my first double and run 2 marathons in 2 different States in 2 days. I flew into Mobile, Alabama on Friday which was actually the place of the second marathon and drove to Jackson, Mississippi and met up with my wife. The weather forecast for the weekend in both States was very cold. As a matter of fact with wind chills it was below 10 deg. I wasn't sure how my body was going to take running over 52 miles in two days so I decided I was going to take both runs real easy. Things started off well on day 1 but by mile 13 my feet were freezing. It made it very difficult to run because of the pain but like always I pushed through it. With the weather being so cold my feet wasn't the only thing freezing. At the aid stations the water in the cups was actually freezing. Over all the course was challenging but they did a great job with the event. The post race food was good and they did a great job bringing in heaters and tents to keep us warm.

After the race we headed out to drive back to Mobile so I can get ready and do it all over again the next day. Morning seemed to roll around way to fast and I found myself back out in the cold standing at the start line. The temps were a few deg warmer but it was windy. My legs felt a little tight so I wanted to get back to running to help loosen them up. Once we got started it only took a few miles before all the kinks were worked out. The course was pretty flat for the first half and then had some good hills in the middle miles. There was great support on the course and they even had hot chicken soup at mile 17 which was a nice touch. As I started reaching the last few miles I could feel the fatigue in my legs. Before long I was crossing the finish line, completing the double and two more States done. Overall another great experiance and not as bad as I thought it would be. It was then time to head home and recover for the next one in Georgia in 6 days.