75% complete

I was thinking during my run around Whidbey Island on Sunday that I’m 75 percent done with my 50 State and DC goal.  I guess I started this endeavor in Sep 04 during my first marathon even though I did not commit to running a marathon in every state until Feb 06 and that was after I said I would never run another marathon again at Mile 14 of my first marathon.  Why did I run another one?  Because I knew I could do better and the marathon I picked out (Vancouver) was being run on the same day as I graduated college and thought it would be cool to celebrate the anniversary by running a marathon.  Why did I run a third marathon?  Because I knew I could do better and I had signed up to run Antarctica.  But I got to thinking what if I had done worse at Vancouver – would I have quit running marathons?  I’ll never know that answer…..

By the numbers:
- 48: Total number of marathons
- 39: Number of states and DC that I've completed

- 3:35: Average time

- 3:29: Median time

- 7: Boston Qualifiers

- 3: Number of seconds I missed a BQ in Olathe, KS (goal for that day was a 3:30)

- 1: Number of times I cried after a marathon

- 9: Best finish in a marathon

- 6: Number of 1^st Place Age Finishes

- 9: Number of Age Group Award (Any finish to get an award)

- 12: States Remaining:  ID, HI, AK, ND, MN, CT, RI, NY, IL, NE, WY, RI

- 1: Numbers of continents remaining (Australia)

Some things I’ve seen or thought about or just want to comment on:

- Am I taking these marathons seriously (anymore)?  No.  Who would have three glasses of wine or a couple beers or chocolate chip cookies or Taco Bell or play hockey the night before a marathon or dress up in costume for a marathon?  Me! 

- Do I want to run faster?  Sure…but….I once had a friend tell me if I actually committed myself to train for a marathon, based upon the mileage I’m running now (100 miles/month) and the times I’m running (PR 3:12), that I could probably run a 2:45 marathon.  While I’m not gonna say he is right or wrong but from what I’ve run and my lack of training/long runs for these marathons maybe he is right.  But recently another friend told me that without my ab pain/CAT Scan results, said I should go for it but with my body maybe telling me something it’s probably not a good idea (and I agree).  While it would be nice to see what I could do if I trained I’m happy/content with where I am.  When I’m done with these marathons I’m not gonna lose sleep thinking what might have been.  I like running and I want to keep it that way – I don’t want it to consume my life (more than it is now).

- 2 minutes faster than I was in 2006:  I’ve run 44 marathons since my first BQ in Feb 06 and from that time of 3:15:01 to my PR of 3:12:46 in 2009; I’m only two minutes and change faster than I was then but then again I’m four years older.  Do I care that I’ve only improved by 2 minutes?  No

- Have fun:  Not sure how many people would dress in almost full hockey gear and run a marathon (Manchester City Marathon).  I’ve seen a lot of people in costumes in races over the years and after the MCM I’m officially part of that crowd – I’m glad I got to actually be silly in a race but will not wear something that is heavy and hot next time (unless it is 18F at the start like at Jackson, MS)

- Country side politics: doesn’t matter where you in this country go but once you get into the suburbs or outside of major cities and run marathons through these areas you are more often than not gonna see a ton of Republican election signs vs Democrat signs

- Am I running for the glory?  Am I running for attention?  Am I running to win? No, no, and no.  This one hit me right before the start of the Whidbey Island Marathon when most of the runners were huddled under heat lamps trying to stay warm before the start of the race and all I could hear was the game of one up-man's ship of how someone ran two marathons last weekend or what time they ran or from other runners who seem to revel in the spotlight by going for shock value distances.  I usually keep my mouth shut or when I’m asked how many I’ve run I know there are dozens more who have run more or have run faster.  Or when people ask me what is my favorite I want to say Antarctica but I don’t want to feel as if I’m bragging or have to talk about it for 10 minutes or have everyone else w/in earshot perk up and chime in.  I don’t need to run 100 miles in 24 hours or try a relay by myself or 300 miles.  Sure I’m competitive but it is not a intense competitiveness to the point that I need to push myself to make headlines.  Yeah I want to try one of these 100 mile races or an ultra just to see how far I could go but if don’t I’ll go on with my life.

- Do I still get nervous before a marathon?  Yes.  I don’t think I will ever say marathons are easy.  While my recovery time is less these days – either little or no pain following the marathon – I will never say they are easy because they aren’t and every race is different some good/some bad.  It took a good mile into the Whidbey Island marathon for my heart rate to settle down (and it wasn’t because of the hills) because I had psyched myself up before the start (about getting a PR).

-  What makes a good or bad marathon course?  I think how I perform in the race.  The better my time, the better the course – weird how that works out.

- State of mind:  I’ve seen slogans saying marathons are 95% mental.  I will say they are 99% mental if not 100% mental.  If you go in stressed, worried, angry or dejected you are just not gonna perform.  I’ve had  a wide range of emotions over the years and no matter how I can look at things or think of something else during the course of a race inevitably at some point whatever is troubling you is gonna creep in and crush you.  I had two traumatic events since I started running marathons and both of them were like a kick in the gut and both times I quit during the marathon.  I even saw it over the last year as I was stressed big time most of 2009 and into early 2010 and as a result my times went up considerably from a PR in May 09 to some of my worst in Jan 10.  But something happened late Jan/early Feb 2010 that I was finally able to get things back on track/come to grip with my issue of the last two years.  Then by mid/late Feb 10 things took a turn for the positive -- positive thoughts during a marathon can have just as a profound impact as negative ones during a race.

- Anticipated last state marathon (maybe my last marathon): Amica Marathon Oct 2011.  I was born in Newport RI and this marathon takes place in Newport - no better ending for my marathon endeavor than where I was born.