It was New Year’s morning a few decades ago when, wearing only pajama bottoms, I caught a glimpse of myself in our full-length mirror. Yikes! Somewhere between the busyness of working long hours and raising our four boys I had become pregnant – or so it appeared. My wife agreed with my assessment, so I decided right then and there to make some changes; I would improve my eating habits and start exercising. And so it was that my pregnant-like appearance gave birth to what would become my passion for recreational running.
Initially, I was unable to run around our block without walking. I would jog the length, then walk the short ends. Persistence paid off and soon I was able to run the entire .65 mile distance. I then began running with friends, slowly increasing my distance until I found myself participating in local 5Ks and 10Ks. The more consistently that I ran, the better I felt, and combining some core exercises with my running led to a slimmer, stronger body. It’s easy to see why I fell in love with the sport of running!
In 1995 I decided to run my first marathon. I trained all summer, and in October I found myself standing at the starting line of the Chicago Marathon. It was surreal. Was I really about to run 26.2 miles? Had I gone insane? What was I thinking?! Well, not only did I survive the ordeal, it proved to be an incredible experience: exciting, challenging and rewarding, all at the same time! I enjoyed it so much that I ran the Chicago Marathon every subsequent year until 2004.
That is when our youngest son finished high school and joined the USMC, making Julie and me empty-nesters. No kids, no pets, no reason we couldn’t leave for a weekend by simply locking the door behind us – something we hadn’t experienced in over 20 years. Looking to fully maximize this new opportunity, we decided to travel and explore this great country. And what better way to do that than to run a marathon in every state? I was 47 at the time, and set a goal called “50 by 60”; that is, I wanted to run a marathon in all 50 states before I turned 60 years old.
‘Fast Eddy’ and ‘Out-of-sight Dwight’, the two best running friends ever, were on board from day one. While traveling the nation in the years that followed, we experienced more great times than can be recounted here. This quest created a playground of logistics: finding marathons that worked with everyone’s schedule, shopping airfares, sharing hotel rooms, renting cars, finding directions, etc.
My wife, while not a runner, has never missed even one of my marathons. Make no mistake about it - I could NOT have done this without her! Julie did not simply tolerate this madness, she embraced it, and these trips became mini-vacations for us. She always brought us to the starting line, made an effort to see us several times along the route, and then waited at the finish line, cheering us in. After the race (and a shower), we would take in the sights and whatever local attractions were available.
This has been a phenomenal journey, and our travels took us to places we would not otherwise have had reason to visit: Abilene, KS, Anchorage, AK, Kona, HI, and the list goes on. The Philadelphia Marathon finished at the base of the steps Rocky Balboa ran while training. Of course I ran up the steps (before, not during the race), and I was still lucky enough to qualify to run Boston – the longest continual marathon in the United States. A point-to-point course lined with over one million spectators, Boston is the pinnacle of marathons! And how about running a lap in the infield at Churchill Downs during the Louisville Marathon? In my many runs I’ve seen water stations with everything from pickle juice (Grand Rapids) to martinis (you guessed it – New Orleans!). I have run in snow (Jackson, MS), where they had to knock the ice off the top of the water cups, and in excessive heat and humidity (Orlando). To save on airfare we even ran a couple of “two-fers” – our moniker for running marathons in two states on consecutive days.
There are two elements common to every marathon: They are all 26.2 miles long, and they are all lots of fun! Whether the course is brutal or simple, it is indescribably satisfying to complete the distance and cross that finish line. The runners, spectators, race directors, and volunteers are all awesome, encouraging people. Along the way, we have met many delightful folks from all over the country. I must say: runners and their families form one heck of a friendly and supportive community!
It had been a pipe dream of mine for years that my four sons would join me in my 50th state marathon. And so they did! Many friends and family members – all donning custom-made ‘Marathon Mike’ t-shirts – accompanied us as we traveled together to Lake Tahoe in October. We were quite the sight as we filed into Midway Airport, drawing endless comments and questions from fellow travelers.
Race day; October 11, 2015. At age 58, with 49 states behind me, I was still as nervous as I was at my first marathon. This was really happening! As I ran the Lake Tahoe Marathon, my boys each ran a leg of the 4-person relay, so I had one of my sons at my side every step of the way. All four boys joined in, and hand-in-hand we ran across the finish line together. Surrounded by my family and friends, and overwhelmed with emotions, I completed my 50th state (CA) and accomplished my goal. It still gives me goose bumps just to think about it!
This has been a life-changing journey for me. I have been blessed beyond measure, and I thank God for the opportunity, ability and desire to accomplish such a goal. (Ph 4:13) Thank you, Julie, for your endless patience and unwavering support.
I must admit; I had mixed feelings as I finished my 50th state. Kind of like eating the last piece of a delicious cake. It was great, but now it’s over. So what’s next? I plan to continue to run, and hope to complete at least one marathon every year for the next few decades. This is simply much too fun to stop!
Author’s note:
There is nothing more motivating for me than having a goal – and few things more satisfying than reaching it! I am well aware that I could not have done this alone. This story is bigger than me. It was with the encouragement of my friends and family, the support of the experts at NRC and through the grace of God that I was able to complete this journey!