In the Beginning...

I guess you could consider me a bit of a slacker...I have been running, albiet very slowly, marathons for a few years now. I started this journey as a one goal event in the fall of 2003, running the Marine Corps Marathon in honor of my father. But, the experience was somewhat similar to childbirth in that the hard work was over (labor/marathon) and you had the reward (baby/medal), I wasn't thinking about the next event. I was ready to check that off my life list and move on. Then, about 6 hours later, I thought - hmmm, that wasn't so bad, I think I could do better if only...and then I made a list of what I could have done differently to ensure a faster time. By that evening, I was thinking of running it again the next year and within 48 hours, had made the decision to do it again. If all we remembered about childbirth was the labor part, we might all be only children. I have read that there are very few people who run two marathons. It's either one - and it gets checked off the list or you get hooked. I was hooked.

Fast forward to May of 2007. With five marathons under my belt, I am running the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati - I have been training hard and feel good about this event. I have been participating in an online runners forum and encountered a ton of wonderful people, new friends and fellow runners, many of who have a goal to run the 50 states.

As I am running the Pig, I see a man that has his states marked off on the back of his shirt, this is his 40 something. He looks to be about early 40's. I start to think, 'no way am I ever going to be able to accomplish that'. If I ran 4 marathons a year, I would be in my 60's when I finished and not that it can't be done, I just don't want to train that much. So, the beginning of an idea creeps into my brain, 'but hey, I could do seven more, I could run on each of the seven continents, that wouldn't be so hard". So, being the slacker I am, about mile 23, I made up my mind and my new goal. I would count this run as my USA race and began planning the other six needed.Right after we got home from Ohio, we researched and sent in our deposit for the Antarctic marathon - it would be almost two years of waiting before this became a reality!

It must have been a good decision as this was my first marathon finish under 5 hours - it took me five attempts to get this done! 4:47:49