Completed my third dozen marathons in less than 4 months – 12 weeks on, 4 weeks off.  Finish times started to suffer…but the adventures got bigger & shared more than a handful with friends & family.

Finished my 50 State halfway point, marathon #25, in St. Louis – home of the Gateway Arch & my sister Tammy.  Sis would run the Half, then join me at mile 21 & run tandem to the Finish.  Talk ’bout over-n-beyond!  Quite a memory.

6 days later, devoured KC barbeque & marathoned in a downpour – heaviest non-stop deluge of my 50 State journey.  True “Dorothy” experience at Olathe’s Garmin Marathon in the Land of Oz (Kansas).  Following weekend rain again, but not ‘til after mile 8 & a historic run thru Churchill Downs in Louisville KY.  Spent an all-Kentucky weekend with my bestie Dawn.  Mammoth Caves, [Evan Williams] bourbon tour, ‘behind the barns’ tour at Churchill & tickets to the Kentucky Reining Cup in neighboring bluegrass capital, Lexington.  Yep, marathoning was only a small part of the weekend.  LOL>

Slept in my 2^nd rental car before the Wisconsin Marathon in Kenosha.  Landed in Chicago O’Hare minutes behind midnite, located a rest area just over the Wisconsin border, dozed ‘til 4am, marathoned at 7 – home again by night fall…but not before visiting the Mars Cheese Castle.  LOL>  Experienced my first Maniac (complete stranger) room-share, the Motel 6 in Fargo…a step up from sleeping in a rental car 🙂  Starting & finishing in the Fargo Dome, my North Dakota memory.

Week break after running 7 consecutive, then celebrated #30 in New England at the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington.  Sprinted the ending (my most competitive Finish pic) – before sailing Lake Champlain.  Road-tripped to Casper for marathon #31.  Day hiked, museum hopped (lotta dinosaur fossils in Wyoming) & pre-race floated the mighty Platte.  Unfortunately had nothing left on run day – faded in 90-degree heat; Casper would be by 50 State PW (personal worst)…finishing, but well over 5 hours.

Mentally zapped, confidence lacking, travelled to the Pacific Northwest 6 days later.  Surprisingly, posted a 4:15 finish on a hilly course in Seattle.  Trust the process.  Space Needle, Chihuly Garden, Pikes Place Market – all amazing but…most memorable?  post-marathon seaplane to Washington’s San Juan Island, followed by an orca whale watch cruise with Ash & Tom.  Unforgettable.

Travelled to Michigan for marathon #33 in Charlevoix.  Recommended airport?  Grand Rapids.  Lesson learned?  Check a map before securing tickets.  4 hour journey to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  No big deal on arrival but mighty early start to catch an 8am return flight (plus rental car return & airport security – yikes).  Marathon’d Saturday, 2 hours later ferried to scenic Mackinaw Island.  Saw the Grand Hotel via horse carriage – no vehicles allowed on Mackinac, only bicycles & horse taxis.

Marathoned the 4^th of July at 8800ft in Angel Fire, New Mexico.  5 hour highway ride south on I-25.  Fried in high altitude sun (sweated thru 2 sun block applications).  First experience at ziplining – FAAANNNTASTIC!

Journey would have been incomplete without marathoning over the fog-obstructed Golden Gate Bridge. Probably > 50 options to race California – but for me, it was always San Francisco.  No regrets.

Fave of my 50, best of the best – Crater Lake Nat’l Park in southern Oregon.  Perfect mix of altitude, evergreen & natural wonder.  National Park inspired, not only placed in my age group but finished 30^th overall.  Course included a 5-mile non-stop uphill grind.

Would start my last 13, a baker’s dozen (50 States plus DC), in mid-September.  11 East Coast marathons, Christmas holiday, then a 7-hour nonstop flight to Hawaii in January.  Have met so many inspiring folk on this journey.  Absolutely anything is possible!