Bring on the WORLD.  BEST thing about cancer is the LIFE REMINDER to LIVE.  3 solid months of chemo, FREED my spirit.  No longer sweat the small stuff, allowed me to dream BIG.  B-I-G!

2017.  Travell’d both North & South islands of New Zealand in March.  Marathon’d in Hamilton, my 3^rd continent.  Later in October, celebrated FINISH #100 in DUBLIN with Sis, husband Paul & Stephen.  The ‘FU Cancer’ tour.  Sis designed ‘Survivor’ shirts, wore a ‘FU’ visor.  And…concurrently, completed another dozen States.  Wouldn’t officially catch the Round 2 bug ‘til Sis’ January (2018) birthday.

Grand Rapids Michigan on Groundhog’s Day.  Absolute COLDEST marathon ever completed.  MINUS 9 Fahrenheit.  6 laps of snow & ice princess trees.  In-n-out a warming tent between laps.  BESTEST winter marathon of all 50.  Same month, ran another 26.2 miles in Fort Worth.  Know we’re supposed to love love Austin, but I dig Cowtown more – personal fave of the Lone Star State.  Texas!

East Coast family (& marathon trips) Spring 2017.  Savin Rock, minutes from my old New Haven digs in Connecticut.  Gate City (Nashua), minutes from Stephen’s New Hampshire home.  Sprinkled in between, OKC – Oklahoma City.  Thousands of runners, well organized, most emotional USA-built Memorial commemorating lives lost to domestic terrorism.  Add to your bucket list.

Selfishly chose REVEL Rockies as my Round 2 Colorado race, so I’d have one single sub-4 result this go-around.  True to REVEL fame, another ALL DOWNHILL run.  (18 home-state medals, my choice.)

Marathon Streak: every month since December 2014.  July’s find?  U of Okoboji in northern Iowa, H-O-T.  Ran around a lake, no trees.  Polar opposite experience, my October run in Portland (Oregon).  Digged the ‘Rose City’ & their ‘Keep Portland Weird’ mantra.   Fun fact – only paper bags here.  Town abolished plastic.  Green (& liberal).

December.  Cheap flight to Phoenix, Saturday 26.2 in nearby Buckeye Arizona.  Dusty, desolate.  Destined to stay a local club run.  Charity-ran my second Washington marathon, 30 minutes outside Seattle.  the Big C.  Folks raising $$ to support a run-club member battling cancer.  Guy lost his battle days before, literally.  Best friend pre-race spoke.  Emotional.  12 months prior, my sentence.

New Year, same HEALTHY me.  Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham.  Alabama’s run redeemer.  Well done ‘Bama (& Mother Nature).  Gladly take BUCKETS of RAIN over Deep South heat & humidity any day.  Sweet Home experience.  Thanks y’all.

Fave of my 2nd Dozen:  Hilo to Volcano 50k.  Race course itself, a snoozer.  Tropical Hawaii but ya trek along a forgotten 2-lane state highway, huh?  Crazy DIFFICULT.  Ocean to 4000ft.  PLUS it’s 32+ miles (an ultra-marathon).  Some of the darkest conversations EVER with Sis.  Never ever ever will I forget her Girl Scout Poop moment.  Holding to vines, squatting downhill.  Don’t look, don’t look! OMG funny!  Bestest ROAD CREW: every 2 miles, Paul & Stephen.  7 ½ hour finish!  We almost missed cut-off – yikes!

Umbrella drinks, a birthday LUAU, cards – & LAVA.  We walked over RED GLOWING LAVA.  FOREVER memories ❤️