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 ❤️

Never say never.  You’ll eat those words.  37 months after my first 50 State finish, surprisingly find myself on the cusp again.  Gave Sis all the credit for inspiring my first (one-n-done) marathon in Anchorage, June 2013.  Crazy but true, it was Sis’ 5-0 Birthday Bash on Hawaii’s Big Island which propelled my SECOND ROUND.

Once you tag Hawaii, might as well run all 50.  Right? 🙂

First dozen, Round 2 – more ’bout visiting family & friends; gearing up for that first FINISH in Fort Collins, May 2016.  I truly never imagined travelling all 50 a second time.

Viva Las Vegas, cheap flight inspired.  Hilly out-n-back (with elevation) in Nevada’s Red Rock Canyon.  Never saw a desert tortoise.  But those canyon walls?  Stunning.

Clayton Lake State Park, New Mexico.  Only 5 hours away.  Add’l inspiration?  FREE entry from Mainly Marathons.  Smart guys.  I’d pay FULL RETAIL for 2 more entries during my next 5-0 journey.  Big beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene in Idaho – destination location.  Santa Rosa?  Spot where I received my 50 State plaque.  Surrounded by peers in a California wine cellar, I said: NEVER again.  LOL>  REVEL Big Cottonwood in Utah.  Learned ALL DOWNHILL is crazy hard on the quads & knees.  A+ for mountain panorama though, WOW’d.

Almost missed my second Nebraska run.  Oregon Trail Run in Hebron.  Time zone flub.  Night before, in NEBRASKA, slept Mountain Time.  Finished Top 10 next day, CENTRAL time zone.  Following week travelled East Coast to Narragansett, Rhode Island.  Once upon a time, it was here or Colorado I would land for Life 2^nd Half.  Ocean waves & mountain peaks.  Both speak to my soul.

My marathon buddy Carolyn chose West Virginia’s ‘We Are Marshall’.  She BQ’d (Boston-Qualified) that day.  Great gal.

Next 2, all about FAMILY.  Orlando Marathon (minutes from Disney) & 3 Bridges in Little Rock, Arkansas (Mom & Bro).  Cancer months.  Learned running during chemo, allowed me CONTROL over something.  Took a break from social media, notta peep at work.  My choice.  Beard went white, then fell out in patches.  Last treatment 3 days before Christmas.  Thin, gaunt.  Not my best look.

2017 STRONG.  Marathon’d New Year’s Day in Spring Hill, Florida.  Two weeks later, an Air Force base in Macon GEORGIA.  No sign of CANCER, January 15th.  Hair return early March.  Far less freakish, once my beard (& EYEBROWS) grew in.  (Laugh, it’s ok.)

Fave of my first Dozen:  Rockin’ K (Kanopolis State Park, KS).  FIRST trail run EVER.  FIVE water crossings.  Arms-UP, waded waist-HIGH, first week of April.  COLD.  Memorable.  Cabin shared with 2 other marathoners.  Still today, my trail run favourite.