Tight Laces in 50 Places: 2015 year in review

2015 saw me continue my travels across the country in an effort to complete a half marathon in every state.

The final tally for the year came in at six states/half marathons completed. I finished the east coast, leaving Montana in the west and Michigan in the Midwest. This puts me at 46 states completed, leaving four to go. Those are Montana, Michigan, Alaska, and Hawaii.

So here goes. The year began with my running along the waters of Key West (Florida), where I was joined by my sister Maria, brother Rich, niece Stephanie, nephew Richy, and friend Anna. It was then off to Oklahoma City (Oklahoma) where I ran the 20th Oklahoma City Memorial marathon. After that it was Jackson Hole (Wyoming) where I not only ran a great race but had my first visit to Yellowstone National Park. That was awesome. This was followed by a fun weekend in Denver (Colorado) with my good friends Eric, Doug, and Amanda. I was then again joined by Maria and Rich in Mount Rushmore (South Dakota). That trip included the welcome addition of my brother Jorge and good friends Linda and Mark. The year ended in Las Vegas (Nevada) running on the strip at night with my good friends Bill and Mike.

It was a great year. Now I look toward 2016 where I'll be traveling to Montana (July), Alaska (August), and Michigan (October). My 50-state challenge will come to an end in January 2017 when I cross the finish line on the beach in Maui.

Following is my year in photos where I selected some favorites from each trip.

Key West, Fla.