Texas: Done (1:41:52)

Austin race day

Austin can sure put on a great Half Marathon.  It was a fun race today.  It started just as the sun was coming up right in front of the state Capitol building.  Lance Armstrong was also nice enough to make some opening remarks.  That was pretty cool.

It was a scenic race.  I got to see lots of downtown Austin as the race took you through all parts of the city and along the Colorado river.  And then there were the hills.  The hills were awful.  It wasn't so bad in the beginning as they were short and sporadic but the killer hill came right at mile 11 (thanks race organizers).  It was long and steep.  It hurt.  A lot.  But, once I got over that it was smooth sailing to the finish line.

A great day.  And now after a little bit of resting I'm going to treat myself to some Texas BBQ with my friends Jodi and Rusty.

Up next:  Washington, DC Half.  March 17.

Stay tuned for an update.

Arrival to Austin

Austin has finally arrived!  Half Marathon four in this running challenge.  Race is tomorrow at 7 am.  It's been a great trip thus far.  I had a fun evening and a fun day today with my hosts Rusty and Jodi (Jodi running the 5K portion).  The journey getting here was a little cumbersome being delayed in Chicago for nearly three hours.  But, it's OK.  A margarita at Polvo's and Shiner Bock at Crow Bar after touching down in Austin made it all better.

Today we picked up our packets at the Expo.  I also picked up a new 13.1 key chain that will be with me the duration of this challenge.  It's been a bit rainy in Austin with cool temps but race day should be cool minus the rain.  Tonight is pasta and mentally prepping for race day.  I'm ready.  I'll update with race day pics tomorrow.

First 50 state challenge injury!

I guess this wouldn't be a true running challenge if I didn't have my first close call just four weeks prior to my first Half (Austin, Feb. 17).  Every challenge needs a little drama.  I just had mine. 

Last Monday I went on an 8-mile training run and ended feeling a slight pinch in my right knee.  It felt like I had bumped into something.  I didn't think much of it.  I just stretched and went to bed thinking of Austin. 

Tuesday morning I woke up with an intense sharp pain in my knee that almost made it difficult to stand up.  Walking up and down stairs was out of the question.  I had to take escalators whenever possible.  This was not clearly good.  The alarms went off.  I was pissed.

My immediate thought was I just blew my first Half of 2012.  So I made an appointment with an orthopaedic doctor.  Upon observation he said it was most likely a stress fracture.  I was the annoying patient that asked him over and over, "are you absolutely sure??"  He said without an MRI to confirm there's no way to be 100%.  But, he was pretty sure that's what it was.  I asked him about Austin.  He said if it is a stress fracture I'd be off the knee for six weeks and then another six weeks recovery.  Translation:  no Austin.  Reaction:  DAMN IT!

I made the appointment for the MRI.  The waiting around to get the MRI and then the results are the worst.  It gave me too much time to ponder the why.  Why did it have to happen now?  Why couldn't this have happened over Thanksgiving?  Why did I push myself so hard on that run?  My sister and good friend Bill told me to relax and just wait for the results.  Easier said than done.

I got the MRI and my doctor called me yesterday to go over the scans.  The result:  NO stress fracture.  Reaction:  jubilation.  My doctor gave me the green light for Austin on the condition that I stay off the knee for the next 10 days and take Aleve twice a day. 

However, I still wanted to know what exactly happened.  He said he wasn't sure but thought it may just be stress on the knee due to pushing too hard on a run after a week of not running.  I can accept that.

So, that was my close call.  I wouldn't say I'm out of the woods quite yet as the knee is still bothering me.  But, knowing it's not an injury the size of a stress fracture is certainly a relief.  

And now I look towards Austin.

Medals

I've actually already completed three of 50.  This way everyone can be current on where I stand.

From left to right:  Virginia Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon, NYC Half Marathon, San Francisco Half Marathon.

My first blog post and introduction

So here we go.  My first blog post!  If you don't already know, this is a blog to record my races and travels as I attempt to run a Half Marathon in every state.  I'm not sure how long it's going to take but it certainly won't take a single year.  It won't take two.  Let's just say several at this point to be on the safe side.  I hope you'll join me on this challenge and enjoy my updates along the way.  And now a brief history so you know exactly how I got here.

I started running while attending Rutgers mostly because I needed something to do when I was stressed out.  I found it to be a good way to gather and organize my thoughts.  And depending on the situation to sometimes forget some thoughts.  The result:  a lot of running.

Now this wasn't just college stress but actually life in general.  I do a lot of thinking while I run.  In the years that followed after college I found I made a lot of important life decisions while adding up the miles on the pavement. 

My sister Carla was always a runner so when I'd visit her during college we'd run together.  During this time I had never run a race.  Not one.  But, my average run was usually between 3-5 miles.  So I always felt I could do one if the opportunity presented itself.

Then it happened.  It was Spring 2005 when my sister tossed out the idea of running the Marine Corp. Marathon with her.  That's right.  Not a 5K, 10K, or even a Half Marathon (although I ran my first NYC Half as a training run prior to the full that year).  I basically skipped the gradual progression of distance running and went straight to the top.

I quickly discovered the monumental challenge this presented. I researched, read, invested, and trained for months.  I sustained injury (IT band) and numerous setbacks. Mostly from discouragement.  But, I did it.  The marathon was among the most challenging experiences of my life then and up until this very day.  But, I finished in 4:29 and took away not only my first full marathon medal but also the realization that I truly enjoyed running, training, and everything involved in preparing for a race of that magnitude.

In the years that followed I'd complete four Half Marathons (NYC (2), San Francisco, Woodrow Wilson in Va.), two GW Parkway Classic 10-milers, two Army 10-milers (the largest 10-miler in the country), the NYC full Marathon (2009), and the Marine Corp. Marathon for the second time in 2011.  The second time I was aiming to finish it in under four hours.  I finished in 3:18 (my PR)

Today I find that the Half Marathon is the perfect distance for me in that it's not too short nor too long.  Don't get me wrong.  It's not simple by any means.  But, I find it suits me for a good and comfortable distance run.  I also enjoy traveling and have always had in the back of my mind a desire (and we can say goal) of visiting every state in the country.

Therefore, if you take my enjoyment of running, add to it a desire to travel the U.S., and then toss in my constant need of a challenge ... the end result is my 50 Half Marathons in 50 state challenge. 

I'd like to close this first post by thanking my friend Tim Yates.  It's because of Tim that I have "Tight Laces in 50 Places."  I presented a challenge on Facebook to help me think of names for this blog.  I got a lot of great suggestions from friends but in the end it was Tim's "Tight Laces in 50 Places" that stood out to me.  So thank you, Tim!