2018 Year in Review
The saying “the days are slow...but the years go fast” is so true! Some days and weeks certainly seem to drag
on, but wow, another year has come and gone!
Once again, it’s time to sit down and recapitulate my running year.
The end of the year also brings an
inevitable desire for reflection, introspection, and for looking back to assess
the good moments, the not-so-good moments, the direction to take next year and the
improvements we need to do to ourselves.
Runners cannot avoid the countless
reminders of the numbers that make up the statistics of how many miles we’ve
run, the challenges we’ve faced, where we succeeded and where we’ve been
beaten, only to look forward and plan how to turn it around into a positive
experience. That’s how we build
resilience, how we remain humble and how we set new challenges to overcome our
limits.
If I could sum up my year in a few
simple words, what would they be? Lots
of traveling and running, crowded airports, getting outside of my comfort zone
and hopefully continuing to learn and grow from it all.
Looking
back, I recollect approaching 2018 with an optimistic outlook. Even while attempting to build a solid foundation
on last year’s marathons and half marathons, the desire to pursue the
unfulfilled challenge of qualifying for the Boston Marathon still remains to be
an intangible objective.
That
said, 2018 was a bit of a special year (and a complete game changer) for me in
terms of miles run – twelve marathons and four half marathons. Quantity – yes. Quality – not so. So whilst I’d love to try to top it in 2019,
I doubt I’ll be able to beat what’s happened!
With four states remaining on my pilgrimage to fifty statehood, maybe
the anticipation, excitement and eagerness I possess as I look forward to closing
out Marathon Mile 1,310 in 2019 will trump my endeavors of 2018.
If
I were to never run again after this year, I would say I went out with a bang. Everything in life has a season. If I
continue this “hobby” for decades to come, I can point to 2018 as the year in
which I realized I was capable of more than I thought possible. Although I did not get any faster than last
year, I became more confident, and sometimes, almost recklessly so. I
broke through some significant barriers, pushed myself farther and reevaluated
the idea of improvement.
It
is for these reasons and several others that I will have to abandon any
humility I may have as I write this tome. Seriously, if
self-congratulatory fist-pumping gives you any kind of allergic reaction, stop
reading now or go find an EpiPen because your throat may tighten up from
anaphylaxis shock. I could say I’m sorry; but, I’m not sorry. I am damn proud of what I have achieved this
year. I put in a ton of time, hammering out gallons of sweat into my
running every marathon weekend without fail, dealing with everything from sub-freezing
temperatures, wind and rain to sweltering heat and humidity – whatever Mother
Nature had in her bag of tricks at the time.
While
not every accomplishment can be represented with numbers or shaded states on a
map, that’s where I will start.
Basically,
2018 was the year of motivational cartography, with states being added to the list
like putting groceries into a shopping cart.
A crazy year? Yes. Thanks
to miles hoarding, road tripping, doubling-up and a few well-timed airline and
hotel deals, I was able to reel in eleven states, a few of which I had never
visited in my life.
Weather
and climates often and do fluctuate significantly due to changes in latitude,
and topographic features, such as mountains and deserts, can also impact
meteorological elements. With the
climate of the U.S. becoming warmer and sultry the further south one travels,
and drier the further west, until one reaches the Pacific Coast, I can usually
predict what kind of weather I can expect as I travel. However, given the volatility of weather,
anything can happen at a moment’s notice.
That
unpredictability became evident as 2018 debuted when Baton Rouge “came calling”
with the annual Louisiana Marathon. January’s
abnormal sub-freezing temperatures in and around Baton Rouge was just what my
old body needed allowing me to run my best time of the year. However, Leaving
Louisiana in the Broad Daylight was only the beginning, and as the year evolved,
different sets of circumstances tested and challenged my fitness level and
mental toughness.
I
managed to sneak in a discreet birthday celebration marathon through central
Indiana’s touted Monon Greenway Trail; jogged the hills of the Ozarks, the
Rockies and the Green Mountains of central Vermont; writhed through the
humidity of South Carolina, Florida, New York and Kentucky rounding out with a
run down Main Street in proximity to the Gateway to the West; concluding with
the crustacean leitmotif of Maryland and celebrating the sixtieth anniversary
of the Atlantic City Marathon on the Jersey Shore. I ran on school campi, through some backwoods
once plagued with shootings and hangings, along golf courses and on a famous boardwalk
fronting outsized casinos. But most
notably of all, it was also a year for challenges.
I’m
not just a runner because I like improving my times. Though few of us
like to admit it, there will eventually come a time when we simply can’t get
any faster. Maybe I’ve reached that point, but it’s about self-improvement
and simply being the best runner that I can be. For now, though, despite
the dalliances in marathons and running certain races for others, deep down, I
still very much possess a competitive spirit and I harbor that inner
competiveness – and that means running fast, or at least trying.
I
will remember how an otherwise nondescript excursion to Colorado became an opportunity
to redeem myself from a previous Colorado marathon. I will fondly recall
the trip to Appalachia and the camaraderie of running Hatfield & McCoy a second
time, as well as a double marathon weekend rounding out the year, coloring my
thoughts of Maryland and New Jersey.
And
so, with my legs recovering from a pretty intense year, it’s time to look ahead
to 2019, a year with a singularly momentous goal – finishing the remaining four
states, thus completing my long sought after fifty state quest.
Of
course, life always seems to throw in some monkey wrenches along the way triggering
some kind of disappointment to ruin the day.
What was to be a notable double marathon weekend combining two states (Indoor
Insanity Marathon [NC] and Hatfield & McCoy Marathon [KY]), a building’s
HVAC system malfunction prompted the cancelation of Indoor Insanity resulting
in a long six-hour road trip from Raleigh, NC to Pikeville, KY and, in the end,
returning back to Raleigh for seemingly no rhyme or reason besides plunging
into some classic television nostalgia – back to the good old days of “Mayberry”
North Carolina. As Mayberry Sheriff Andy
Taylor once said, “That’s the main thing, ain’t it? That’s the goal that every individual is
shootin’ for, ain’t it? It’s kinda the
prize of the game – to be happy.” Perhaps
it wasn’t so disappointing after all.
Trailblazing
through the fruited plains of our country over this past year has left an
indelible imprint on my hippocampus, and can be summed up accordingly:
Louisiana – Louisiana
Marathon, Baton Rouge, 4:29:39
A cold start leading to a warm
finish. Cajun food and music shaped the
state of Louisiana, so it’s only appropriate to stage a marathon inspired by
it! The post-race party included
traditional music with multiple food vendors dishing out their local food fare
(hats off to the jambalaya, étouffée, alligator sausage and filé gumbo). With tons of fun, the marathon takes runners through the
various neighborhoods of Baton Rouge, the LSU campus and around beautiful lakes
and parks while sampling slices of king cake along the way. In addition to being my best finishing time
of the year, it was also one of my most memorable trips. Son of a gun, I had great fun on the bayou.
South Carolina – Hilton
Head Island Marathon, Hilton Head, 5:12:47
The beauty of South Carolina’s Low
Country wasn’t enough to overshadow the dreaded heat, humidity and running the
island’s infamous and ill-reputed tollway and bridge – four times! The region’s attractive stretches of beach may
be considered some of the best in the country.
While the marathon course may be flat and fast, I would consider this
particular day anything but fast. The
external elements along the highway exhausted my will to give it my all. However; any off-highway ventures into some
scenic and shaded residential areas and manicured golf courses shrouded by
trees draped with Spanish moss brightened my outlook. I learned to keep an eye out for the island’s
other residents – alligators.
Florida – 26.2 with Donna Marathon, Jacksonville, 5:38:57
The Donna Marathon Weekend is an
official fund raising event for the DONNA Foundation that provides assistance
and support for those living with breast cancer and funds research to finish
the disease. Beginning at the PGA’s TPC
Sawgrass and concluding at Jacksonville’s Mayo Clinic campus, running this
marathon was a difficult endeavor in northeast Florida’s irrefutable heat and
humidity, but pales in comparison to those enduring cancer treatments. My struggles over the punishing final five
kilometers were well worth the effort, as I thought of those I know battling
the disease.
Indiana – Carmel Marathon,
Carmel, 4:36:17
North of Indianapolis lies the city
of Carmel, one of Indiana’s more artsy fartsy musical cities, and the setting
for this marathon is pretty cool. Following
a huge snowstorm just days prior, the snow moved eastward, leaving runners with
a chilly early spring day. Cold
temperatures and cloudy skies ruled the morning, but warmed somewhat as the day
progressed giving way to light rain showers during the final few kilometers. Runners traverse the popular Monon Greenway
Trail through broadleaf woodlands, creeksides and city streets. Another great aspect of this race is their
partnership with the Ronald McDonald House.
Arkansas – Hogeye
Marathon, Springdale, 4:36:45
A pig sooie cheer! The organizers of the Hogeye call runners from
all over America to assemble in Northwest Arkansas for some fun and
entertainment. The course leads runners
past the city’s major parks and the Naturals baseball park, including a portion
of the Lake Fayetteville Trail and crossing the Lake Fayetteville earthen dam. The course runs primarily on Springdale
streets, with sections running through the cities of Johnson and Fayetteville,
and a small portion taking place on the Razorback Greenway culminating at the
sty in downtown Springdale for BBQ, chicken and hot dogs.
Colorado – Colorado
Marathon, Ft. Collins, 4:58:28
Fort Collins (a Colorado do-over), is
a mostly downhill marathon through the scenic Poudre Canyon. The race compares to the majesty of REVEL
races; however, with much less stress and strain on the body. Runners must not mistake the downhill nature
for a new PR. The flat sections and hills
during the last few miles can mollify a runner’s pace, but I managed to step
over the finish line ahead of the dreaded five-hour barrier. With nearly 3000 feet closer to sea level, it
felt good to redeem myself from Mt. Sneffels.
New York – Buffalo Marathon,
Buffalo, 5:11:47
Buffalo may be beautiful in the
summer, but it certainly can be hell on wheels in the winter. The course guides runners throughout various
historical and highfaluting neighborhoods and regions of Buffalo and along the Lake
Erie waterfront with picturesque views of Fort Erie, Ontario on the opposite
side of the lake. With the elevated
temperatures and dew points, it was a struggle, but I found some internal
fortitude to push through and finish with a smile. The coolest feature is the finish, where
runners concluded their 26.2-mile journey adjacent to the convention center
where air conditioned comfort greets those who struggled (like I did) and to
partake in post-race food, beer, socializing and entertainment.
Kentucky – Hatfield & McCoy Marathon, South Williamson, 5:52:30
Need a history lesson? Take a trip to Pike and Mingo Counties. This great marathon positions itself near the
top of my favorites list. Normally, I
don’t repeat marathons, but there are always exceptions. Besides counting for either of two states, this
one deserves repeating. Yes, the
marathon was hot (mid 90s) and humid with the hills taking its toll on my
sanity and fitness levels (as evidenced by my finish time), but that didn’t
dissuade me from appreciating this marathon.
The course takes place in the region of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, sans
any feuding – just running. It’s an
amazing journey through the beautiful rolling hills of coal country. The second half of the course skirted the turbid
waters of the Tug River and looked mighty refreshing on such a hot day. Remember the local rule, if you see a pig,
look the other way. On the other hand,
if you see miniature horses along the way, be sure to stop and pet them.
Vermont – Mad Marathon, Waitsfield,
5:17:56
Located between Montpelier and
Burlington, this charming New England town in central Vermont served as the
host to this small but praised race by Maniacs and 50-staters alike. The course begins in the midst of green
rolling pasture lands of the Mad River Valley. The hills were a little taxing, no question,
but after a hard day negotiating substantial inclines and enduring the summer
heat, runners get a welcomed hug from the race director upon finishing the race. The best part – relaxing and delighting in
the fruits of your labor with a cup of craft beer and the typical post-race snack
food as well as great conversations with fellow runners. Cool attractions and popular swimming holes abound
for those who desire to seek out and discover what the Waitsfield area has to
offer. Post marathon, chow down at the Mad
Taco to placate any hankerings for delicious tacos. My three overstuffed spicy pork chorizo tacos
seasoned with a dousing of the house’s habanero sauce, supplemented with an ice
cold beverage, suppressed my ravenous internal monster.
Illinois – Belleville Main Street Marathon, Belleville, 4:56:53
When I think running Illinois, the
highly touted Chicago Marathon comes to mind, one of the running world’s major
events.
Belleville, five hours distant from the windy city, lies in the southeast
St. Louis metro area. This up and coming
small marathon (maybe 200 runners) takes runners up, down and all along the lengthiest
Main Street in the country, as well as along pedestrian/bicycle trails and some
of the region’s parks. Whether their
Main Street is the longest in the U.S., I may never know; but what I do know is
that this is a great marathon full of energy, camaraderie and support usually not
seen with smaller marathon events.
Maryland – Baltimore
Marathon, Baltimore, 5:10:34
On a cloudy humid Saturday morning,
thousands of runners assembled along the north flank of Camden Yards, on a
street eerily void of motorized vehicles, waiting for the sound of the starting
gun. Under an archway of red, white and
blue balloons and blasts of confetti, runners pushed themselves up Paca Street
on their grand journey to compete in the marathon segment of Baltimore’s annual
Running Festival. The challenging and
hilly course snakes around a whole host of diverse neighborhoods, parks, lakes and
along the shores of the Inner Harbor. An effort-free downhill
gradient is a pleasant surprise as runners conclude their Charm City tour.
New Jersey – Atlantic City Marathon, Atlantic City, 5:32:35
The wind whipped us around the
boardwalk. Sometimes it was a headwind; sometimes a crosswind or a tailwind;
but mostly, it was just wind from every direction.
Wind under my feet…
Wind over my feet…Headwind…
Tailwind…
Even problem winds blowing vertically,
too…
The historic Atlantic City
boardwalk and its abutting casinos or the Atlantic strand may be some of the
highlights at this marathon’s sixtieth anniversary, but wind ruled the day. Along with delightfully chilly running weather,
the unrelenting sustained winds exceeding 20 mph, with gale-forced gusts over
40 knots, using a nautical descriptor, made running this marathon a difficult struggle
for me. The flat course was not fast on
this particular day, but when blessed with any indication of a tail wind,
running became much less formidable. Even
though I considered Atlantic City a sub-par performance, I still measured this as
a rewarding example of my mental and physical strength.
Race Stats:
Half Marathons
Run: 4 (running as pace leader)
Modesto Half
Marathon, Modesto, CA – 2:09:26
(2:10 pace leader)
Humboldt Bay
Half Marathon, Eureka, CA – 2:14:45
(2:15 pace leader)
Two Cities Half
Marathon (Clovis), Fresno, CA – 2:09:28
(2:10 pace leader)
Bakersfield
Half Marathon, Bakersfield, CA – 2:09:12
(2:10 pace leader)
Marathons Run:
12 (Eleven states)
Fastest: 4:29:39 (Louisiana Marathon, Baton Rouge, LA)
Slowest: 5:52:30 (Hatfield & McCoy Marathon, S. Williamson, KY)
Average: 5:07:56 Standard deviation: 0:25:51 Median: 5:11:10
Fastest: 4:29:39 (Louisiana Marathon, Baton Rouge, LA)
Slowest: 5:52:30 (Hatfield & McCoy Marathon, S. Williamson, KY)
Average: 5:07:56 Standard deviation: 0:25:51 Median: 5:11:10
Number of
fellow marathon runners: 8,274
Largest race: 1,952 (Baltimore Marathon)
Smallest race: 152 (Hatfield & McCoy Marathon)
Largest race: 1,952 (Baltimore Marathon)
Smallest race: 152 (Hatfield & McCoy Marathon)
Fifty-state
quest average through 46 states: 4:56:10
Standard
deviation: 0:26:09
Median finish
time: 4:55:24
All-time
marathon average to date (through 64 races):
4:49:52
Standard
deviation: 0:29:18
Median finish
time: 4:50:57
Number of days
since first marathon and final marathon of 2018: 6,566
Mileage Stats:
Total miles run
in 2018: 1028.7
Race miles run in 2018: 366.8 (including marathon and half marathon)
Average half marathon pace: 9:58
Race miles run in 2018: 366.8 (including marathon and half marathon)
Average half marathon pace: 9:58
Average marathon
pace: 11:45
Top 3 Half Marathon Medals:
 |
| #1 Bakersfield Half Marathon |
 |
| #2 Humboldt Bay Half Marathon |
 |
| #3 Two Cities Half Marathon |
Top 3 Marathon Medals:
 |
| #1 Hogeye Marathon |
 |
| #2 Baltimore Marathon |
 |
| #3 Atlantic City Marathon |
Best Medal of
2018: That’s a tough decision. I honestly think it was actually a great year
for medal designs and appearances. It essentially boils down to the crustacean
design of the Baltimore Marathon, with its shell opening up to expose a
panorama of the Inner Harbor in front of Baltimore’s skyline; to the Hogeye and
the Ozark charm of northwest Arkansas; and to the sixtieth anniversary of Atlantic
City’s wild ride along the Boardwalk and the Jersey Shore. Drum roll…Hogeye oinks out the others by a swine’s
schnozzle. The featured cool hog, charming
people, the course layout and the excellent post-race food, refreshments and
finisher’s jacket, tips the balance in its favor.
For the half
marathon, the Bakersfield Half takes the prize, and appears to rival Little
Rock, AR in terms of the largest finisher’s medal. As I course through the Streets of Bakersfield and along the merciless Kern River, this
year’s new, improved and huge medal, top my list. However, I do miss the previous Buck Owens’
signature red, white and blue guitar themed medals.
“There’s the
South San Joaquin / Where the seeds of the dust bowl are found / And there’s a
place called Mount Whitney / From where the mighty Kern River comes down / Well,
it’s not deep nor wide / But it’s a mean piece of water my friend” – Lyrics
from Kern River by Merle Haggard (Lines
16-21).
Worst Medal of
2018: I can’t really find one that I truly dislike
all that much. Each race garners its own unique and special touches in
some fashion. However, if I had to pick
one, it would be Hilton Head, who’s generic and probably recycled design I
forgave because of its rather small field, but excellent organization and
post-race festivities.
For the half
marathon distance, I would have to give the least amount of acclamation to this
years’ Modesto half and full marathon.
In prior years, medal designs were quite attractive designed by a local artisan,
but without the artist’s singular eye-catching touches and his distinctive
creativity, I unfortunately have to rank the medal low on a runner’s must-have
scale.
There you have
it, a quick and dirty summary of my year – nothing too special, no records set,
no accolades, no prizes or monetary winnings, and certainly not enough to write
home about, but enough to keep me busy, feeling good and out of trouble. My 2018 average marathon finishing time of 5:07:56 was 12:30 slower than
2017s average time. Fortunately, I survived two double marathon weekends without
any serious consequences.
Marathons slated
for the 2019 docket*:
27 January – Big
Beach Marathon, Gulf Shores, AL
23 March – Savin
Rock Marathon, West Haven, CT (State #47)
7 April – Cheap
Marathon, Salisbury, MA (State #48)
27 April – Mt.
Charleston Marathon, Las Vegas, NV
5 May – Flying
Pig Marathon, Cincinnati, OH (State #49)
6 June – Mockingbird
Marathon, Erwin, TN
8 June – New
River Marathon, Fleetwood, NC (State #50)
* The fine
print. Of course, others may be added.
Final thoughts
I’ve learned to
stop being afraid of certain numbers. I no longer doubt myself when I see
a half marathon split pace exceeding ten-minutes. A five-hour marathon
used to be a red flag, a sign that race myopia had taken over and that I’d soon
regret it. Not so much anymore. Thanks to the lessons I learned in 2017
and throughout 2018, I’ve realized that it’s good to be aggressive sometimes, especially
if race conditions are right. I feel I
owe it to myself to go out hard, even if I think I’m exhausting my
limits.
All these statistical
data points I’ve amassed over the years are meaningful only to one person –
me. I honestly don’t expect anyone to analyze and digest them or develop
any sort of real conclusion from them. Besides,
everyone is different. A professional marathoner would see my results and
pat my back with a mix of encouragement and pity. On the contrary, there are those who consider
me fast. To them I say, you can definitely
catch up to me. It’s just a matter of gradual progress with a few spikes
of reckless speed here and there. But regardless of whether these “other”
people are faster or slower, they really are what make the sport fun for me.
While it’s true
that I enjoy running and traveling by themselves, no race trip is ever made
worse with company. Not only did I get to run a ton of races with complete
strangers, I met many of those strangers along the way whose racing adventures
continue to overlap with mine.
In the words of
JRR Tolkien, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given
to us.” As I continue to move forward in life, it’s never too late to
make a difference in our lives. I am
delighted to meet new people and to travel to seemingly places unknown. I’m thrilled that I can do it all by doing
what the human body does best, run. With every additional mile, I am
reminded not only that I am fulfilling a personal goal, but that happiness is a
choice and not a consequence.
At various
points in my life, running has served as a meditative, mind-clearing pursuit or
a cathartic, productive one, through which I’ve worked on specific problems or
decisions. At times, I turn phrases or
fragments of thoughts over and over in my head while I’m running, eventually
settling (if I’m lucky) on the best way to express an idea or a blog review
format. For me, what happens in my head
and in my psyche when I run is as significant as the physical benefits derived
from running.
 |
"It is said that just enough is best.
I think just enough is way too little"
|
Some people run
because they feel they have to – to lose weight or to mitigate the effects of
unhappiness, despair, depression or downheartedness. I run because I want
to – the runner’s high makes me feel better and mostly because I enjoy every
step. I look at it as my way to cope with stress
and the superfluities of life. In doing
so, I must simultaneously strike the perfect balance between daily life and running. I best associate it with the archetypical Swedish
proverb, “Lagom är bäst” or “Just enough is best.”
In 2019, I’m
shifting focus away from speed and towards endurance for the final four states looming
on the horizon – Ohio, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. Of course, the count doesn’t include any
do-over states I may pursue to enhance my average times. Though I certainly want to recover quickly
and get back into a regular pattern of training, my typical aches and pains of
this hectic year aren’t letting me just yet. I just hope the complacency
of rest and recovery doesn’t inhibit my motivation to run.
With that note,
I bid ye all a Happy New Year. May you achieve your goals, learn from
your mistakes and keep pressing onwards with an insatiable desire to regain
your joie de vivre. Because we must
always remember that whatever we do in this sport, we do ourselves. Sometimes we receive encouragement from
others and in certain instances we might get swept up in someone else’s
training blueprint. But at the end of the day, what you do and the
choices you make are yours. You plan, you prepare, you follow through and
lastly, you learn.
I’ve learned that from
every state I visit, I can write a new story about people, or a new lesson
learned, and those who joined the race, offered kind words of support, or simply
those I met after the race for a sweaty drink and good conversation. This countrywide effort would mean
nothing were it not for the truly wonderful people whom I met and that have
helped me along the way. Runners
sometimes get a bad rap for talking about their sport too much. But if you felt this much love, I
don’t see why you’d want to talk about anything else.
OK, it’s time to go for
a run. NO EXCUSES!
Onward and upward.
