Heading south!
Today I finished my last long training run, and, except for a few short maintenance runs and some last minute travel preparations, we are almost ready to pile into the RV and head for the first two races in Bluefield, WV and VA (it straddles the border). I will be doing all 7 races of the Mainly Marathons Appalachian Series in WV, VA, TN, NC, SC, GA, and AL. I’ll be running marathons in all but the Virginia race since I already have that state. Instead, I’ll run a half marathon — might as well start working on doing a half in all 50 states, too! So it will be a full week of running, driving, and camping for 7 straight days — October 11 to 17. Once I’m finished we will take a leisurely route back home sight-seeing and visiting with friends along the way.
I am happy to report that today’s run was pain-free and unencumbered with the injuries I’ve been plagued with most of the summer. In fact, after 14 miles I was able to run the last mile faster than I’ve run all summer — an unspectacular 10-minute mile pace, but fast for me at this point. I felt great afterward and my confidence is just where I want it to be heading into this series.
I can’t wait to catch up with the Mainly Marathons group next week! It’s hard to imagine unless you have experienced it, but Clint and Hanne and their crew actually make it fun to run marathons in different states each day. I am really psyched!
After I’ve completed the last race, I should have 21 states completed on my quest to run a marathon in all 50 states. Nearly half way.
Starting Late 