This was a quick trip. I was there and back in less than 24 hours. It was my first time to Maine.

When I arrived I went straight to packet pickup. It was a simple affair. The hotel I chose was walking distance which was nice. Afterwards I had dinner at Scales, a seafood restaurant that was recommended by the GM at the hotel. Again, walking distance which was lovely…until it started raining 🤣.

I had dinner at the bar. Tuna tartare, crab fritters, rolls, and a margarita…( it was a long week). And then chocolate torte with sour cherries and vanilla custard (like I said, long week). Not the smartest pre race meal, but I just wanted some tasty food. Some people may find it weird to sit by yourself at a restaurant but I adore people watching. People are fascinating. I like to make up stories about their lives and watch the interactions.

After dinner I walked to a CVS for Gatorade and Diet Dr. Pepper before heading back to the hotel. At the hotel I felt something on my leg. I looked down and it was a $&?!ing TICK! I LOATHE ticks. And it’s even worse when you are traveling and don’t have medical supplies to deal with situations like that. Listen, I got it handled because I am a grown ass woman, but it wasn’t fun or pretty. And then my brain went down a worst case scenario path of Lyme disease and other possible ramifications. Ugh. Don’t rest in peace tick. I certainly didn’t rest that night.

Race morning dawned and I headed to the start line, like 15 mins before the race started. I like to live on the edge with travel, I find it thrilling to arrive at an airport gate with minutes to spare. It was a 10 min walk so made it in plenty of time (5 mins 🤣).

Per usual, I hadn’t researched the course and didn’t realize Maine was so hilly! Or at least, Portland is. The race course was also very tight, at one point we hit a gridlock and everyone had to slow to a walk.

It was lovely running along the ocean. Smelly at times, but beautiful. I loved watching all the boats bobbing on the water.

Finally after 12 hills, and one that reminded me of San Francisco (brutal), I got to the finish line. Beautiful sight! This race was pretty slow for me compared to my typical times. The hills and humidity played a part, but to be frank, I just wasn’t feeling it. I was all in my thoughts. However, that is one of my favorite things about running. It allows you to ponder all kinds of things, and no matter what, regardless if I’ve solved anything or not, I feel better when I’m done.

After I finished I walked back to the hotel. The chafing was real. Humidity and heat are brutal on the skin. I thought Maine would be cold, or at least cool, but I was wrong.

Got a quick shower, packed up, and headed to the airport to catch a flight home in time for a wedding.

It was a quick trip, and not my favorite race, but always happy to be one race closer to my goal.

Next up- Montana.

Feels pretty dang good to be 80% of the way to my goal. 80% done with anything feels like you’re almost there. Granted, when I think about it in actual terms, that’s at least 131 more miles of racing, which sounds daunting, but I’ll just keep in mind the 80%. Glass half full and all. That also means I’ve already run more than 524 miles in my 50 states quest (if they were all half marathons, which some were fulls, but I’m not mathing that out right now). Go me!

That brings me to Rhode Island. For such a small state it sure had its challenges. It started with a flight delay that had me arriving late the night before. The plane had to wait for catering…for the next days flight. I hope those people really enjoyed their snacks.

I slept a few hours and then got up to head to the shuttle bus to the race’s start line. They told us to arrive by 7am, and I was there at 6:40am. I got in the line to get on a bus and a bus driver sticks his head out and announces that this is the last bus because it’s 7am (race is at 8). I honestly thought he was a jokester, until people start rushing the bus and cutting the line to get on board (wtf strangers?)

He was not joking. He straight up abandoned us. So I did what any normal person would do. I panicked, and posted about it on Facebook.

Only after I had shared my misfortune with my closest friends, family, and acquaintances, did I look up the race start on maps to realize it was a mile away. And damnit, I’m a runner, so I can walk a mile. So I did. With a lot of other people.

I made it to the start just fine. Albeit a little tired, grumpy, and with more steps on my legs than I would like heading into a race.

The course was moderately hilly, or as race organizers like to say, it had gently rolling hills. As the person who had to actually get their self up said hills, I didn’t find them gentle. But they weren’t the worst I’ve dealt with (I’m looking at you San Francisco and mountain in Colorado). The challenging part was the wind. We spent about 3 miles next to the ocean and it was brutal over there. Pretty views, just lots of wind gusts.

I started hurting (hamstring and knee) about mile 8. I felt a bit discouraged because I was slowing down, but I reminded myself that some days when you’re only capable of giving 80%, and you give 80%, then you’re at 100% of your max potential for that day. So after that mental pep talk, I kept on keeping on. I started counting the banana peels I spotted on the road. Who all has played Mario Kart? I imagined they were weapons of mass destruction that I needed to avoid at all costs. Thank God there were no red turtle shells or it would have been lights out for me.

This time of year they advertised that Newport is full of daffodils, so those were fun to find. Also, the architecture in the area is so varied, some buildings are hundreds of years old. I enjoyed my tour of the area.

Made it to mile 11.5 for some hydration only for them to be out of cups and helpfully offer to pour a jug of water down my throat. I passed on the water boarding option and continued on. Sometimes you just have to laugh. (Crying wasn’t an option because dehydration is bad).

Finally finished in 2:22, 12 mins slower than my race two weeks ago. Oh well. Got some new hardware to take home.

Afterwards I had some shrimp risotto for dinner. One of my favorite dishes ever. And some mussels. It seemed smart to enjoy the seafood being so close to the ocean.

Overall- the race itself is not one I would recommend, organization was a cluster, but Rhode Island was pretty and I enjoyed getting it done.

Next up – Maine

I have to start this one by saying I did a terrible job of taking photos. I was busy living in the moment or running. So not a lot of photo documentation, and what I did take photos of is kind of weird. Weird is cool though, right?

I picked a race in Charlotte as I have a cousin and aunt who live there and wanted to be able to see them during my visit. As much as I’ve traveled through the CLT airport, I’ve never stayed in the city before so it was my first time.

I traveled with my family and we arrived on Friday and took my son to see Godzilla. He’s a big fan of the King of Monsters. Afterwards I grabbed my race packet. I was impressed with the swag- a longsleeve shirt, beer glass, and koozie.

For dinner we ate at North Italia as I was craving pasta. It’s a chain, but I had never eaten there before, and everything was pretty tasty. Bolognese for the win.

The next morning was the race. I hadn’t run anything over 4 miles continuously in awhile, but I ended up feeling pretty good and got the half marathon done in 2:10. I was hoping for 2:09 but somehow this race both started and ended going uphill which wasn’t conducive to me running faster. Oh well. Overall though this is a race I would recommend. Good swag, good post race setup, and good communication. Although as runners would say- lots of rolling hills.

After I crossed the finish line I found out the kids (who ran in the 5 mile race) both got first in their age groups.

After the race we met my cousin and aunt for lunch at Hawker’s. It’s a nice, casual Asian spot that I enjoyed. It was great seeing them and made for a highlight of the trip. We concluded with a trip to Jeni’s ice cream which was so good! I had lemon bar ice cream. Again, no pictures, but I devoured it :).

After lunch we explored Charlotte. Below is all I really have photo wise…🤦🏼‍♀️

Overall, a nice trip and excited that my next race will get me to 40 states.

Next up- Rhode Island

I’ve got a plan to get this 50 states running goal to an end by December 2025. This weekend was the first check mark to completing my now mapped out journey.

My sister and I went to Myrtle Beach. It’s her birthday weekend so we thought it would be fun to spend it running and enjoying the waves. As typical, even when you have a perfectly laid out plan, life throws some curve balls.

Curve ball 1- we missed our flight to Myrtle Beach. Like literally watched it leave. Our first flight was delayed so badly and then the airline pilot was taxiing like a person who stops at a roundabout, turns on their turn signal, and then sits and waits for the nonexistent light to turn green. It took 31 mins from the time we landed to mosey on up to the gate. The irony was we parked right next to the plane we were supposed to be on.

Curveball 2- we get rebooked on a plane that will get us there after midnight, just in time for a light nap before lining up to run 13 miles. (This ended up not being quite as bad, we then got bumped to a flight that got us in just after 10pm).

We arrive in Myrtle Beach and hop in an Uber to the hotel. We had to hold our breathe for the ride to the hotel because the Uber driver was trying to smoke us out but luckily as kids we practiced holding our breath underwater for as long as we could so we were slightly prepared.

Curveball 3- we wake up at 5am to get to the race start. All is looking good. We order the Uber to get us to the rate start. It says 4 mins to arrival, then 12, 24, 38…I message the driver and ask for an update as we have a start line to get to. No response. So I do what any sane individual would do in this situation. I ask the stranger in running gear outside the hotel if we can share their Uber. Of course she said yes, runners are nice, (all those endorphins) and we get a ride.

Curveball 4- from the dropoff point it’s about a mile to the start line. That’s not a problem, but it has been raining and they blocked the sidewalk so we had to trudge through some mud. Wet shoes and socks equal sassy blisters later.

It’s fine though, everything is fine. The race starts and we run a mile. Neither of us is feeling it though. So we decide to go at party pace. Basically that means we are there to enjoy the sites, have fun, and get to the finish line in no particular hurry. We check out the scenery and count 8 putt putt places and like a dozen pancake houses. The city reminds me of South Padre Island.

We’ve never done this party in the back strategy before so it seems like a good idea, until…

Curveball 5- we see the sweeper. For those of you who don’t know what a sweeper is, it’s the last person in the race. You MUST finish before them or your time doesn’t count. We are about 7 miles in at this point and I realize my race pace math ain’t mathing and we need to start hustling. So the running begins anew. And by running I mean every so often we run past 20 or so people and then slow back down to a shuffle until we get scared of getting swept again. Kind of like I imagine a zombie apocalypse would be. Just make sure you’re not last so you don’t get eaten.

Our sorry strategy works out and we finish with 10 mins to spare. Yay us! In hindsight not the brightest idea and I’m surprisingly more sore from 3 hours of mostly power walking than I would be from running my normal pace. Plus, blisters.

After the race we grab food, our medals and shirts, and walk back to our hotel. Showers are had, a quick nap is enjoyed, and then we head out to celebrate her birthday.

We checked out Grand Strand Brewery. It just happened to be their anniversary party and we had a great time. Good beer and good vibes. I loved the fermentations tanks. They were all named after the seven dwarves.

Next up, outlet mall shopping. The step count for the day is getting really high. Deals are found. And then finally, dinner at a place called Hook & Barrel- where you can get bacon hanging like a jellyfish.

Sunday I slept in…until 4:27am, because I’m old, have severe insomnia, and my body punishes me. BUT, it was amazing waking up to the sound of the ocean and I even saw a dolphin in the water. We decided to grab a coffee and walk around…and proceed to walk 5 miles to breakfast. It was super delicious! Salmon egg Benedict’s and blueberry hush puppies.

We ended the morning with a trip to a blow dry bar. One of my favorite things in the world is not having to do my own hair. We then headed to the airport.

Guess where I still am? The airport. Flight is delayed. But alas, the state was “conquered”, memories were created, and the birthday was celebrated.

Next up- North Carolina.

Ah, Virginia. I’ve been looking forward to this one for two reasons. One – the race is touted as America’s Friendliest Marathon (I ran the half). Two- Richmond has some of the best smoothie style beer in the nation. Running and beer is a winning combo.

I got in late Friday night so wasn’t able to make it to the expo. My sister grabbed our packets and shirts though. I stared at the luggage belt for a long time at the airport …because I have always really really wanted to stand on it and ride around. I believe it would be a lot of fun. I’m thinking once I get a smidge older I can totally give it a try and then blame it on being prematurely senile if I get in trouble. It’s definitely on the bucket list.

But, I digress. Made it to the hotel, grabbed dinner, then went to sleep. We got up early and walked out to the start line. It’s a large race but the logistics were pretty easy which is always nice.

I had plans to run really fast. I did for about half the race. And then I started to run NOT really fast. The roads had a strong slope/cap/curve from the middle to the sides of the road where they drain so my left leg was constantly lower than my right leg and it really hurt after awhile. That could just be an excuse, but my body started hurting, especially my hips (total old lady thing to say). The worst part was when I got towards the end and there was a big downhill to the finish line which is normally where I would be sprinting but it was really more of a hobble at that point. I felt like I was in slow motion while all these other, peppier runners were sprinting past me. Like running through jello slow. Oh, and I was wearing Nike, but just couldn’t do it (lame or awesome pun drop?).

Whomp whomp.

But, then I was finally done. I got my medal, and a blanket (cool race perk), and then promptly got lost trying to get back to the hotel. GPS wasn’t working and I have no internal sense of direction so I walked right past it. Andrea and I were separated and couldn’t get any service so I was on my own. Luckily I didn’t wander too far before I figured out where it was.

After a shower it was time to get lunch. We went to an Asian/Mexican fusion spot that was weirdly awesome.

We then decided to walk to a brewery. It was 3 miles. The good part of that was we got to cheer on the runners still finishing and stretch our legs. The bad part was we almost got hit by a car and we were both too sore to jump out of the way. We had a walk sign but the car decided to come at us anyways. It looked like a very shocked teenage driver. Luckily, all was good other than the tire marks in the road.

We finally arrived at The Veil. It’s a good brewery in Richmond. But, there’s one that’s better (IMO). And it’s called The Answer. So that’s where we spent most of our time.

If you’re ever in Richmond, VA I highly recommend stopping by. They’ve got great food, amazing beer, video games, and a really fun vibe.

It was a quick, but fun, trip. 13 more states to go! At this point I don’t know what’s next but I’m sure I’ll plan something soon.

Wisconsin has been my nemesis since I tried to run it last year. Some of you may remember that I was halfway through the Rockin Brews Half Marathon when it got cancelled due to weather. We were abandoned out on the course and I had to finish the 13 miles to get back to my rental car but since the race was canceled, my finish time wasn’t official, and therefore doesn’t count towards the challenge. Damnit.

So I had to go back and this year picked the Fox Cities Marathon. They had a half marathon option as well but I picked the full because I liked the medal color and shirt better, and because it would be my 13th full marathon. Lucky number 13, amiright?!

The race was in Appleton, WI – a small town closish to Green Bay. I arrived in the regional airport and immediately chuckled because they had a stand selling “That’s what Cheese said” shirts. Hehe.

I went to the expo. It was small but I enjoyed it and picked up my race bib, shirt, etc. It’s always fun to look around at the local vendors and the new race gear.

Afterwards I checked into my hotel and took a nap. I love naps. Kids seriously don’t know what they are missing by fighting taking them. If I could nap every day I would.

After that I figured out race logistics and learned that there was a shuttle pickup to the start line literally out the door from my hotel, so that was awesome. I love when a non-plan works out perfectly. I then walked around downtown – which was one block- and grabbed dinner.

Race day was beautiful. Mid 50s and the shuttle took us to an INDOOR waiting area which was bougie and amazing. They had opened up a local university to the runners. I was able to stay inside until 5 mins before start time.

The first half wasn’t bad. The weather was cool, the course was well marked and supported, and I’ve gotten to the point in my running where I am confident that I can get 13.1 miles done, even when not trained.

After 13 though, I started regretting my choices. Why couldn’t I have been satisfied by the blue medal? Surely purple isn’t that much better? Who needs another race shirt? Will I be able to get done in time to shower before I have to go to the airport? And so on. To be fair – other than the Boston Marathon, there has never been a time during a marathon that I haven’t questioned my life choices. It’s like you hit this wall of self doubt and you’re also wallowing in the pain cave and you see some well-meaning spectator with a sign that says “you’re almost there!” when you’re probably NOT almost there because you have at least another hour of running.

I did meet a guy who helped distract me. I never got his name but he shall henceforth be known as Shoeless Guy or SG for short. SG and I were running close to each other for several miles and then he stopped to take his shoes off. He then put them on his hands and started running again. I think we had 8 or so miles left to go at that point. I asked him if he was okay and why he had his shoes on his hands and he said “My feet hurt.” Well, yeah….we’ve been running for 18 miles and on our feet for hours. I suggested that he put them back on and told him it was normal for your feet to hurt at this point, along with every other body part. After a while I passed him and never saw him again. I hope he finished and that his feet are okay.

I finally finished. Proud that it was under 5 hours. I crossed the line and got a little teary. I’m not 100% sure why, but there’s just something about the marathon that chews you up, spits you out, and regardless of how it goes you feel a little emotionally raw when you’re done. Hopefully not also raw from chafing (Vaseline for the win!)

A race volunteer then gave me a ride back to my hotel, which was incredibly helpful, and I got to sit in the shower and drink my chocolate milk which is my favorite post race snack. From there I took an Uber to the airport to head home. That process wasn’t smooth. Our plane ran out of gas, then broke, all before we left the airport (but after we all boarded). They then deplaned us and said it would be awhile before we could get it fixed because they didn’t have a local mechanic and had to bring one in from Green Bay. By the time I got to my layover location in Chicago, my planned 3 hour stop that would include a nice dinner and a margarita, turned into an 18 min run through O’Hare and a vending machine turkey sandwich. But, just glad that I got home that night.

Next up- Virginia (half marathon)

#honestrunning

A couple of weeks ago I flew to Connecticut to run two back to back half marathons. The first was in Simsbury, Connecticut called the UConn Health Half Marathon. It was a nicely done small race. The weather was cold and drizzly which wasn’t terrible, at least while we were running. Part of the course was looped, meaning we had to run it twice, which messes with your mind – especially when you pass the finish line and you’re not done. I did okay, ran it in 2:12:12, but considering I hadn’t run more than 3 miles in a row since Kentucky, not bad.

After the race I grabbed some food, then headed to the hotel to grab a quick shower because I had to hit the road.

I had to drive through the state of Massachusetts to get to Vermont. On the way I had the super bad idea to stop at European Wax Center. They had immediate availability. I quickly learned why when my wax technician told me she was newly hired and had only been waxing for “a little while”. I won’t go into details, but it was not a great choice. I’ll stick with my normal lady back home in the future.

It didn’t take long to get to Vermont, and I stayed at The Norwich Inn. It was a cute little place with a restaurant and brewery on site.

The race was Sunday morning, I got up early to head to Pomfret, VT for the Covered Bridges Half Marathon. The race was a point to point and started at a ski slop.

It was cold, which again is ideal running weather but I didn’t love the long wait at the start. I had picked this race though because it’s known for its beautiful scenery.

Vermont was really beautiful. One of the prettiest states I’ve been to so far. I enjoyed the race and the crowd support. Didn’t enjoy the hills, but that was my fault for not training.

I finished the race in 2:21:10. I was trying to invert my numbers from the day before and get a 2:21:21 (since I had a 2:12:12) but realized I was going to be a smidge too fast. When I neared the finish line the announcer said I was the first finisher from Oklahoma and I didn’t want all the spectators to think Oklahomans were weirdos if I stopped and waited to cross the finish line. So I decided to pass up my goal for the sake of Oklahomans everywhere. I’m benevolent like that.

Once I was done I grabbed three slices of the best watermelon ever. And then went back and showered and used the sweet towel warmer that the hotel had. It was awesome.

Next was dinner. I got a lobster roll because when you’re in the NE, seafood is a solid choice. So good!

The trip was pretty great (other than the stupid wax). Sometimes it’s nice just to wander around by yourself. I did lots of running, reading, relaxing, and eating.

I’ve got one more state already planned for this year but that doesn’t seem like enough, so I’m on the hunt for more…

And just like that, I’m 2/3 of the way towards finishing my goal.

A couple weeks ago I ran the Kentucky Derby mini marathon (half marathon). I had never been to Kentucky before. From the start, it was memorable. My sister and I arrived in the airport and as we were headed to our Uber a guy asked if we were there for the race (I was sporting Boston gear since I am still riding that high). I said yes and asked if he had any food recommendations. His response “Don’t get shot”. Um, okay. Was just really planning on some good snacks and running but I’ll add that to the list.

Off we went to the expo. It was a good one, all the basics plus some fun special booths such as the rubber ducky derby. We got our bibs, bought some rubber ducks, and race gear.

After that we went to dinner where we enjoyed some derby pie. It wasn’t my favorite but when in Kentucky you must try the local cuisine.

From there we went to the hotel – we stayed at the Moxy. The phone next to the nightstand had a button that you could press for a bedtime story. Of course I pressed it expecting to hear something about counting sheep….I was wrong.

Saturday morning it was race time. Luckily the start line was like two blocks from our hotel room. The weather was perfect. Cool with mild wind. I had no idea how I was going to run as I was still a bit tired from Boston so I decided to just enjoy myself.

The crowd support was pretty solid, and I ran into Ted Lasso and crew twice which was fun because I was watching the newest season on the plane ride over. I freaking love that show.

I also made friends with Doc and Marty, especially after they helped me when I took a tumble into a wall. We were coming into Churchill Downs in a tunnel and there’s a divit on the side and I rolled my ankle on it and hit the wall. Doc asked me if I was okay, I responded yes even though my ankle and shin/calf were on fire.

I looked down later to see that my ankle was bleeding and I had wall rash all over my leg. That was new, I’ve hit “the (metaphorical) wall” while running but never hit an actual wall.

We continued through Churchill Downs and it was really cool to see the horses practicing and running around the track.

I kept on running, as that’s what one does in a race, and finally got to the end. The course was a bit long but I still managed to run it just over 2 hours so I was happy with that. Waiting at the finish line was an ice cold carton of chocolate milk, my absolute favorite thing to have after running. Also, a picture of my boss…that was kind of surprising.

I waited for my sister (she did great!) and once she finished we walked back to our hotel. We showered and then went to lunch at The Brown Hotel to try the famous hot brown sandwich.

After that we decided to shake out the legs with a 2 mile walk to a brewery so I could enjoy some smoothie style sour ales. If you haven’t tried that style, I highly recommend. When we arrived, they were out of what I had wanted to go there for, but I improvised and tried some other beers and we relaxed while drinking and watching the Princess Bride.

We then took an Uber back to the hotel before going to the festival to watch the Kentucky derby duck race. We missed it. And we didn’t win. Oh well.

From there we walked to dinner at a Mexican restaurant (that seems to be our food of choice after running). We tried some pretty wild things including a kangaroo taco. For those wondering, kangaroo is very lean and tough.

Overall it was a great trip. Got to see the sights, eat lots of new foods, and spend time with my sister. Next up is Connecticut and Vermont!

I signed up for the final run of the Mercedes-Benz Marathon in Birmingham. The race had been around a long time but the directors decided they were done and I didn’t want to miss out on the experience. Race FOMO and all. Plus I figured Alabama would be warmish in February compared to other states I still need to do.

This was a quick one. I arrived on Saturday afternoon and went straight to the expo. I was kind of disappointed in it- very small and not a lot going on. The race shirt was also white cotton…not my favorite as I prefer the soft shirts or tech material and white is just not good for me – I’m messy. I didn’t stay there long and then headed to my hotel. It was about a two mile stroll in the rain, but it was good to walk after being on flights all morning.

For dinner I decided to hole up in my hotel and enjoy one of the worst pre race options possible. Hattie B’s Hot fried chicken. I know better but it looked good on door dash and had great reviews so 🤷🏼‍♀️. At least I was hydrating with water 🤣. And it was really good.

The next morning I caught an Uber to get close to the start line. The weather was good for running- cold. I planned to just run on feel and check out the city and it ended up going pretty well. There were some gnarly hills but because I was cold I ran faster than I thought I would, so was pretty happy with my finish. Turns out fried chicken isn’t such a bad idea after all.

At the finish line they gave us a glow in the dark medal (awesome), a beach towel, socks, and snacks. So some pretty good swag. I ended up walking back to my hotel after the race. It was only 2 miles away and I knew there was a Starbucks on the route and coffee was all I could think about. I also think it helped my legs flush out before I boarded the plane back. To top it off a drag queen told me she loved my “necklace” on the way back :).

All in all this wasn’t the most memorable race, but it was a confidence boost that I can still run well, and a good training run. I found out just a couple weeks prior to the race that I’m running the Boston Marathon in April so the more miles I can get, the better.

Next up. Massachusetts!