Mayor’s Midnight Sun Half (AK), June 19, 2010

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This was the race that caused me to set a goal to run all fifty states!  I decided to take a trip to visit a good friend from high school in Alaska, a place I had always dreamed of traveling (and maybe living someday).  When we began to look at dates and schedule the trip, I realized there was a half marathon in Anchorage around the time I would be there.  I considered preparing for and running a full, but decided that traveling across the continent then running 26 miles would make me a little nervous.  I was also a little concerned that running 26 miles might hinder my legs for the hiking, climbing, and adventuring I had planned for the remainder of the trip.

The morning of the race was cool, a pleasant change from the North Carolina heat I left behind.  The race ran through parts of the city of Anchorage before heading past the airport and turning onto trails.  My favorite view was when we passed the airport.  There was a UPS plane taking off next to us as we ran down a gentle hill.  As I looked down the hill, I saw a sea of runners moving together below a horizon of snow-capped mountains.

Shortly after this point, we turned onto a section of trail, cut through the woods, and then ended up on the Coastal Trail, a paved path that runs along the Cook Inlet.  The trail reminded me of the greenways I often run in Raleigh, although instead of looking out over Shelley Lake, I looked across the water and saw the peaks of the Kenai Mountains rising out of the water.  It was strange to run a path that felt familiar to my feet with views so different from what I have at home. 

The final quarter mile of the race was around a high school track.  It was a perfect ending to a great race, and the best beginning to 10 days filled with hiking, camping, canoeing, microbrews, and wildlife.

Tobacco Road Marathon (NC), March 18, 2010

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I’m not quite sure what happened to 2009, finishing graduate school and completing my National Board Certification seemed to leave little time for running (if you ask one of my friends, they may even tell a story about how I almost missed my own surprise birthday dinner to work on writing).  With those 2 accomplishments out of the way, I laced up my running shoes once again for a race close to home.

The Tobacco Road Marathon runs a great trail between Apex and Durham, North Carolina.  In addition to being an old railroad bed (meaning flat), a good portion of the course is on packed sand (my knees loved it).  This was the first time I had a chance to train on the course prior to the race and I truly appreciated knowing what I was getting into and what to expect.  I found the perfect combination of water, Gatorade, and Shot Blocks to get me through my training and had a great plan for the race. 

Even though it was close to home, I didn’t tell many of my friends the details, I have never been one to need spectators.  Less than a mile into the race I was surprised to see a familiar face, one of our student teachers and her husband.  Earlier that day I had spotted a group of runners running in honor of a friend going through cancer treatment and I then put the two together and realized it was her husband.  Periodically through the race I saw the two of them stopped to cheer everyone as they passed.  I even had the chance to run a few miles with some of the runners and hear about why they were running and the man they were running for.

He passed away 8 months later.  Reflecting on this race has made me realize how running brings people together for reasons other than to get back in shape or lose a few pounds.  It’s also a chance to come together with a common goal or purpose, to celebrate or support those we are close to.  I sometimes think of this race as my second marathon, the feeling of getting my nutrition right, and having energy through the last mile.  While those were great benchmarks, I more clearly remember it as the race where a group of people came together to run and honor their friend in his fight.